Titans stand alone

Seldom can it be said in wrestling that the outcome of a dual contest was decided by the night’s first match.

But University sophomore Jacob Fry’s comeback at 171 pounds and subsequent overtime victory Wednesday night was pivotal in the Titans’ 35-27 Greater Spokane League victory over visiting Mead.

Fry trailed 5-1 entering the final period against Joe Regalado. He escaped early in the period, then scored two takedowns in the final minute, tying the score at 6 with 11 seconds left. Fry added one more takedown 22 seconds into overtime for the win.

“That was the match of the night,” U-Hi coach Don Owen said. “It was a great comeback for Fry. Once he gets to overtime – he works as hard as anybody.”

Fry was one of nine sophomores in the lineup in a match between the GSL’s last two unbeaten teams. Five of them were victorious, along with three juniors, improving U-Hi to 6-0 in league and dropping Mead (4-1) into a third-place tie with East Valley, behind Central Valley (5-1).

“I’ve been told I’ve got a good tank of gas and have to just know I could win,” Fry said. “I was able to get my offense going, basically.”

Another pivotal win came from U-Hi’s fifth sophomore victor, Mitch Bell at 125. He caught Kyle Erb in a cradle for a pin with 11 seconds remaining in the first period after falling behind 4-0. He said it’s not his best pin move, favoring the head and arm.

“It was a big win,” Bell said. “I don’t know. I fought hard.”

Both losses were match turning points, said Mead coach Phil McLean. Particularly since Mead picked up a couple of unexpected wins – at 119 by freshman Jeremy Golding and at 130 where Sam Edminster reversed an earlier setback to Zach Lester and won 2-1 in a leg rider’s near stalemate.

“It was a good dual,” McLean said. “There were a lot of good matches.”

Key for Golding, during an 8-6 triumph over Titans sophomore Brandon Byers, was a four-point head-and-arm move after giving up a takedown.

“I just didn’t lose my composure,” he said. “I saw he made a mistake in position.”

U-Hi led 6-0 with two early wins, the second by sophomore Dustin Johnson at 189, then fell behind 9-6 on a Jake Trotter pin and Carter Comito decision at 215 and 285, respectively.

But pins by sophomores Brandon Matlock (103), Tyler Clark (112) and Bell put the Titans up 24-12 and it was a lead that proved too big to surmount when the teams split the final six matches. The last three wins by U-Hi were from junior veterans.

“As always, in a high school match you win some you think you’ll lose and lose some you think you’ll win,” Owen said. “I was hoping we’d win and thinking we were going to win, but I knew when we lost a couple matches it would be a long night and we’d have to wait until the last bell. I’m happy.”

In other GSL matches : host East Valley won all but three contests to top Ferris (3-4) 51-12. The Knights had three pins – by Chris Tripplet, Nic Price and Dakota Lawson – to lead 18-6. … Central Valley won 48-17 at North Central (0-4). In a match of state veterans, Jarod Maynes of CV topped Jared Berlinger 7-2 at 112. CV’s Colby Davis won by pin at 285 over Steven Taylor and NC’s Ben Carter won by major decision at 13-5 in other features. … Lewis and Clark (1-3) got its first win, 50-26 over Rogers (0-5). LC’s Kyle French led just 3-2 at 112 and Lou Mounsey trailed 3-2 at 130 before both won by pin. … Shadle Park (3-2) beat Gonzaga Prep (0-6) 58-15. Justin Trevino remained unbeaten in league at 112 pounds with a pin.

Great Northern League: Medical Lake won 10 of 14 matches to keep host West Valley winless, 48-18. Robert Mode prevailed in overtime 8-6 over WV’s Austin Watson at 171. WV’s Quinn Gannon won 5-2 at 130 over John Daniels.

Northeast A League : Freeman accepted four forfeits during a 45-35 win over Newport in Chewelah.