‘Pokes complete undefeated season
STILLWATER (AP) – Top-ranked heavyweight Steve Mocco won a decision against Joel Tapler to clinch an 18-13 victory against Oklahoma on Sunday and secure Oklahoma State’s perfect wrestling season.
Oklahoma could have pulled off an upset with a win in the final match, but Mocco registered a takedown against Tapler four seconds into their match and led the entire way for a 10-3 decision.
It’s the fifth season with no losses or ties since John Smith took over as head coach of the Cowboys (21-0) in 1992.
“We knew going in that it was going to be a tough year, “Smith said. “Did I see us going undefeated? No, I did not see that.”
Smith also led the Cowboys to three consecutive undefeated seasons from 1996-1999 and another in 2002-03.
“I thought we had the toughest season that we have ever faced since I began coaching here, “Smith said. “The number of matches we had against quality opponents. On the other side of it, I think this is the toughest college wrestling year that there has ever been. The number of teams with quality people, we faced them all.”
The Cowboys also got wins from Nathan Morgan (133 pounds), Zack Esposito (149), Kevin Ward (157), Johny Hendricks (165) and Chris Pendleton (174). Pendleton (29-1), the defending champion, notched an 8-3 decision against E.K. Waldhaus, who gave Pendleton his only loss of the season with an 11-10 decision in the first Bedlam match.
“There was a lot of emotion. I am not going to lie, “Pendleton said. “Any time that I have ever lost to anyone in college, I have prided myself on responding well and coming back and getting the victory.”
Oklahoma got early wins from Sam Hazewinkel, the top-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds, and Teyon Ware, No. 1 at 141 pounds to tie the match at 6.
But Oklahoma State got consecutive wins from Esposito, another No. 1-rated wrestler, Ward and Hendricks to go up 15-6.
Justin Dyer scored a major decision against Jack Jensen at 184 pounds, and Joel Flaggert brought Oklahoma within 15-13 by beating Rusty Blackmon 3-1. But Mocco finished it off for the Cowboys.
Sooners coach Jack Spates said his team had a chance for the upset if Charles Jones could have beaten Ward in a meeting of unranked foes at 157 pounds. Ward won 5-2.
“Coming into this meet, I thought we were going to win, “Spates said. “I think we had our opportunities to win. The 157-pound match was a bout that we were in. Charles was in the bout and he didn’t do enough to make it happen. That was a key one.
“Bottom line is we had our opportunities to win and didn’t make it happen.”
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