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Scotland’s Nick Kee (left) tries to go in for the pin on Richmond’s Wesley Mason during the 145-pound division match. Kee won by decision.
If that's the case, then the Scotland wrestling team has to get the early nod going into this weekend’s Southeastern Conference tournament at Purnell Swett.
The Scots built up a 36-0 lead against Richmond Wednesday night and never looked back, cruising to a 52-24 win over the rival Raiders.
With the win, Scotland improves to 6-6 in dual matches this season and 4-1 in conference, good for second place behind Pinecrest.
The Scots lost to the Patriots, 36-32, back on Jan.13.
“Four points. That’s how close it was between us,” Scotland coach Joel McCanna said on how close they were to obtaining their preseason goal of a conference title. “Despite having just two seniors on the team, the first and second-year wrestlers really stepped it up at the end of the year and did a great job.”
In a match that took less than 45 minutes to complete, Deshawn Williams won the 103-pound battle by forfeit due to the Raiders not having a wrestler at that weight class.
Zak Watts managed to get a quick takedown on Richmond’s Randal Altman in the 112-pound bout and after outscoring him in the first period, Watts got the pin 52 seconds into the second period.
In the 119-pound battle, Kenneth McCoy of Scotland and Richmond’s Jeremy Caird put on a show for the fans in attendance.
Both competitors countered each other but McCoy managed a fast reversal on a hold by Caird and got the pin.
Scotland’s Bradley Stewart moved quickly in his 130-pound match against Zac Covington.
Stewart turned up the intensity in the second period with a submission and got his opponent on the mat with seconds remaining in the second period.
Just as it looked like the match would go to a third and final period, Stewart got Covington’s shoulders pinned as the buzzer sounded for the win.
Scotland's Ben Ewald got a quick pin on Austin Lane for the win in just 27 seconds.
Like his teammate before him, Dustin Chavis managed a quick pin on Richmond’s Jamar Goins with 1:27 remaining in the first period.
"I told the kids all week in practice that this will be the last time that those two wrestle in here," said McCanna about Chavis and Sam Williams. "We wanted to send them out on a good note and for both of them to do well and they both pinned their opponents. I can't complain about anything that's going on right now, the kids that are left on the team are working hard and doing they best that they can do."
Following a double forfeit at 140 pounds, the big match of the night took place between Scotland freshman Nick Kee and Richmond senior Wesley Mason in the 145-pound bout.
After a near 20-second face-off to begin the match, the two locked up and it resulted in Mason going out of the mat area twice. Both wrestlers would counter each others’ grapple and perform reversals.
Kees would eventually gain the momentum in the third and final period. Unfortunately, the freshman could not get the pin and had to settle for win by an 11-2 decision. The loss was Mason’s first of the season.
"Nick (Kee) just outworked him on the mat," said McCanna about the match at 145-pounds. "Wesley's (Mason) strong, but sometimes he relied on it too much and Nick got the lead on him with a couple of takedowns."
Sam Williams, like Chavis, got the pin in his last home match. Williams had Richmond’s Antoine Bostick nearly pinned with 1:04 left in the first period of the 152-pound bout but managed to eventually get Bostick down for the pin with less than 20 seconds left in the second.
The Raiders Andrew Spears finally got his team on the scoreboard in the 160-pound match, pinning Deon Johnson with 30 seconds left in the first period.
Richmond (10-7, 2-3 SEC) made it 46-12 when Daryl Locklear won the 171-pound match by forfeit.
"I got four experienced kids and for us to win we needed those four to win," Richmond coach Ken Neal said. "We had two new wrestlers in the 160 and 215-pound matches win, and if the four experienced kids had won, then we would've had a close match, but if their (Scotland's) experienced kids win, then we're in trouble and that's exactly what happened."
The Scots Red Covington picked up the pin over Travis Butler in the 189-pound match.
After Richmond’s Lucas Newton got the pin on Davis Jones in the 215-pound bout, the Raiders Jordan Speight took the heavyweight match by forfeit.
Prior to the match, McCanna was honored by the school for winning his 200th dual match as head coach against Purnell Swett back on Jan.6.
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