Vandals celebrate seniors with exciting quad

VANDALIA – Two veteran wrestlers both went 3-0 in their final home regular-season event on Saturday at Vandalia High School.

Zach Jackson and Sean Newcomb each had a perfect day as the Vandals went 2-1 in a quadrangular against Clinton, Beardstown and PORTA.

Newcomb had three pins, while Jackson had a pin, a 6-4 win and a forfeit victory for the Vandals (19-10).

“Zach didn’t wrestle before high school, and as a freshman, we saw that he had a good knack for this,” said coach Jason Clay. “He’s developed over the years, wrestles well on the bottom and does a good job on top to create a lot of turns.

“Sean didn’t wrestle as a freshman, but had some junior high experience,” Clay said. “He was overmatched physically for awhile, but he hung in there. He’s worked out hard physically to get himself stronger.”

The Vandals close the regular season at O’Fallon on Thursday, and will travel to the Litchfield Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Vandalia vs. Beardstown

The second match of the afternoon was the most exciting for the Vandals, as a handful of key pins allowed them to get a 43-29 win against a tough Beardstown squad.

Freshman Kendrick Woolsey and sophomore Dalton Blankenship each pinned his opponent after trailing in their respective bouts to secure 12 team points that made a big difference in the final score.

Jackson and Newcomb had pins in two of the first four bouts to give Vandalia a 12-9 lead, but it looked like the Vandals were going to fall behind after the first two rounds of Woolsey’s bout at 285 pounds.

Beardstown’s Patrick Waddell led 8-3 going into the final period and went ahead 10-3 just 22 seconds into that period.

But with 1:07 left on the clock, Woolsey reversed Waddell’s hold and turned him for a pin 19 seconds later.

“He was finally able to get on top of the kid, and the kid was getting tired,” Clay said. “Kendrick could have gotten turned early on but didn’t, and hung on to win it late.”

Beardstown went on to win the next two bouts to tie the score at 18, and led 23-21 after the 126-pound bout.

Junior 132-pounder Rodney Tedrick took an 18-7 decision to put the Vandals back on top with some of its best wrestlers on deck.

Blankenship found himself in a tough match at 138 pounds, however, falling behind, 11-1, after two periods against Martin Orduno.

But he had control at the start of the third, and needed just 1:03 to get the pin.

“That kid was long,” Clay said. “Dalton was having some trouble getting his leg out, but I knew that if Dalton could break him down on top, he’d be alright.”

Junior Tyler Dagen then recorded a pin, and freshman Bobby Bradley took a forfeit at 152 pounds to round out Vandalia’s scoring.

Vandalia 43
Beardstown 29
•170 – Jackson won by fall at 3:34
•182 – Nathan Lutz lost, 8-5
•195 – Beardstown won by forfeit
•220 – Newcomb won by fall at 2:46
•285 – Woolsey won by fall at 5:12
•106 – Chaston Womack lost, 6-3
•113 – Luke Tessman lost by fall at 1:47
•120 – Ryne Lipsey won, 6-4
•126 – Adam Palmer lost, 18-1
•132 – Tedrick won, 18-7
•138 – Blankenship won by fall at 5:03
•145 – Dagen won by fall at 2:17
•152 – Bradley won by forfeit
•160 – Beardstown won by forfeit

Vandalia vs. Clinton

The Vandals trailed early, but pins in the final three bouts gave them a 45-30 win against Clinton in the quad’s opener.

Clinton received forfeit wins at 160 and 170 pounds to open the match, with sophomore Jake Stewart out due to a minor knee injury, and Jackson bumped up to 182 pounds to battle Clinton standout Alex Wheat.

“The effort and heart was there,” Clay said. “We were short-handed, but we battled and showed heart, so we had a chance.

“The kids are growing in their mental toughness and determination, and that is keeping them in matches.”

Jackson prevailed 6-4, and Newcomb followed with a pin, and the teams split the next six bouts to leave Clinton ahead, 30-24.

After Tedrick won, 8-5, Blankenship, Dagen and Bradley each recorded pins to secure the 15-point win.
Bradley’s pin in 36 seconds was the fastest of his career.

Vandalia 45
Clinton 30
•160 – Clinton won by forfeit
•170 – Clinton won by forfeit
•182 – Jackson won, 6-4
•195 – Newcomb won by fall at 3:13
•220 – Kolton Etcheson lost by fall at 1:58
•285 – Woolsey lost by fall at 1:34
•106 – Womack won by fall at 3:02
•113 – Lipsey won, 6-3
•120 – Tessman won by forfeit
•126 – Palmer lost by fall at 3:30
•132 – Tedrick won, 8-5
•138 – Blankenship won by fall at 3:29
•145 – Dagen won by fall at 1:13
•152 – Bradley won by fall at 0:36

Vandalia vs. PORTA

Sophomore Todd Ashdown has wrestled in just eight bouts this season, but his performance against PORTA suggests that he is improving.

Ashdown didn’t win against Christian Kolb – the state’s No. 11 wrestler at 152 pounds, according to Illinois Matmen – but he saved a team point by not getting pinned.

That point didn’t matter, as PORTA went on to win, 44-36, but that bout still was a positive sign for the Vandals.

“It was a tough spot, because their last two kids are two of their best,” Clay said. “They forfeited to Jackson (at 170 pounds), but Todd went out and saved a point.”

The match was close throughout the first six bouts, with each team recording three pins to be tied at 18. Newcomb, Womack and Lipsey had the falls for the Vandals.

PORTA would win all but three of the remaining eight bouts to take the win, but Vandalia had a shot to win until the second-to-last bout.

“Being in these tough duals is helping the young guys see what it’s about,” Clay said.

Dagen and Blankenship had pins during the match, and lead the team with 21 and 20, respectively.

PORTA 44
Vandalia 36
•182 – Lutz lost by fall at 2:33
•195 – Newcomb won by fall at 4:29
•220 – Etcheson lost by fall at 1:41
•285 – Woolsey lost by fall at 0:34
•106 – Womack won by fall at 4:44
•113 – Lipsey won by fall at 1:59
•120 – Tessman lost by fall at 1:13
•126 – Palmer lost, 4-1
•132 – Tedrick lost by fall at 4:23
•138 – Blankenship won by fall at 2:58
•145 – Dagen won by fall at 0:50
•152 – Ashdown lost, 21-6
•160 – Bradley lost by fall at 4:22
•170 – Jackson won by forfeit