Revenge was on the minds of the Wilkes wrestling team this past Friday night as they set out to avenge last years heartbreaking loss to the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays. The Colonels succeeded in a big way, winning 39-3.
Sophomore Dave Oberrender started the night off the right way with his :59 pin at the 197-pound weight class, giving the Colonels a shot of momentum heading into the rest of the night.
The Colonels lone loss of night came next in the 285-pound class.  Sophomore Michael Shannon dropped a close and exciting match to Elizabethtown freshman Jeremy Rieth 5-4, but it was no looking back for the grapplers as they would pull off eight consecutive wins to cap off the night.
Freshman Michael Fleck continued his impressive season with an 11-9 decision of E-Town Senior Will Bentley. Fleck used his patented “fireman’s carry” to cruise to a victory in the 125-pound weight class.
Sophomore Myzar Mendoza and Senior Ryan Wilson kept the night rolling with a third period pin and a 2-1 decision respectively.
Returning All-American Anthony Dattolo kept his season perfect with a decicion over the Blue Jay’s  Kody Rittenbaugh 5-1. The senior captain was happy with everyone’s performance on Friday night.
“Its nice to beat Elizabethtown that bad after last year,” Dattolo said. “Because it shows how much we have improved.”
Senior Matt Ellery stole the show with his last second takedown of Max Barsky in the 157-pound weight class. Not even a nice looking mustache could stop the Wilkes Senior from beating his opponents
“It was pretty exciting being that there wasn’t much time left,” Ellery said. “There wasn’t much going through my mind, just that I needed to score. I heard the coaches yell 30 seconds left and that’s when I got the under hook and took my shot.”
The packed crowd at the Marts Gymnasium went crazy after the exciting match, and the Colonels kept the ship straight by rattling off  wins.
Senior Captain Ben Marich picked up his first win of the season in dominating fashion with a pin the first period at the 165-pound weight class. Dustin Stough gained a tough decision over the Blue Jay’s Dylan Carmichael 5-4 at the 174-pound weight class.
Buddy Gouger wrapped the night off in a big way with a pinfall in just under seven minutes in the night’s finale. Gouger got the slap of the mat when he overpowered Elizabethtown’s Kyle Deeds.
The Colonels finished the night with four pins as they cruised to a dominating win of 39-9 in their home opener. The Colonels were also in action all day Saturday at SUNY-Oneonta. The twelfth ranked Colonels finished fourth overall at the SUNY-Oneonta Red Dragon inivtational.
Junior Nathan White finished second overall in the 165-pound weight class. White outscored his opponent 26-4 en route to his finals appearance. Senior Buddy Gouger also maded it to the finals, using a pin and two decisions in the 184-pound weight class. Raymond Dungee also placed in the weight class claiming third place.
Heavyweight William Fletcher also finished as a runner-up at the tournament. he racked up two decisions along with a pinfall.
Freshman Lucas dise finished in sixth place. He rattled off three straight decisions and a pin in the loser’s bracket on his way to his final consolation bout.
Senior Shane Everett placed third at 157 pounds. Everett knocked off the second seed to claim the bronze.
Also in the 157-pound bracket, sopohomore Tyler Lauchaire and George Simms III finished in fifth and sixth place respectively.
Freshman 149 pounder Sean Lombardi also claimed a fifth place finish at the Red Dragon Invitational.
The Colonels next home match will be Dec. 10 as they welcome Muhlenberg, York and Delaware Valley to the Marts Gymnasium for a quad-meet.