Southern Wayne’s Oswaldo Quiroz, top, pins North Lenoir’s Tim Kimberlin during their 132-pound match Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Mia Glaspie-Leach stretches before she and her teammates wrestle North Lenoir on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne 120-pounder Josiah Bell works against North Lenoir’s Jared Santiago-Lopez on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Dary Perez Lucas, top, keeps control against North Lenoir’s Phillip Jefferson during their 152-pound match Wednesday evening. Lucas pinned Jefferson. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne heavyweight Eli Hulet, top, listens to instructions from head coach Tori King while he keeps arm control against North Lenoir’s Kane Moore. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne heavyweight Eli Hulet, top, listens to instructions from head coach Tori King while he keeps arm control against North Lenoir’s Kane Moore. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Eli Hulet, top, pins Charles B. Aycock heavyweight Jadon Best during third-period action Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s Omar Soler Sanchez, left, grabs the left leg to keep Charles B. Aycock’s Jaiden Moses from earning an escape point during their 106-pound match Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Charles B. Aycock’s Jaiden Moses tries to push Southern Wayne’s Omar Soler Sanchez down to the mat Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne’s wrestling team meets at the center circle before their match against North Lenoir on Wednesday evening. The Saints defeated the Hawks, 48-36. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Less than four weeks remain in the wrestling season and, according to Southern Wayne head coach Tori King, it’s time to get down to business.
There are no more breaks.
The Saints returned to the mat Wednesday evening and filed a 1-1 worksheet in the scorebook. King’s grapplers claimed a come-from-behind, 48-36 triumph over North Lenoir, but dropped a 72-12 decision to Quad County 3A leader Charles B. Aycock.
“We knew it was going to be a tough week,” King said. “I’m very pleased with what they did against North Lenoir. We got a tough, hard-fought win. We ran into Aycock and they realize we’ve still got a lot of work to do. The younger guys, a couple of them grew up tonight and got a little bit better.”
North Lenoir (11-9 overall) cruised to a 30-6 lead on the strength of four pins and one forfeit.
Oswaldo Quiroz emerged victorious at 132 pounds for the Saints during that stretch. He stuck Timothy Kimberlin just 71 seconds into the opening period.
King called on a first-year wrestler to solidify the middle weights.
Dary Perez Lucas answered his challenge and posted an 86-second pin over Phillip Jefferson at 152 pounds. The teams traded five forfeits after Lucas had his hand raised in victory.
The “gifts” created a 36-36 deadlock.
Heavyweight Eli Hulet, who finished third in the Falcon Invitational five days ago, pushed the Saints ahead on the scoreboard. The junior pinned NL’s Kane Moore in 1 minute, 41.6 seconds.
Freshman 106-pounder Omar Soler Sanchez polished off the comeback with a 41-second pin of Corbin Riley.
“We ended up with the strength of our lineup – Eli and Omar,” King said. “Omar has come a long way this year. I’m super proud of my freshman.”
Aycock was a different story.
The Golden Falcons (11-3, 5-0 QCC) built an insurmountable 66-0 lead behind eight pins and three forfeits.
Hulet spoiled the shutout bid with a third-period fall over Jadon Best.
Best earned the match’s first point, an escape, with 1:15 remaining in the second period. Hulet earned a reverse and three nearfall points to take command, 5-1.
The two toiled to get leverage as time ticked down.
Hulet put Best on his back and collected the pin with less than minute remaining in the match.
Sanchez needed just 62 seconds to pin Jaiden Moses.
“We knew it was going to be a tough week,” King said. “The guys have been working hard in practice. We’re at the stage now where you can be wrestling well [and] one critical move, one small mistake … you’ve given it away and lost the match.”
Aycock prevailed at 113 to complete the outcome.
Southern Wayne (7-13, 3-2) travels to New Bern today for a non-conference tri-dual against the Bears and Pamlico County.
