Once leading by as many as 15, No. 6 NC State wrestling saw its lead slowly shrink with just one bout to go against No. 15 Pitt. Up 18-13 entering the heavyweight bout, a once lopsided match was one wrong move away from being lost.
The heavyweight bout, featuring No. 4 redshirt junior Isaac Trumble and No. 13 Dayton Pitzer, could clinch the dual meet for either side. However, the bout was over as soon as it began. Trumble showed no mercy, racking up a trio of takedowns to leave no doubt on the final score. With a 10-1 major decision, Trumble slammed the door shut on any comeback hopes for the Panthers. Trumble’s win secured a 22-13 victory over Pitt. With the result, the red-and-white extended its winning streak to six straight over the Panthers.
“I felt confident in the team and confident in myself to be a pretty good closer for this team,” Trumble said. “It shows that the training is paying off for us and we’re able to stick in there with some of the best guys in the country.”
The Wolfpack (9-1, 3-0 ACC) earned its most impressive conference win of the season with this victory. After toppling ACC bottom dwellers Duke and Virginia with ease, the Pack was finally challenged by an ACC foe and emerged with flying colors. However, despite falling short, the Panthers (8-3, 1-1 ACC) showed that NC State has plenty of work to do before the NCAA Tournament.
“Every year we come out, we know they’re going to be a little sneaky,” said No. 12 redshirt senior Kai Orine. “Every duel is a dogfight. We want to leave the duel knowing that we dominated and that we were supposed to win no matter what.”
NC State started the night strong by taking two matches early for an 8-0 lead. Orine set the tone with an 18-0 tech fall in the 133-pound bout, viciously throwing Pitt’s Tyler Chappell around like a rag doll. Within seconds of the third period starting, Orine clinched the tech fall.
“You keep applying pressure and it’s gonna break,” Orine said. “Once it breaks, the floodgates are open and you start piling on points.”
No. 29 redshirt sophomore Koy Buesgens pulled off the first ranked upset of the night in the 149-pound bout. Facing Pitt’s No. 21 Finn Solomon, Buesgens never trailed in a 4-1 decision. After scoring a takedown with just seconds left in the first period, Buesgens remained in control, refusing Solomon anything easy. The win ultimately proved critical for the Pack and will likely lead to an earned rankings bump for Buesgens.
The ranked wins continued for NC State as No. 14 senior Ed Scott trumped No. 25 Dylan Evans with a 5-3 decision. After a major decision in the Wolfpack’s favor, courtesy of No. 28 Derek Fields in the 165-pound bout, the Pack appeared to be firmly in control.
But then Pitt mounted a furious comeback, winning three consecutive bouts in the 174, 184 and 197-pound classes. With the 174-pound bout going six periods and the 184-pound match remaining competitive till the final buzzer, the Pack had its chances to secure a win. However, it wasn’t until Trumble stepped on the mat that NC State dropped the hammer and emerged victorious.
“You get a little nervous, but we got good closers and good starters,” Orine said. “When Isaac steps on the mat I expect big points.”
With the Wolfpack celebrating Military Appreciation Night, the event holds a special place in the hearts of team members. The team has multiple connections to NC State’s ROTC program, including Trumble, who has been deeply impacted by his experience with the program.
“It’s awesome, I’m excited for my future in the military,” Trumble said. “Whatever that may hold for me… it’s kind of up in the air right now, but ROTC has done a lot of things for me. They’ve helped me become a better leader in the military, in my daily life and on the wrestling mat.”
Next up, NC State will travel to Chapel Hill for its annual rivalry with No. 19 North Carolina. The Wolfpack is on a historic streak against the Tar Heels, winning the last 11 meetings between the two foes. The Pack and the Heels will meet on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., with the match available on ACC Network Extra.
