Saturday, January 12, 2013

Diplomats Nip Wildcats at Home 20-16


No longer will F&M wrestling be checked off as “an easy win” on the schedules of its opponents. No longer will the Diplomats settle for being able to count their wins on one hand.

For the first time in several years, F&M wrestling is off to a winning start. As Davidson prepared for the start of the match, many of the wrestlers were smiling, joking around with one another. A surprising number of Wildcat fans made the trip to Lancaster, but both they and their wrestlers left the building with their tails between their legs, bearing somber and defeated expressions.

In what Assistant Coach Matt Greenberg described as “a total team effort,” the Diplomats squeaked by Davidson 20-16, riding out an early five-bout win streak.

Sophomore Robert Ruiz took care of business at 133-pounds, capturing a major decision over Davdison’s Anthony Elias, putting F&M ahead 4-3. Nationally ranked Richard Durso dominated at the 141-pound spot, recording the only pin of the night, and supplementing an additional six points to F&M’s total.  Andrew Murano and Rob King picked up decision victories at 149 and 165-pounds, respectively, while senior Eric Norgard secured a crucial major decision victory over Nathaniel Powers.

The win snaps a four match losing streak in the series against the Wildcats but more importantly, marks the first time this season the team has wrestled top-to-bottom as a full squad.

“We were greedy and unselfish at the same time,” said Greenberg. “Guys earned bonus points where they were available and held them from bonus points when they [Davidson] were expecting them. We asked a lot of our entire team Friday. Guys did not know where or when they were going to wrestle, but they were still ready when called upon to perform. We had some injuries and even those guys stepped up big.”

 Under the tutelage of Coaches Rogers and Greenberg, F&M has never beat Davidson until now, and the Wildcats were certainly bewildered after seeing a 4-9 team transform itself into a 4-2 team in just two short years.

“We didn’t see them last year but I would have to say we were looking forward to wrestling them again and knew this year was as good a time as any for us to step up and show them things are different in Lancaster nowadays,” Greenberg said.

And show them they did. Coach Greenberg credits much of Friday’s win to Coach Mike Rogers’ strategizing and preparing to face the Wildcats.

“Coach Rogers is the best coach I have ever seen when it comes to match preparation,” Greenberg said. “We sat down and came up with different strategies depending on all the different scenarios match-by-match as to who would wrestle and what we needed from them. A lot of the credit off the mats goes to Rogers and his preparation.”
F&M will hit the mats again next weekend, as the team makes the short trip to Millersville University for the Mid Penn Duals, beginning Saturday Jan. 19, and concluding on Sunday.

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