NC State wrestling extended its winning streak to three matches as the Wolfpack defeated Drexel 25-16 Saturday evening in Reynolds Coliseum.
The eighth-ranked Wolfpack (12-2) ended its nonconference schedule without three starters but had no problems with the Dragons (4-5). Redshirt senior No. 12 Sean Fausz, redshirt sophomore No. 6 Tariq Wilson and redshirt sophomore No. 4 Nick Reenan all sat out with injuries and their replacements went 1-2.
“We’re getting [Fausz, Wilson, and Reenan] back to health,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “Having three guys out and still being able to get some wins at those weights shows a little bit of depth. There was some good things that happened tonight, a lot of good aggressive wrestling with the guys that won, the guys that didn’t, we didn’t wrestle our style.
NC State redshirt freshman Zurich Storm set the tone early for the Pack. Storm’s 4-3 win over Drexel’s Antonio Mininno was highlighted by his aggressive start and smart finish to hold onto the lead for the final minute of the bout. Storm got the start in place of Fausz.
“Filling in for Sean, [those are] big shoes to fit into,” Storm said. “But I wrestle with him and the coaches had me prepared so it wasn’t that much pressure. My biggest thing is that I needed to get into my offense first. If I can go out there and connect with him in the first ten seconds, that’s my goal.”
In the 133-pound bout, redshirt freshman John Devine struggled to get anything going against Chandler Olson falling in a 6-0 decision. Devine has now dropped two bouts in a row filling in for the injured Wilson.
In the 141-pound bout, redshirt senior Jamel Morris continued his dominance defeating Nicholas Widmann in a 11-0 major decision. Morris came out with a quick takedown and four-point near fall to start the bout with 2:57 of riding time in the first period.
Graduate Justin Oliver moved back into the win column in the 149-pound bout with a 11-5 decision over Parker Kropman. Kropman secured the initial takedown but a quick escape by Oliver followed by a takedown of his own soon swung the momentum back to his favor. Oliver nearly secured a major decision but came just short due to a reversal by Kropman in the final seconds.
Redshirt sophomore Hayden Hidlay secured another easy victory in the 157-pound bout against Felix Belga with a technical fall in the second period. The fourth-ranked and reigning ACC champion Hidlay moved to 13-2 on the season.
Redshirt sophomore Thomas Bullard’s hot streak came to an end as he was pinned in the 165-pound bout by No. 16 Ebed Jarrell in the first period. Jarrell was the third ranked wrestler that Thomas Bullard had faced in a row and Bullard was unable to muster another upset.
NC State did not allow a momentum swing as redshirt sophomore Daniel Bullard secured a 14-6 major decision over Bryan McLaughlin in the 174-pound bout. Drexel seemed more shaken as it received three stalling penalties and a false start caution in the bout. Daniel Bullard won an easy victory with a few takedowns, a reversal and a four-point near hold to obtain the major decision.
In the 184-pound bout, redshirt junior Roderick Davis fell to Anthony Walters in a 14-6 major decision. Davis could not keep his legs free as Walters managed to secure multiple takedowns from a single-leg hold. Davis has been filling in for injured redshirt sophomore Nick Reenan.
The highpoint of the match was redshirt senior Malik McDonald’s first-period pin in the 197-pound bout over Derek Rose. The pin secured the team victory for the Wolfpack.
“I think the guy he was wrestling was a little less experienced than him,” Popolizio said. “He took advantage of being in position to get bonus points. In a dual meet like this, those help.”
The 285-pound bout closed the match with freshman Colin Lawler losing to Joseph Goodhart in a 5-0 decision. Lawler started the match strong but could not keep up with Goodhart. The Wolfpack has been struggling to find a consistent starter for the 285-pound position but Popolizio was happy with Lawler early on.
“I think it started alright, his effort was there in the beginning,” Popolizio said. “In the last period, I think we have to do a better job of wrestling through the match and getting off bottom. We’re going to keep working until we fix it.”
NC State looks to continue its winning streak as it begins conference play against Duke Friday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Coliseum.
“We gotta be ready to go,” Popolizio said. “We’re getting into our ACC competition now so that’s one of those matches we gotta be excited and fired up. They’ve got a lot of really good guys, some key matchups for seeding at the ACC tournament. “
Redshirt Senior No. 20 Malik McDonald, in the 197 weight class, takes down Derek Rose from Drexel University on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack beat Drexel 25-16.
