Trojans trump Panthers on the mat

FAIRFIELD — For the Fairfield wrestling team, its Thursday night Southeast Conference dual against Mt. Pleasant might have been the team’s best performance of the season.

The Trojans went on to defeat the Panthers, 54-21, after losing just four matches, three by forfeit and the final match of the dual.

“That’s the first time our team has wrestled as a team, and like a team up and down the lineup this year,” Fairfield head coach Steve Miller said. “We really had a tough talk the last couple of weeks. I said ‘hey, practice is going to get really hard now and a lot of you aren’t going to like it.’ Fortunately, the guys bought into it and we’re working harder than we have all season. Hopefully after a night like tonight, they will realize it pays off.”

Mt. Pleasant started with an early lead after grabbing 18 points at 106, 113, and 120 from three Fairfield forfeits.

Fairfield didn’t falter, as the Trojans went on to win the next 10 matches in a row.

Miller said they have been working to develop a competitor’s mindset.

“The biggest thing is being a relentless competitor,” Miller said. “Right now our biggest message is something I firmly believe in. Either you’re a competitor or you’re not. You don’t get to flip that switch. You’re either a competitor in this sport, the classroom, in pingpong, in checkers, whatever it is or you’re not. It’s really developing that mindset.”

After Mt. Pleasant’s early lead, the Trojans bounced back right away, with Zach Westercamp defeating the Panthers’ Carson Coleman in a tight 5-4 decision at 126.

Jace Hannes then followed up with a 54 second fall at 132 for Fairfield, defeating Jaxson Stuecker.

The next match at 138 would be the final win for the Trojans that wasn’t a pin. Cason Miller won by decision, 7-1, over Mt. Pleasant’s Bowen Davis.

The Trojans were victorious in the next seven matches, all by fall, with the two exceptions being forfeits at 170 and 182.

Mt. Pleasant ended on a positive note, securing three points from Frank Tousignant at 285 after defeating Cesar Smithburg by a 4-3 decision.

“The kids made great growth in a lot of the matches all the way through,” Mt. Pleasant head coach Anthony Blint said. “Some of them just got to finish the match. They can’t give up a fall late in a match when they’ve wrestled their rear ends off. It doesn’t look good on the scoreboard for them, but I told the kids, they’re making gains.”

106: Ella McNamee (MOPL) over (FAIR) (For.) 113: Abby Blint (MOPL) over (FAIR) (For.) 120: Gannon McNamee (MOPL) over (FAIR) (For.) 126: Zach Westercamp (FAIR) over Carson Coleman (MOPL) (Dec 5-4) 132: Jace Hannes (FAIR) over Jaxson Stuecker (MOPL) (Fall 0:54) 138: Cason Miller (FAIR) over Bowen Davis (MOPL) (Dec 7-1) 145: Ben Sirdoreus (FAIR) over Jahmal Dodson (MOPL) (Fall 3:47) 152: Cam McClain (FAIR) over Carson Andreasen (MOPL) (Fall 2:38) 160: Wyatt Lovelady (FAIR) over Jared Dorothy (MOPL) (Fall 4:29) 170: Carter Moore (FAIR) over (MOPL) (For.) 182: Dre Smithburg (FAIR) over (MOPL) (For.) 195: Theodore Metcalf (FAIR) over Justin Steiner (MOPL) (Fall 0:59) 220: Grady Flynn (FAIR) over Ethan Graber (MOPL) (Fall 1:21) 285: Frank Tousignant (MOPL) over Cesar Smithburg (FAIR) (Dec 4-3)