EDINBORO, Pa – Head Coach Matt Hill and the Fighting Scots wrestlers gained some clarity as they completed Red-White wrestle-offs Saturday night at the McComb Fieldhouse.

Weight classes were juggled in the first attempt to hit the mat in the COVID-19 era.

"We are just super grateful to be able to compete and get back to some sort of normalcy," said the now third-year head coach. "Even though it is not normal, it will be good to get back to what a lot of these guys have been doing since they were four years old."

"This year is a little bit different because a lot of time we have wrestle-offs and then go right into open tournaments where we get to see a bigger sample size," continued the coach, remarking on his ever-changing schedule. "Now it is like, 'hey, this is going to be our lineup.'"

For wrestle-offs, assistant coach Andrew Church coached the team wearing red singlets and graduate student Fritz Hoehn coached the team in black singlets.

Matt Hill and assistant coach Ernest James handled commentary duties during the Facebook Live stream.
 
Match One

• Team Red's (R) Chris Merlo vs. Team Black's (B) Logan Jaquay at 125 pounds
  • Recap: Jaquay controlled after the first period 7-2 after enjoying a near fall as the first period came to a close. Jaquay controlled the coin flip and deferred, before Merlo gained two points and the match was stopped momentarily for a blood timeout. Jaquay held off a hard-charging Merlo to end the second period. The third period began with Jaquay scoring a reversal, and he controlled the remainder of the match.
  • Result: Jaquay 16-4 major dec. over Merlo
  • Jaquay advanced to take on Lucas Rodriguez (B) in match 11

Match Two

• (R) Michael Cassidy vs. (B) Richie Markulics at 133 pounds
  • Recap: Michael Cassidy opened scoring with a takedown to assume a 2-0 lead, before Cassidy quickly took a point back. Cassidy scored a single-leg takedown as the first period ran out and he had the 4-1 lead. Cassidy opened the second period in the top position, but Markulics managed another point around the 1:25 mark. Cassidy chose bottom with the 4-2 lead to commence the third, where he added a point to his lead. Markulics would gain two more before the final.
  • Result: Cassidy 5-4 dec. over Markulics

Match Three

• (B) Tye Varndell vs. (B) Gabe Willochell at 141 pounds
  • Recap: Willochell opened scoring with a takedown at the 1:00 mark in the first period. Willochell deferred the flip and had top position to begin the second. The second period was scoreless. Willochell scored another point at the beginning of the third and the wrestlers assumed neutral position. That's when Willochell gained control that he wouldn't relinquish.
  • Result: Willochell 5-0 dec. over Varndell
  • Willochell advanced to take on winner of Burgos/Gold at 141 in match 12

Match Four

• (R) Ryan Burgos vs. (B) Jackie Gold at 141 pounds
  • Recap: Burgos scored the first takedown just before the 1:00 mark in the first to assume a 2-0 lead. Burgos won the coin flip and chose bottom position to begin the second stanza. Burgos added to his lead by gaining control of top position, which he held for a majority of the second. With a 5-0 lead, Burgos started on top and gained control of Gold's right arm. He added one more point for a 6-0 final.
  • Result: Burgos 6-0 dec. over Gold
  • Burgos advanced to take on Varndell (winner of Varndell/Willochell) in match 12

Match Five

• (B) P.J. Gohn vs. (B) Sully Allen at 149 pounds
  • Recap: Gohn gained control and a 2-0 lead early in the first before a near fall made it 4-0. Gohn fought out of bottom position in the second, but was able to hold Allen without a point. The third period was even.  
  • Result: Gohn 4-0 dec. over Allen
  • Advanced to take on (B) Tyler Vath in match 13

Match Six

• (R) Peter Pappas vs. (B) Luke Sainato at 157 pounds
  • Recap: Pappas assumed an early 2-0 lead, with a quick answer from Sainato to make it 2-1. Then Pappas gained control of Sainato's back and pushed his lead to 4-1 with over a minute left to wrestle in the first. Sainato battled to keep the score at 4-1, moving into the second where Pappas deferred and Sainato chose neutral position. Pappas scored another takedown 20 seconds into the second period. The third opened with Pappas in bottom position holding a 6-1 lead. A reversal would make it 8-1 at around the 1:50 mark in the third. Pappas added one more in the waning minute of the third.
  • Result: Pappas 9-1 major dec. over Luke Sainato.

Match Seven

• (B) Derek Ciavarro vs. (R) Matthew Dowler at 165 pounds
  • Recap: Ciavarro gained control for the opening two points of the first, then Dowler got back to neutral position and gained a point back. The second opened with Ciavarro enjoying a 4-1 lead after a takedown added to his lead as time ran out.
  • Result: Ciavarro 8-1 dec. over Dowler

Match Eight

• (R) Zach Ancewicz vs. (B) Ethan Ducca at 184 pounds
  • Recap: Ancewicz scored the only point in the opening frame then assumed bottom position to begin the second where he quickly captured a second point. Ducca freed himself to begin the third and cut it to a one-point match. The match reset at the 1:07 mark and the competitors remained face up until the 20-second mark when they went back to neutral.
  • Result: Ancewicz 2-1 dec. over Ducca

Match Nine

• (B) Cody Mulligan vs. (R) Beau Dillon at 197 pounds
  • Recap: Mulligan gained two points in the first, with Dillon forcing a one count in the final minute. Mulligan deferred the coin flip to begin the second period and Dillon chose bottom position. Mulligan held Dillon in check for over a minute in the second, but was unable to secure a point despite a near takedown to end the second. As the third got underway with Dillon in control of Mulligan's back, Mulligan wrestled back to neutral.
  • Result: Mulligan 4-0 dec. over Dillon.

Match 10

• (R) Jon Spaulding vs. (B) Max Millin at heavyweight
  • Recap: Action was pushed out of bounds twice in the opening two minutes of the first, but neither competitor gained a point. Millin deferred to Spaulding to begin the second, before Spaulding managed the first two points. Spaulding pushed the action out of bounds again with ten seconds remaining but the score would hold.
  • Result: Spaulding 2-0 dec. over Millin

Match 11

• (R) Jaquay (winner of Merlo/Jaquay in match one) vs. (B) Lucas Rodriguez at 125 pounds
  • Recap: A takedown gave Rodriguez the opening two-point advantage. Rodriguez gained two more at the one-minute mark of the first before action was pushed out of bounds. Rodriguez took control of the back but Jaquay avoided a takedown making it a three-point Rodriguez lead. Jaquay deferred the second period coin flip and Rodriguez elected to start in bottom position. Rodriguez squandered two Jaquay takedowns in the first ten seconds of the second period. Jaquay gained another point at the 1:50 mark in the third. A Rodriguez takedown ended scoring.
  • Result: Rodriguez 6-1 dec. over Jaquay

Match 12

• (R) Willochell (winner of Varndell/Willochell in match three) vs. (B) Burgos (winner of Burgos/Gold in match four)
  • Recap: A takedown followed by near fall for Willochell gave him an early 6-1 lead in the first, but Burgos cut the lead in half before beginning the second. Willochell chose bottom upon winning the second period coin flip. Willochell made it 10-3 as the second came to a close. Burgos added five points in the third, but Willochell did enough to hold off the late charge.
  • Result: Burgos 12-11 dec. over Willochell

Match 13

• (R) Gohn (winner of Gohn/Allen in match five) vs. (B) Tyler Vath at 149 pounds
  • Recap: Vath scored a takedown with about one minute left in the first. Vath won the second period coin flip and took bottom position, where he'd make it a three-point lead. Gohn chose neutral position to begin the third, which was scoreless.
  • Result: Vath 3-0 dec. over Gohn

 
Edinboro begins their regular season Wednesday Jan. 27 at Gannon University in a round-robin type event vs. the Knights and Mercyhurst Lakers.

Then the Fighting Scots move into their Mid-American Conference regular season schedule when they visit Clarion University Feb. 3.

All Edinboro wrestling contests are scheduled as away contests.

For all the latest news and information on Fighting Scots wrestling, visit gofightingscots.com.

Fans can also follow the program on social media outlets Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2021 Matches will be streamed on Facebook Live.