Black Out Sunday Was a Struggle for No. 3 Oklahoma State But Hamiti and OSU Stay Perfect

STILLWATER – Another huge crowd in Gallagher-Iba Arena embraced the first-ever black out, but first-year head coach David Taylor had to think his wrestlers would embrace the festivities as well. It was rough and Oklahoma State had to battle in most of the matches and also had to overcome another opening loss from one-time No. 2-ranked Troy Spratley. It wasn’t the only loss for the Cowboys as West Virginia proved to be the most competitive match of the season. The Cowboys ended up pleasing a season high crowd of 8,257 with a 30-12 win to go 9-0 on the season and 6-0 in the Big 12.

"We found ourselves in some tough matches tonight," head coach David Taylor said. "It's good for our team to experience that. I think that when you wrestle for a program like Oklahoma State, you are going to get the best of everybody."

Oklahoma State Athletics

Black out at Gallagher-Iba.

The see saw affair with the two Big 12 schools put No. 3 Dean Hamiti Jr. in the position of putting No. 3 Oklahoma State up for good. At 174 pounds Hamiti Jr. was taking on West Virginia’s No. 29 Brody Conley and Hamiti Jr.’s best move may have been his high leg kick to keep from getting taken down in the first period as Conley had his right leg. Instead, after the high kick, Hamiti Jr. got an ankle pick that Conley escaped but then another ankle pick led to what was the first of five takedowns. He also benefitted from a pair of penalty points, a stall and a locked hands. As Hamiti Jr. got the clinching takedown for a technical fall he also eanred another stall point from Conley. Add the riding time and Hamiti Jr. had a dominating 20-3 technical fall. 

Hamiti Jr. stays unbeaten on the season at 14-0 and he put Oklahoma State up for good at 16-12. 

No. 3-ranked 184 pound Dustin Plott kept the technical fall roll going for the Pokes as they were still trying to get over the 30-point mark. That is something they had done in every dual so far this season under the new taylor regime. Plott used a power move to get the first three points and he kept applying the same strategy with No. 17 Dennis Robin. Six takedowns in all for Plott and the technical fall at 4:43 with a total of 20-4. Plott goes to 12-1 on the season and Oklahoma State was in control at 21-12 over the Mountaineers.

What had been a struggle went right back to it at 197 pounds as No. 7 Luke Surber was going against unranked Ian Bush. No scoring in the first. Surber started down and gained a quick escape for a 1-0 lead in the second, but then Bush got Surber down and climbed up for control and the takedown for a 3-1 lead. The escape made it 3-2 going to the third period. In the third, Bush got an escape and then a stall warning to be up 5-2. Surber had to have the takedown and he did. Then he needed to build riding time and he had just enough time to do it. Surber used a crab ride to finish it off and got a 6-5 decision. The team score went to 24-12.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Hendrickson celebrates his sixth pin of the season.

Could the Cowboys get to 30 points like they have in each dual this season? Sure, it was heavyweight and unbeaten No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson. It also kept the pin streak going to the Pokes.Hendrickson got behind Mountaineers heavyweight Michael Wolfgram and quickly got the arm bar and pulled Wolfgram over on his back and about as quick a slap as you can get. The pin came in 43 seconds and Oklahoma State had their 30 points and the hard earned dual win.

Back to the beginning, Spratley’s last two matches can now go down as a midseason slump. West Virginia’s No. 17 125 pounder Jett Strickenberger used a single leg to get a quick takedown and a 3-0 lead. Spratley, who lost a decision to Vince Robinson of North Carolina State 7-3, got control of a leg and then arm to get the reversal and make it 3-2. Spratley worked toward a tilt looking for near fall points but lost control and in the scramble ended up on the bottom and Strickenberger Powered down on Spratley and got the fall just before the end of period one at 2:52. West Virginia led 6-0.

Oklahoma State Wrestling

Hughes wins 9-6 over Tommy Maddox.

Oklahoma State rallied at 133 pounds as Cael Hughes wrestled again at the weight instead of No. 15 Reece Witcraft. The two wrestlers were still close in the third period. A figure four to the head gave Hughes a penalty point late in the third period to go up 6-3. Tommy Maddox got the cradle for the takedown and tied it 6-6.

They went to overtime and Hughes broke the hold on top and gout out on Maddox and used the left leg to pull over and get the takedown and secure the win in sudden victory 9-6. West Virginia still led 6-3.

Oklahoma State pulled ahead for the first time at 141 pounds in a tightly contested match that No. 4 Tagen Jamison smartly wrestled into a 14-4 major decision. Jamison had an arm lock and then added an ankle pick early in the first for the takedown. After an escape by No. 29 Jordan Titus, Jamison charged and got a classic double leg for a takedown and rode out for a 6-1 lead after one period. 

An escape and riding time had Jamison in good position going to the third period. Titus charged Jamison and he did an ole’ move and got behind and took Titus down for a 10-3 lead. After the escape and just before the end of the match, Jamison got another takedown and with the riding time point had a 14-4 major decison. Oklahoma State led for the first time 7-6.

West Virginia jumped back at 149 pounds. Oklahoma State sent out Cutter  Sheets because No. 14 Carter Young was banged up a little in his win on Monday night against NC State. Sheets had wrestled well in a couple of starting assignments this season at 157. 

The two wrestlers were tied at 5-5 in the third period and Hillegas came back off a takedown for a reversal to go up 7-5. Sheets battling in the final seconds got the escape but couldn’t get any more. Hillegas had riding time for an 8-6 decision.

The Mountaineers were back in front on the team score 9-7. That is the latest in a dual this season that Oklahoma State had trailed. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Fish with a major decision for the Cowboys.

At 157, Oklahoma State got back on top as No. 12 Caleb Fish battled West Virginia unranked Sasha Gavronsky. Three takedowns by Fish starting with an early takedown in the first for an advantage and momemtum. Fish never paused in the match and used a move on a late scramble to get four near fall points. The riding time added in made it a 16-3 major decision for the Cowboys and an 11-9 lead on the scoreboard. 

The feature match of the day from a West Virginia standpoint was No. 3 and unbeaten Peyton Hall at 21-0 on the season against No. 6 Cameron Amine. There was no scoring in the first period as the two wrestlers did a lot of slapping and moving around. In the second period Hall started on top of in the second period and despite efforts, Hall rode Amine for 1:48 before an escape. The score was 1-0, but with the riding time in essence it was 1-1.

In the third period Amine tried all he could to get to Hall, but he couldn’t do it. They got into a scramble late and Hall worked the takedown and with riding time. he went to 22-0 on the season and knocked Amine to 9-4 on the season with the 5-1 decision. West Virginia now up past the midway point of the dual at 12-11.

Oklahoma State now goes on the road to Iowa next weekend for a Friday night date with a wounded Northern Iowa squad that is still unbeaten at 9-0. Then Oklahoma State will pull into Ames and Iowa State on Sunday for a nationally televised ESPN date at 4 p.m.