by Ryan Mosher
The Hoosick Falls wrestling team began the 2010-2011 season with an easy 58-19 win over WASAREN League foe Schuylerville giving new Head Coach Landon Nelson his first win. Nelson had been the Modified Coach until Chris Marsh decided to retire from coaching after last season.
The visiting Black Horses started the season opening dual meet strongly with an 11-1 win by Harry Proctor over Steve Colvin in the 189 weight class. The Panthers would not be behind for long though as David Couch, John Crucetti, Luis Wierebach and Tom Peabody fired off four straight wins to take back the lead 21-6. Couch, Crucetti and Peabody all recorded pins in the first or second period while Wierebach beat his opponent 4-1. Schuylerville would not back down at this point as they won three straight matches by fall, bringing the score to 21-19 with Hoosick Falls in the lead.
Bryan Sherman ended that run with a pin just 1:37 into his match at 130 pounds to give the Panthers a 27-19 lead. Mike Mattat scored an easy 9-0 win at 140 pounds, and forfeits at the 135, 145, 152 and 160 weight classes sealed the win for Hoosick Falls before the final match even began. That final match turned into a great finale for the meet. At 171 pounds Kyle Thompson of Schuylerville took on the Panthers’ Brad Burns. Thompson took a 1-0 lead
in the second period with an escape, which was matched by Burns in the third period to tie the match. Both wrestlers took shots in the remainder of the third period to no avail. The match went to overtime where Burns got behind Thompson, lifted him into the air and slammed him down to the mat for a takedown and the 3-1 victory. The final score of the meet was Hoosick Falls 58, Schuylerville 19.