Castleton, VT – Today, the Ephs ventured to Vermont to face the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans. Thus far, the Spartans have been a formidable team, ranking 10th in team tournaments and 6th in team dual rankings. This Friday the Ephs tested themselves against top competition and made final adjustments heading into the postseason. While the Ephs came up short, 39-3, the dual was packed with tough wrestling displays across weight classes.
Peter Kane and Jamie Evarts stood out with stellar performances against the Spartans.
From the first bout at 125 to the last at 285, Eph head coach
Scott Honecker urged his wrestlers to stay the course and continue to apply pressure, knowing the Ephs were going to be in tightly contested matches all evening. At 149,
Caleb Seyfried, left it all on the mat. Although he came up short 4-1, he impressed, fighting until the final seconds. The first two periods of his match were mainly comprised of hand fighting, grappling for inside control, and strong shot defense. With a minute left, both wrestlers had one point each from escaping the bottom starting position. Seyfried continued to apply pressure, probing for weaknesses in Elijah Cyr's defense. Unfortunately, Cyr scored a well-timed single leg take down. Seyfried rallied after the take down but ran out of time to mount a successful offensive comeback.
At 157,
Peter Kane grappled with Nate Camiscioli, ranked No. 12 nationally and No. 2 in Region 1. Similar to the previous bout, both competitors stayed tough in the middle of the mat, vying for position with head snaps and fakes. During the first period, Kane relied on his calculated approach, leaving no openings for Camiscioli. To start the second, Castleton deferred choice, and Kane chose bottom. Kane used his strong base to earn an escape point and take the lead, 1-0. In the final round, Camiscioli started in bottom position, looking to level the score. Kane's ability to stay heavy slowed his opponent, and just when Camiscioli seemed ready to get to his feet, Kane grabbed his leg, forcing him back to the mat. Kane managed to get his leg in and score riding time points which proved decisive as he triumphed 2-1.
At 184, first-year Jamie Evarts stunned the crowd with a gripping performance against Castleton senior and No. 1 ranked in Region 1, Sampson Wilkins. From the referee's first whistle, Evarts showed hunger, tenacity, and confidence. He brought the fight to his opponent, making Wilkins uncomfortable throughout the first round. The Ephs' corner roared as Evarts secured a headlock on Wilkins two minutes in, but the action went out of bounds, resetting the wrestlers in neutral. Later in the period, Evarts executed a successful double-leg shot to close the distance, but time expired before he could capitalize. In the second round, Evarts started in bottom position, and Wilkins' ability to stay heavy forced Evarts to spend the entire period trying to break free. With the score still at zero, Wilkins took the lead, 4-0, with an escape followed by a double-leg takedown. Evarts used his sturdy base to get back to his feet, earning a point, then immediately pressured Wilkins, sweeping his leg for a takedown to tie the bout at 4-4. Wilkins escaped, regaining the lead. With 30 seconds left, Coach Honecker and Coach Foote spurred Evarts onward for one final attack. Despite a valiant effort in the final moments of the bout, Evarts couldn't secure a takedown, but he delivered a fierce performance against the top-ranked wrestler in the region.
Today was a difficult test for the Ephs that will harden them for postseason action. Looking ahead to next week, the Ephs will compete in the NEWA Futures on February 23.
Williams College vs. Vermont State University Castleton
Christopher Colon (125) loss by 15-3 major decision to Gavin Bradley
Jack Napeloni (133) loss by 14 -3 major decision to Andrew Marchese
Tylor Stubbs (141) loss by 2:50 fall to James Rodriguez
Caleb Seyfried (149) loss by 4-1 Elijah Cyr
Peter Kane (157) win by 2-1 decision over Nate Camiscioli
Fisher Stites (165) loss by 8-0 major decision to Jashon Holmes
Henry Forte (174) loss by 17-5 major decision Connor Gregory
Jamie Evarts (184) loss by 5-4 decision to Sampson Wilkins
Zach Borzio (197) loss by 22-6 (3:56) tech fall to Haven Tatarek
Thomas Goodwin (285) loss by 1:58 fall to Abbas Abdulrahman
