ROCK HILL – The Catawba Ridge Copperheads wrestling team picked up two Region 3-4A wins on Thursday to get them back in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Catawba Ridge beat York 66-13 and then edged host South Pointe 40-36. The Copperheads are now 17-12 on the season and 2-2 in the region.
They started the tri-match with York and went up 12-0 out of the gate with Cole Stukitz (138) and Levi Jones (144) getting first period pins.
York got a 6-4 decision at 150-pounds, but then Catawba Ridge got a forfeit at 157-pounds for Ryan Stukitz and then a second period pin by Jackson Rozelle (165).
The Copperheads would then win four straight weight classes with pins from Drew Coursey (175), Alex Johnson (215) and Jacob Webster (hwt.). Jarrett Eubanks (190) would get a win by forfeit as Catawba Ridge would go up 48-3.
The Copperheads would split the next four matches with Michael Rimonti (113) getting a forfeit win and Wyatt Ellison (126) getting a first period pin. Clark Ostendorf (132) finished off the dual with a third period pin for Catawba Ridge.
Against South Pointe, the dual came down to the last weight class with Cole Stukitz (138) getting a first period pin to give the Copperheads a 40-36 win.
The Copperheads started at 144-pounds with Jones picking up a first period pin. Ryan Stukitz (150) got a third period pin and Jackson Rozelle (157) put Catawba Ridge up 15-0 with a 5-1 decision.
The Stallions got their first wins in the match at 165-pounds and followed that win with a pin at 175-pounds.
Eubanks (190) picked up his second consecutive forfeit win and Johnson (215) doubled up the Copperheads lead at 24-12 with a 3-0 decision.
That lead didn’t last long as South Pointe won the next two weight classes by pin to tie the dual at 24. The Stallions then took the lead at 30-24 with a first period pin at 113-pounds.
Josh Gets (120) came back to tie the match at 30 with a first period pin for the Copperheads, but South Pointe would then regain the lead at 126-pounds going up 36-30.
Ostendorf (132) would get a 12-3 major decision going into the last weight class and bringing the Copperheads to within two at 36-34 before Cole Stukitz got the key win for Catawba Ridge.
Catawba Ridge has one more region match next week against Lancaster on the road Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
