No. 6 Hokies dismantle West Virginia, 36-4

Haught defeats Smith in return to his hometown

December 18, 2016

	F
Boston College	7
Virginia Tech	3

PARKERSBURG, W. Va. - The No. 6 Virginia Tech wrestling team took nine of 10 bouts from West Virginia in the Black Diamond Brawl on Sunday afternoon as the Hokies defeated the Mountaineers in convincing fashion, 36-4, at Parkersburg HS in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The Hokies improve to 5-1 on the season with the win and have now won two-straight against the Mountaineers. No. 2 Joey Dance remained undefeated with a pin at 125 and No. 3 Jared Haught, a Parkersburg native, picked up a 3-2 decision in the final match of the afternoon over No. 7 Jacob Smith.

“It was a great atmosphere today at Parkersburg High School,” head coach Kevin Dresser said. “We actually had a lot of Hokies in the crowd so thank you to those who came out. We’re going to give our guys a little time off before we reconvene and get ready for Princeton and North Carolina to kick off the New Year.”

In what was the main event of the dual, Haught and Smith were knotted up at 1-1 at the end of regulation. The score remained tied after sudden victory OT but Haught jumped out in front on a reversal in the first 30-second ride out period. Smith escaped in TB2 but Haught held on for the 3-2 win in front of his hometown crowd. Haught is now 2-0 against Smith this season after previously defeating him with a 6-4 sudden victory decision in the semis of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite.

Four near fall points early in the third period sealed the tech fall for No. 3 Ty Walz in the opening bout of the match at heavyweight. Before a decision from freshman Dominic Latona at 133 that put the Hokies ahead 14-0, Dance followed Walz with his second pin of the season with 18 seconds left in the second period at 125.

West Virginia’s Joe Wheeling picked up a major decision at 141 but the Hokies rattled six-straight wins, including the first in the Tech career of redshirt sophomore Ryan Blees at 157, to clinch the match.

The Hokies will go on a short break but will open the New Year with two road duals at Princeton on Jan. 6 and its first ACC match of the season at North Carolina on Jan. 8.

No. 6 Virginia Tech 36, West Virginia 4
HWT: No. 3 Ty Walz (VT) TF Brandon Ngati (WVU), 24-7 (6:46)
125: No. 2 Joey Dance (VT) FALL Devin Brown (WVU), 4:32
133: Dominic Latona (VT) dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU), 6-2
141: Joe Wheeling (WVU) MD Brendan Ryan (VT), 13-2
149: No. 8 Solomon Chishko (VT) dec. Christian Monserrat (WVU), 10-5
157: Ryan Blees (VT) MD Dylan Garrett (WVU), 11-2
165: David Bergida (VT) dec. Ryan Lopez (WVU), 10-4
174: No. 2 Zach Epperly TF Ty Milward (WVU), 21-6 (5:35)
184: No. 4 Zack Zavatsky (VT) MD Parker Von Egidy (WVU), 16-8
197: No. 3 Jared Haught dec. No. 7 Jacob Smith, 3-2 (TB2)

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