In wrestling, so much emphasis is placed on the individual.
Whether a guy wins or loses is completely on him. No teammates to come to the rescue or assign blame.
However, No. 9 Virginia Tech is finding success by focusing on the collective and flexed its depth on Sunday in its 29-7 win over No. 23 Stanford.
“I’ve just got some of the best training partners in the country,” Tech true freshman Sonny Sasso said after the match. “I’ve got the best coaches in the country. Makes my path a little bit easier just to improve and to keep getting better.
“When you’re at a program like this, there’s no doubt you’re going to get better.”
The talent in the room has helped create a culture where everyone feels ready when called upon, and Tech benefitted massively from it against the Cardinal.
Three Hokies made their season dual debuts on Sunday and all three notched wins, none bigger than Cooper Flynn’s (125) dominant 5-2 victory over Stanford’s No. 4 Nico Provo.
The redshirt sophomore was thrust into the lineup after originally taking an Olympic redshirt this season, but he returned to the program two weeks ago following Eddie Ventresca’s recent struggles.
“I was out at the Olympic Training Center and I got a phone call from Coach Robie, just saying ‘Hey, when you’re back, we’re going to get you certified,”’ Flynn said. “I think that was two weeks ago. I was at the Olympic Training Center for senior camp getting ready for senior nationals this weekend.
“My world flipped right there.”
Flynn mentioned that he had to adjust to wrestling folkstyle again, but he looked smooth against Provo. The Simsbury, Conn., native’s constant activity forced two stall warnings from the Cardinal wrestler, giving him a 2-0 lead going into the third period. Then up 2-1 with under a minute to wrestle, he powered through Provo for the bout-winning takedown, giving Tech the early lead.
“I wanted to get [a takedown] in the first period, but I really felt him fade each period with my hand fighting,” Flynn said. “I’d wrestled him three or four times before, even in high school, and I know he’s really explosive. I just needed to be careful of him dropping in on a leg and wrestling it smart. I knew my hand fighting was kind of overpowering him and I was dictating the match. I just kind of stayed persistent with that. The snaps were heavy and they were there, and I think that pressured him into taking a bad shot.
“I knew something would prevent itself, whether it was a leg attack from me or from him. He shot and my drag was there and it’s kind of like second nature. You feel the drag and you wrestle it and ended up getting the takedown.”
Another enormous late takedown was the difference in Sasso’s (197) upset win over Stanford’s No. 14 Nick Stemmet.
Following the true freshman’s pin over the Cardinal wrestler two weeks ago at the Cliff Keen Classic, he utilized elite defense and timely attacks to take the 8-4 win on Sunday. The 197-pounder burst out of the gates for Tech with a takedown to begin the first but gave up a pair of reversals later on to even the match.
Tied at four going into the third period, Sasso grabbed a quick escape point before icing the match with a takedown.
“I didn’t think it was going to be the same match,” Sasso said. “I think out in Vegas, we were like six, seven matches deep. I felt like out in Vegas he kind of underestimated me. I stuck him, but I kind of fell into it. It wasn’t like I had a bar and I just had him up in a secure pinning combo and got the six. He was trying to step over me, I hipped him over right to his back and caught him there. I don’t want to say it was lucky out in Vegas, but it wasn’t like an ideal situation to get a fall. I knew he was going to have a gameplan ready for tonight, it was going to be much different, and it was exactly what I thought it was.
“I still have the same mindset: just find a way to get it done. Just keep pushing. Spend all your energy. Spend every last little bit you got, and that’s what I did. It wasn’t as smooth of a fashion as it was in Vegas, but I still came out on top.”
Dakota Howard (184) made a big splash in his season debut, beating Stanford’s Jack Darrah by major decision, 13-3.
He took down Darrah four times en route to the win, demonstrating great power in his first action since January.
No. 26 Connor Brady (165) picked his first dual win of the season in upset fashion over Stanford’s No. 16 Hunter Garvin. He collected three takedowns to put Garvin away and looked much more decisive in his attacks since his last bout in Cassell.
No. 2 Mekhi Lewis (165) and No. 6 Sam Latona (133) earned bonus-point victories over ranked opponents on Sunday, bouncing back from losses at the All-Star Classic last month.
Lewis shutout Stanford’s No. 20 Lorenzo Norman to nab the major decision victory, 8-0. Despite solid attacks from Norman, the former national champion used elite defense to cement the bonus-point win.
Latona cruised against Stanford’s No. 16 Tyler Knox 12-3 to the tune of three takedowns and a reversal. The win was his fifth bonus-point victory of the season.
No. 2 Caleb Henson (149) put on a dominant performance against Stanford’s Dawson Sihavong, winning by technical fall, 20-5. The win was Henson’s seventh via tech fall this year.
Tech finished off the dual with a win as No. 20 Hunter Catka (285) handled Stanford’s Peter Ming, 8-4. He moved to 7-4 on the year with the victory.
Both No. 7 Bryce Andonian (157) and Mac Church (141) suffered losses on Sunday.
Andonian fell via major decision to Stanford’s No. 8 Daniel Cardenas, 15-7. He majored the Cardinal wrestler two weeks ago in Vegas, 17-7. Church, who’s currently competing with fellow true freshman Hunter Mason for the starting spot at 141, lost to Stanford’s No. 27 Jason Miranda.
Tech returns to the mat on Jan. 2 in Columbia, Mo., to take on No. 5 Missouri at 6:30 p.m. ET.
125: Cooper Flynn (VT) dec. No. 4 Nico Provo (STAN), 5-2
133: No. 6 Sam Latona (VT) maj dec. No. 16 Tyler Knox (STAN), 12-3
141: No. 27 Jason Miranda (STAN) dec. Mac Church (VT), 3-0
149: No. 2 Caleb Henson (VT) tech fall Dawson Sihavong (STAN), 20-5
157: No. 8 Daniel Cardenas (STAN) maj dec. No. 7 Bryce Andonian (VT), 15-7
165: No. 26 Connor Brady (VT) dec. No. 16 Hunter Gavin (STAN), 10-3
174: No. 2 Mekhi Lewis (VT) maj dec. No. 20 Lorenzo Norman (STAN), 8-0
184: Dakota Howard (VT) maj dec. Jack Darrah (STAN), 13-3
197: Sonny Sasso (VT) dec. No. 14 Nick Stemmet (STAN), 8-4
285: No. 20 Hunter Catka (VT) dec. Peter Ming (STAN), 8-4
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very strong match
Nice article.