January 15, 2011
Virginia Tech downs UNC 25-9 on the mat
Dickson picks up pin to help Hokies win ACC match
F
Miami 65
Virginia Tech49

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The fourth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team rode the wave of four wins to open the match to down the University of North Carolina, 25-9, Saturday afternoon at Carmichael Arena. With the win, the Hokies improved to 12-3 overall, 1-0 in the ACC while the Tar Heels fell to 4-5, 0-1 in the league.

The Hokies jumped out to a quick lead when No. 13 Jarrod Garnett dominated freshman Jake Corrill for a 9-2 decision at 125 pounds. He got a takedown five seconds into the match and never looked back. After another takedown in the first period, he got one more in the third period, a point for stalling on Corrill and one more for over four minutes of riding time to pick up three points for the visitors.

At 133 pounds, freshman Devin Carter showed no nerves in his first ACC match, downing Pat Owens 11-4. The eighth-ranked wrestler got a pair of takedowns in both the first and second period to jump out to an 8-3 lead. In the third, he reversed Owens to make it 10-3, but Owens escaped right at the buzzer to avoid a major decision as Carter picked up a point for riding time to record the 11-4 decision. At 141 pounds, 14th-ranked Chris Diaz bounced back from a tough weekend at the National Duals to beat Danny Lopes 6-1. He got a takedown late in the first period and in the second period, picked up a reversal. Lopes was called for several stall warnings, giving Diaz two points to make it 6-0 heading to the final period. Lopes escaped early, but was unable to do anything else as Diaz picked up win No. 101 for his career.

Brian Stephens, ranked eighth in the country at 149 pounds, kept things rolling for the Hokies with a 7-3 win over Mike Rappo. The defending ACC champion used a pair of second-period takedowns to widen his lead and forced the action until he got a penalty point for stalling in the third en route to the win. The Tar Heels got on the board at 157 pounds with a huge upset as Corey Mock shocked fifth-ranked Jesse Dong, 11-4. Mock got a takedown in the first period and a nearfall combination in the second to take a 4-1 lead. After Dong took over a minute over injury time, Mock turned him again for another two points. Dong got a late reversal to make it 6-3 heading to the final period but Mock got a reversal and rode out Dong, earning a penalty point for stalling and a riding time point, to seal the upset.

Fourteenth-ranked Pete Yates got things back on track at 165 pounds, picking up a hard-earned 2-0 win over Thomas Scotton. After a scoreless first period, Scotton chose down in the second period and Yates rode him for the entire two minutes, picking up a stall warning against Scotton along the way. In the third, Yates escaped quickly to take a 1-0 lead and nothing happened the rest of the way as Yates got a point for riding time. Matt Epperly ran into trouble early against Thomas Ferguson at 174 pounds as Ferguson took Epperly down right to his back within the first 20 seconds to take a quick 4-0 lead. Epperly got a takedown in the second period and started the third with a reversal to make it 6-5. He let Ferguson up with over a minute left, but couldn’t get the takedown he needed and fell 7-5.

At 184 pounds, back-up John Dickson took to the mat for the Hokies and proved to be more than up to the task against Antonio Giorgio. He picked up a takedown in the first period, rode him the whole second period and then turned him for a pin at the 5:19 mark to make it 22-6. Chris Penny got a takedown in every period at 197 pounds, but Zac Bennett got two takedowns, four escapes and a point for riding time to down Penny 9-6 and give the Tar Heels three team points.

At heavyweight, Tech’s David Marone rolled to a 12-4 win over Ben Brooks. He took Brooks down three times in the first period and again in the second stanza. In the third period, he got another takedown and a reversal after giving up a takedown, plus a point fort riding time to earn the major decision.

Virginia Tech has now won 11 consecutive ACC matches dating back to 2008.

The Hokies will take no time off as they will host Clarion on Sunday at 7 p.m. inside Cassell Coliseum. The bout will highlighted by Dong, ranked fifth in the country, taking on 12th-ranked James Fleming at 157 pounds. Admission is free and live stats and audio are available on hokiesports.com and Hokies All-Access.

#4 Virginia Tech 25, North Carolina 9

125: #13 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Jake Corrill, 9-2
133: #8 Devin Carter (VT) dec. Pat Owens, 11-4
141: #14 Chris Diaz (VT) dec. Danny Lopes, 6-1
149: #8 Brian Stephens (VT) dec. Mike Rappo, 7-3
157: Corey Mock (NC) dec. #5 Jesse Dong, 11-4
165: #14 Pete Yates (VT) dec. Thomas Scotton, 2-0
174: Thomas Ferguson (NC) dec. Matt Epperly, 7-5
184: John Dickson (VT) fall Antonio Giorgio, 5:19
197: Zac Bennett (NC) dec. Chris Penny, 9-6
285: David Marone (VT) maj. dec. Ben Brooks, 12-4

For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).

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