Trinity sends rival McGuffey to loss
Trinity’s Austin Fife celebrates after pinning McGuffey’s Ed Shingle in 1:20 during Friday night’s match. Trinity won 42-27.
McGuffey’s Austin Fisher pins A.J. Mauro in the 220-pound bout during Friday’s match.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter McGuffey’s Jake Garrety controls Trinity’s A.D. Nelson in the 113 pound bout on Friday, December 18.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Trinity’s Hunter Hickle controls McGuffey’s Collin Bell in the 106 pound bout. Hickle pinned Bell in 5:24.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Trinity’s head coach Mark Powell shouts advice to a wrestler during the match against McGuffey.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter McGuffey’s fans cheer on their team during the wrestling match.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Trinity’s fan section cheers on their team during the wrestling match.
For at least one night, it was the 1990s again.
A wrestling night with a huge crowd, a lively and entertaining student section that included a plastic deer and a dual meet that turned on a surprise outcome.
Zach Magdich, who moments earlier was about as close to being pinned as one can get on the mat, somehow wiggled free, then one period later caught Dillon Richey with the same style headlock used on him in the previous period and pinned him in 3:03.
That was the momentum Trinity needed to take a 42-27 victory from McGuffey in a nonsection meet in the Hillers’ gymnasium Friday night.
The wins moves the Hillers’ record to 2-1 and sends McGuffey to its first loss in eight dual meets.
Magdich’s win was the motivating force in this bout. Trinity trailed 7-0 after the first two bouts and a pin for the Highlanders there would have made it 13-0.
“We started flat and I called the boys over and said we need to get our energy back so someone has to step up. Who’s it going to be?” said Trinity head coach Mark Powell. “I threw the challenge out there and Magdich was the first one, then everyone else wanted to get out there and compete. We were warrior gods tonight. That’s what I told our guys. You’re warrior gods and no one beats us in our house.”
Interestingly, Magdich almost exclusively uses his right arm for his headlocks. But he caught Richey with the left to pin him.
“I was pretty close to getting pinned,” Magdich said. ” I make my headlocks very tight. I knew I had him pinned. I started us off with the win. The headlock is my signature move. It’s awkward to hit with my left but I saw the left was open and I just went for it. This win means a lot because they are one of our biggest rivals.”
Trinity followed Magdich’s win with another improbable decision at 170, where Jarred Rice won 5-3 against Luke Shingle. Rice got an escape at the edge of the mat with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the bout, 3-3, and send it to overtime. Rice took Shingle down with 18 seconds left in OT.
“They wanted it more than us tonight,” said McGuffey head coach Mark Caffrey. “They wanted the bragging rights this year, saying they could beat us and they did. We won six bouts, could’ve won a couple more easily. They got some big falls on us too and that hurt.”
Dawson Leavines got one for the Hillers at 182, Justin Ritter followed with one at 195 and Austin Fife got one at heavyweight. That gave Trinity a 27-13 lead.
“We knew if we chipped away and pushed the pace, come third period, that was going to be to our advantage,” said Powell. “We feel no one can wrestle three hard periods the way we can. As far as we’re concerned, when you have a direct power line to West Penn Power, you can wrestle all night.”
Hunter Hickle made it 33-13 with a pin at 106 before McGuffey made on finals run. Jake Garrety got a major decision at 113 and Jeff Pattison a pin at 1:40 to cut Trinity’s lead to 33-23 with three bouts remaining.
Mike Kalosky sealed the win with a pin at 126, setting off a celebration from the students.
“It’s a blast,” said Powell. “I started with 11 guys and we have 25 now. Youth numbers went from 30 to 80. So the excitement is here. Our fans are here and are supporting us. Like times of old, coming back around.”