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#23 Messiah Notches Win Over Elizabethtown
Senior Josh Cragg stood just two reversals away from the program record following Wednesday's match.
Grantham, PA — Fully aware that his 23rd-ranked Messiah College wrestling team could be looking ahead to Friday’s dual match with 13th-ranked Lycoming College, Falcons’ head coach Bryan Brunk guided his troops to a win over Elizabethtown College in Brubaker Auditorium Wednesday night. Barely. Messiah (8-7) utilized a strong middle portion of its lineup to secure a 19-18 win over the Blue Jays, leading by a 19-6 score before Elizabethtown made it a bit tight in the heavier weights. It was still a team win for Brunk and company, as now nothing stands between the Falcons and Lycoming but a mere 48 hours. “This was a bit of a trap match for us, and I think we’re pretty disappointed in how close the match wound up being,” Brunk said. “We could have had a few bonus points in spots, but we didn’t get them. The guys know what we need to work on, and now we can look forward to the weekend.” Senior Josh Cragg got things going for Messiah in the 133-pound weight class, defeating Elizabethtown’s Jarrod Cawley by a 12-5 count. That match tied up the team scoring following freshman Bryce Stever’s 5-2 loss in the 125 event, while Cragg’s two reversals moved him just two away from the all-time Messiah record of 51, a record shared by Messiah Hall of Famers Ron Hedley (’82) and Chuck Stone ( ’77) . “Josh’s match was the highlight for us as his two reversals got him that much closer to the school record,” Brunk said. Perhaps keying off of Cragg’s performance, Messiah received wins from juniors Barry Thrush at 141 and Craig Gin at 149, the latter of which came via a 7-6 decision. Gin sparred with Elizabethtown’s Richard Croswell to a 6-6 final, but 2:15 worth of riding time gave Gin — and the Falcons — the needed points. Leading by a 9-3 score, Messiah extended its lead with bonus-point performances from both sophomore Trent Zempel (165) and freshman David Jones (174), as Zempel pinned the Blue Jays’ Michael Lussier in just 2:03 while Jones handed E’Town’s Josh Cook a 14-1 decision. Jones’ scoring came via a four takedown performance and a team-best 5:07 worth of ride time. “Dave had a very good match with four takedowns and a near fall,” Brunk said. With the match all but mathematically sealed — Messiah led by a 19-6 count following the 174 class — the squad needed only to avert disaster to hang on, which it did. Losses at the final three slots were by decision save for sophomore Eli Arbaiza’s fall in :48 to the Blue Jays’ Tim Katzaman in the heavyweight card. “We’re going to get back to practice, no question,” Brunk said. “But Friday is a marquee event to me. Lycoming is our biggest rival, even if we aren’t theirs. We have a team that has the capability to hang with them. We’re looking forward to it.” Messiah has never beaten Lycoming in the 37-year history of the Falcons’ wrestling program. The squad will travel to Lycoming for a 7:30 p.m. match Friday. Results: #23 Messiah College 19 over Elizabethtown College 18 125 – Martin Harnish (E) dec Bryce Stever (M) 5-2 |
