St. Charles East swamps Metea Valley
Austin Hrubec was the symbolic wrestler for St. Charles East Thursday night.
The Saints’ 126-pounder had an early lead against his counterpart from Metea Valley, Uri Ariza.
But the Mustangs’ junior literally reversed the tide late in the second period.
Hrubec tied up the match with an escape and pulled off a daring maneuver to earn a stunning pin 13 seconds before the final buzzer.
Metea Valley would have few answers for the Saints’ tenacity and skill as St. Charles East dominated the Upstate Eight Conference crossover dual match with 12 wins.
Hrubec had one of Saints’ six maximum-point victories during their 57-10 triumph in St. Charles.
“(The pin was a product) of our practicing and conditioning in the (wrestling) room,” Hrubec said. “It’s much easier to go out there and keep wrestling. (Ariza) took a bad shot, and I got him with an over-hook.”
“Things like that can happen,” St. Charles East coach Jason Potter said. “Look at Austin’s match. If he drops that match it is 3 points for them. We get the pin, and that’s a 9-point swing. That’s how the (final team) score can get out-of-hand.”
It was not a good omen for Metea Valley (3-7) when St. Charles East was awarded a forfeit in the opening match at 170 pounds.
Sean Hayes’ first-period fall doubled the Saints’ early lead to 12-0, and Metea Valley would have its only upper-weight triumph at 195 pounds as sophomore Dylan Ervin had a major-decision whitewash.
Hayes needed only 78 seconds to record the fall.
“This is my first year wrestling,” said Hayes, who has been splitting his time between the JV and varsity. “The environment of being on the varsity team got me hyped.”
Jose Flores and Will Leite, the Saints’ respective 220-pounder and heavyweight, gave St. Charles East (10-1) a 22-4 lead with a fall and major decision.
Joey Riordan would then provide the last highlight of the night for Metea Valley.
The junior 106-pounder had a pin midway through the second period.
“He’s working hard,” Metea Valley coach Claudio Torres said of Riordan. “He didn’t qualify for the sectional last year. He is improving.”
But the Saints would close the night with eight consecutive victories and 35 unanswered points.
Star 138-pounder Isaiah Vela needed all of 13 second-period seconds to remain undefeated, and Jake Mende also had a pin at the following weight.
Ryan Valesh had proceeded his two senior classmates with a technical fall.
“(St. Charles) East is good,” Torres said. “They won the conference (tournament) last year. I can’t remember the last time they lost a dual in the conference. They’re always on the attack. If you’re on the attack, you’re gonna win.”