Falls and Confetti Cannons at 174 Pounds and Heavyweight Highlight Taylor's Home Debut

STILLWATER – The Yellowstone theme was back with new names, there were new videos, but added was a fog machine, new walkup music for the wrestlers, lights on and off, and Pistol Pete was firing off the shotgun a little more frequently and at some surprising times. Welcome to the new show with Oklahoma State wrestling under new head coach David Taylor. At the Taylor, himself, said it is still about the wrestling. 

What was a little slower than the opening weekend was the scoring. Until 174 pounds and Dean Hamiti Jr. took the mat and got the first bonus points of the night. Hamiti ranked No. 5 and with a 2-0 record from the opening weekend took on unranked Quayin Short (0-0).

In the first period Hamiti got the first near fall points of the night with a takedown and getting Short’s shoulder on the mat for a four-point move and a seven-point scoring situation. It didn’t take much longer and Hamiti got Short on his back, briefly, but enough for the official to count and call the pin. Most of the fans missed it. The other new addition to the show, a confetti cannon for falls signaled the now 20-6 Oklahoma State lead.

“I did not know about the confetti,” Hamiti said adding that he didn’t even see it. “It was fast (the fall). I thought I was going to have to get up and get another takedown, but I didn’t.”

Hamiti didn’t get to see the confetti come out of the rafters of Gallagher-Iba Arena, so it was good that at heavyweight Oklahoma State’s No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson (2-0) came out and had four takedowns in the first period with Wyoming’s Kevin Zimmer (1-1). They were coming so fast it was hard to keep up with as Hendrickson had a 12-3 lead. He added a fifth takedown early in the second period and led 15-4. Then Hendrikson quickly turned Zimmer and put him on his back in the center of the mat and everybody saw this fall as he worked the shoulder over for the fall at 3:49. The cofetti cannon had been reloaded and this time Hamiti got to see what it looked like. Everybody got to see just how athletic and agile Hendrickson is as he did a back flip on the mat to celebrate.

“The back flip for sure,” Troy Spratley and Hamiti answered when they were asked if anything that Hendrickson does surprises them. “I didn’t know he could do a full one like that,” added Hamiti.

“That was pretty fun. It was a good start,” Taylor said of his first dual as coach in Gallagher-Iba. “Nice to get going in Gallagher. “We saw the confetti a couple of times. You know pins are not easy to come by and we have some pinners on this team. D.J. and Wyatt got pins tonight. It is always a good thing.” 

The Oklahoma State Cowboys with the fall and the flip had completed a 32-6 win over No. 24 Wyoming. Oklahoma State is 3-0 on the season and will wrestle at home again this weekend with Arizona State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Oklahoma State jumped on a lead early and it was a little unexpected. Three of the first five matches went to sudden victory overtime. No. 2-ranked Wyoming 125 pounder Jore Volk (3-0) used a single leg shot to get the takedown on the Cowboys No. 6 Troy Spratley (2-0). Volk rode out the period and led 3-0. Spratley started the second down and gained the escape, but riding time for Volk expanded to 1:24. Spratley started the third period on top and worked the riding time down and then cut Volk loose trailing 4-1 but with riding time not a factor. Spratley got a leg and then in a scramble was able to work the takedown and send it to overtime at 4-4.

One minute into the sudden victory Spratley got both of Volk’s legs and worked the takedown, moving around on him and the 7-1 upset win over Volk and Oklahoma State led 3-0.

“He has had a hard time with that kid in the past,” Taylor said of Spratley’s win. “That is three matches in a row with Troy that should just give him confidence.”

Taylor was referring to the two wins on the road last weekend.

“I got taken down, so I had to find a way to get to his legs,” Spratley said not overthinking the match. “I made some pretty good adjustments and I was ready to get him in sudden victory.”

Reece Witcraft went for the Cowboys at 133 pounds and after a scoreless first period, he cranked it up on Wyoming’s unranked Stockton O’Brien. After an escape to start the period Witcraft got his first takedown and led 3-1 going to the third period. He gave up an escape and then rolled with two more takedowns and riding time of 1:17 for an 11-3 major decision and a 7-0 Oklahoma State lead. 

At 141 pounds Tagen Jamison came out and was a little sluggish early, Jamison ranked No. 12 was taking on No. 27 Cole Brooks (2-0) of Wyoming. Brooks jumped out to a 3-0 lead and an early escape in the second made it 4-0. In the third Jamison started on top and got the escape. Riding time was not a factor. Jamison went after Brooks with a tackle and put him down on the mat for the escape just in time to tie the match at 4-4 and send it to sudden victory. At 1:17 in the two minutes, Jamison got a leg and worked around to the takedown and a 7-4 win. The Cowboys were up 10-0.

A fairly even matchup at 149 pounds with No. 18 Carter Young (2-0) going against Wyoming’s No. 19 Gabe Willochell (1-1). Willochell led 3-1 after the first and 7-4 after the second. He added a double leg takedown in the third with a cradle move and won an 11-7 decision for the Wyoming Cowboys first points.

Oklahoma State did not weigh in No. 10 Teague Travis at 157 and Taylor sent out Cutter Sheets. Sheets competed hard and took No. 22 Jared Hill of Wyoming and a transfer from Oklahoma to sudden victory. In the overtime Hill scrambled with Sheets and got position for a takedown to win it 4-1. It was now 10-6 Oklahoma State on the team score. 

OSU 165 pounder and transfer from Michigan in No. 6 Cameron Amine (1-1) dominated Wyoming’s Cooper Vorhees (2-0). He had four different takedowns including one nearly at the buzzer of the third period to clinch a 12-2 major decision and Oklahoma State leading the battle of Cowboys 14-6. 

After Hamiti had his fall, No. 3 Dustin Plott (2-0) had a workmanlike decision over Wyming freshman Eddie Neitenbach (1-0). Plott went to 3-0 on the seaspn with a 9-4 decision and the OSU Cowboys lead 23-6. 

The match at 197 pounds was a scramble from the beginning and after No. 17 Luke Surber (2-0) and No. 16 Joey Novak went back and forth hooked up with different body parts before Surber scored the first takedown and I don’t know how to explain it other than Surber was ths survivor. The two wrestlers were flat out spent by the end anbd Surber made the first takedown stand up with a 7-4 decision. Cowboys led 26-6. 

At that point it was time for the fall and the flip to finish the night off.