Madison mat men win classic

Winning is nice.

Winning the tournament you host is even nicer, like the Jan. 3 Mountaineer Classic won by the host Madison County wrestlers, who went 5-0 on the day to win the sixth annual event for the third time since its inception.

“It’s always nice to win at home,” said Madison Coach Mike Sacra. “Our kids did a pretty good job. They started out well and continued the effort throughout the day. It was a good team effort.”

And that’s the very thing that was required to get past Group AAA Dinwiddie, which went 4-1 and claimed the runner-up spot with Eastern View (3-2) finishing in third.

“The match against Dinwiddie could have gone either way,” said Sacra. “That match was pivotal and the kids stepped up.”

A total of 12 teams were in the mix and in Round 1 action there were four pools comprised of three teams each, which gave each team two matches to wrestle in this round.

Madison easily swept aside Western Albemarle (65-12) and then waxed Wilson Memorial (62-6) to set up a showdown with a new local rival, Eastern View, which won its pool as well.

The Mountaineers had little trouble with the Cyclones and built an insurmountable 48-6 lead with only four matches remaining.

The final score read Madison 54, Eastern View 21.

Madison then faced a stiffer challenge from Dinwiddie but forced the Generals to capitulate with key wins in the last two matches.

The finale against Courtland put an exclamation mark on the day as the Mountaineers caged the Cougars, 52-4.

Individually Jarrett Brumett (135) and Brandon Utz (215) were co-recipients of the team’s award for Most Valuable Wrestler.

Both went unbeaten on the day as did Dylan Basta (119), Ethan O’Connell (130) and Baxter Helmick (140/145).

Three wrestlers, Bobby Basta (125), Tyler Atwell (145/152) and Anthony Jewett (160/171) all went 4-1, while John Heller (189/215) and Justin Farry (171/189) both went 3-2.

Danny Camunas (152/160) went 2-0, Andrew Riner (152) was even at 1-1 and Hunter Welch (112) went 2-3.

“Eight kids went either 5-0 or 4-1,” said Sacra. “Eight out of 12 is pretty much a dominating performance I think, team-wise.”

The Mountaineers are still in need of services on the front and back ends of its lineup. The 103-pound weight class has been vacant all season and Utz, the team’s natural fit at 215, is often asked to bump up in weight in certain situations. 

Madison’s unblemished outing on Saturday improved its dual match record this season to 14-1.

Here’s how the action unfolded at the sixth annual event:

Madison 65, Western Albemarle, 12 — Following the double forfeit at 103 pounds, Madison reeled off four straight pins behind the efforts of Welch (112), Dylan Basta (119), Bobby Basta (125) and OO’Connell (130).

Brumett (135) and Helmick (140) claimed forfeits and then Atwell (145) won by technical fall to give the Mountaineers a 41-0 lead before the Warriors finally found victory when Ayden Cousins won by fall at 152 pounds.

Camunas (160) and Jewett (171) claimed forfeits, then Western’s Jacob Houff (189) pinned Farry for the Warriors’ last win.

Heller (215) pinned Justin Pugh and Utz (285) flattened Michael Carter in 1:04. 

Madison 62, Wilson Memorial, 6 — Action began at 112 pounds and Welch won by technical fall to ignite a Mountaineer run that did not cease until the double forfeit at 215 pounds. 

In between, Dylan Basta (119) won by fall, Bobby Basta (125) overcame a 7-1 first-period deficit to win by decision, O’Connell (130) and Brumett (135) pinned their opponents, Helmick (140) claimed a forfeit, Atwell (145), Camunas (152) and Jewett (160) all won by fall and then Farry (171) and Heller (189) won by decision before the double vacancy at 215.

Camunas overcame a 9-3 deficit after the first period en route to pinning Josh Garrison.

Utz (285) moved up to heavyweight and stuck Harry Smith. The rout was nearly complete until Wilson’s Cole Duncan (103) claimed the forfeit to avert a shutout.

Madison 54, Eastern View 21 — Action began at 125 pounds and the Cycloness’ Tim O’Maley (125) defeated Bobby Basta by decision to make it 2-0 against the Mountaineer senior.

The two previously met in Harrisonburg where O’Maley won in similar fashion.

The Mountaineer then flexed their muscles as O’Connell (130), Brumett (135), Helmick (140) and Atwell (145) all pinned their opponents and then Andrew Riner (152), Jewett (160) and Farry (171) all claimed wins by forfeit to make it 42-6 in favor of Madison.

Eastern View’s Wayne Hawkins (189) won by decision over Heller but Utz (215) recouped the points when he pinned Tyler Deane.

The Cyclones rallied but it was too late.

David Combs (285) and Daeshawn Chichester (103) claimed forfeits and Brittany McCauley (112) won by decision to make it 48-21. That was as close as the Cyclones would come as Dylan Basta put the finishing touches on the Madison victory when he stuck Joe Koontz. 

Madison 39, Dinwiddie, 28 — The Generals posed the toughest challenge to the Mountaineers and after ten of the 14 matches had been decided, the match was tied 24-24.

Dinwiddie’s Joey Plutro (112) won by major decision to give his team a four-point lead but when Dylan Basta (119) claimed the forfeit Madison reclaimed the lead, 30-28, with just two matches remaining.

Older brother Bobby (125) won a tough, 6-0, decision over Tavaras Johnson to make it 33-28 with only the 130-pound match remaining.

The Generals could still win but only if their remaining wrestler won by fall.

Instead, O’Connell (130) pinned Domineak Billups and the final score was 39-28.

Action began at 135 and Brumett won by fall. Brandon Tharp (140) claimed a forfeit before Helmick (145) pinned Bruce Batson.

Atwell (152) bumped up in weight and suffered only his second loss of the season when Daniel Rogerson caught him out of position and took him to his back.
The Generals rattled off wins in the next three weight classes as well by Dane Hess (160), Kevin Kidd (171) and Jerry Compton.

Utz ((215) proved reliable once more and pinned Denny Vaughan before the Generals claimed the forfeit at 285 pounds.

Following the double forfeit at 103 pounds, Plutro went to work on Welch but the Basta brothers and O’Connell won to lift Madison to victory.

Madison 52, Courtland 4 — Except for Josh Ahalt (112) the teamm’s Most Valuable Wrestler in the tournament, no Cougar could find its way to victory.
Action began at 145 pounds and Helmick won by decision. Atwell (152) followed with a win by major decision, Jewett (160) claimed a forfeit, Farry (171) scored a late escape in the third to avert overtime and won by decision, 5-4, while Heller pounded out a win by major decision and Utz stuck Eddie Richards in 1:25.

Following the double forfeits at 285 and 103 pounds, Ahalt won by major decision over Welch but then the Mountaineers took care of the rest.

Dylan Basta (119) and Bobby Basta (125) both won by fall, O’Connell (130) defeated previously unbeaten RJ Cinco by decision, 10-4, Brumett (135) pinned Jordan Sumner and Brandon Tharp (140) claimed a forfeit.

The Mountaineers were scheduled to compete in a quad Wednesday at Stonewall Jackson with teams from Broadway and Riverheads in the fray as well.
The team’s individual leaders going into Wednesday’s quad were Brumett, Atwell and Utz, all at 21-2, O’Connell (20-2), Helmick (19-5), Bobby Basta (18-5) and Dylan Basta (18-6).