The NC State wrestling program defeated Appalachian State, 30-8, Wednesday evening in its first true home match of the season. The dual spotlighted a clash between two top-25 programs in Reynolds Coliseum.
The No. 9 Wolfpack (3-0) and the No. 23 Mountaineers (3-1) battled it out in an exciting match. The Pack won eight of the 10 bouts in the match, which included a seven-bout win streak to end the night. Fifth-year head coach Pat Popolizio was satisfied with his team’s performance against its first ranked opponent of the season.
“I think we went out and wrestled aggressive,” Popolizio said. “Our pace, our style that we’ve been kind of working over the last month or so here.”
Redshirt sophomore Malik McDonald got the Wolfpack off to a hot start by registering a takedown less than 10 seconds into the 197 bout. McDonald defeated Randall Diabe 12-3 by major decision to give NC State an early 4-0 lead over the Mountaineers.
App State bounced back with two-straight major decisions, taking an 8-4 lead over the Wolfpack. The Mountaineers’ No. 9 Denzel Dejournette topped redshirt senior Mike Kosoy in the 285 bout, 14-4. Pack freshman Wade Cummings dropped his first bout of the season, losing to Vino Pasone 14-6, in the 125 weight division.
In the next matchup, redshirt sophomore No. 18 Sean Fausz held a slight 3-2 advantage after one round in the 133 bout, and held on for the remainder of the match, defeating the Mountaineers’ Colby Smith by decision, 8-6.
Junior No. 7 and captain Kevin Jack started the 141 bout with consecutive takedowns en route to his third technical fall of the year, 17-1. The tech fall was NC State’s first and only of the night and put the Pack up 12-8 halfway through the dual.
“After the break, we just thought we had to go out and compete at a much higher pace and a much higher level,” Popolizio said. “And those guys all responded and came out and won the next five matches.”
Redshirt senior Sam Speno shocked App State’s No. 15 Matt Zovistoski in the 149 bout by major decision, 19-7. Speno took the early lead on Zovistoski and never gave any ground, bringing the match score to 16-8. Speno said he stuck to his strategy and felt great in the bout, giving credit to the home crowd.
“Obviously, I was very excited to come into new Reynolds,” Speno said. “Anytime it is a home match it’s a great atmosphere, especially when it’s both in-state teams, you’re going to get a good crowd. Wolfpack fans are always behind you no matter what, and with them cheering it feels great.”
Senior No. 4 Max Rohskopf dominated his matchup with App State’s freshman Gavin Londoff, nearly recording a pin in the second round. Rohskopf went on to win 5-0, extending the Pack’s lead to 19-8.
Arguably the most exciting moment of the night came when redshirt junior Brian Hamann defeated No. 19 junior Forrest Przybysz by decision, 2-1.
The match went down to the wire in the third round when Hamann found himself fighting to keep Przybysz from escaping his hold, which would have awarded the bout to App State. The crowd in Reynolds screamed encouragement to the underdog as the timekeeper called out the final seconds to the ref. The win further opened the Wolfpack’s lead to 22-8.
State eased through the final two bouts of the match, with freshman Nick Reenan taking down Marcus Johnson, 10-2, in the 174 weight class. Redshirt junior No. 17 and captain Michael Macchiavello, topped David Peter-Logue, 14-3, to close out the night for the Pack.
Popolizio expressed pride in his young team, which features a drastically different look from last season’s ACC championship squad.
“We put a lot of new faces in the lineup from last year, and it was good to go out and show a dominant win,” Popolizio said.
The Pack will hit the mat again on Dec. 4 in the Journeymen Tussle in Hempstead, New York, before returning to Reynolds on Dec. 9 in a top-10 matchup when it takes on No. 7 Nebraska.
