SMYRNA – Caravel Academy entered the DIAA Division II Wrestling Dual Team Championships against Delaware Military Academy looking to earn its third straight state championship.
The top-seeded Buccaneers accomplished that feat as they won 10 matches, seven via pin, to defeat the Seahawks 52-15 on Saturday night at Smyrna High School.
While winning a state title is not a new feeling, Caravel junior Luke Poore treated it like he hadn’t won before.
“I feel like every one is like the first one. Only because of the amount of work we put in every day,” Poore said. “We hit the room for two hours and grinded as hard as we can. I really do feel like we deserve it the most.”
Poore started the meet for the Buccaneers at 126 pounds and he gave his team a quick six points with a pin in 38 seconds.
After DMA’s Daniel Williams earned a 3-1 decision at 132, Caravel won the next seven matches to clinch another championship.
Michael Kling (138 pounds), Jordan Miller (145), Alex Poore (160), Nicholas Hall (170) and Brock Rhoades (195) all won by pin. John Antonio (152) and Matthew Duarte (182) won via decision.
“I think it started with our middleweights. We’re tough there,” Buccaneers coach Mike Welch said. “After Luke’s match, I felt like we had a good rhythm.
“We got a lot of pins at 145, 160 and 170. That helps the team scores because it racks up the team points.”
The Seahawks took the next three matches, as Tyler August won by forfeit at 220 pounds, Cael DiNigris won a 6-2 decision at 285 and Gavin Mundy won a 9-3 decision at 106.
Caravel’s Eddie Radecki won at 113 pounds with a pin in 59 seconds, and Marcello Ioannoni capped it off with a 10-2 major decision at 120.
Radecki said this year’s championship feels extra special because the Buccaneers got every opponent’s best shot.
“It feels good because if you’re the favorite, it puts a target on your back,” Radecki said. “Everyone is gunning to take us down, so we always have that in the back of our minds like, ‘They’re coming for us.’ I think that kind of kept us going and helped keep the room going and keep improving.”
One of the other things that helped Caravel repeat this year was the competition the Bucs faced throughout the season.
“The kids were hungry all year. We were trying to find the toughest competition in the country,” Welch said. “We wrestled a lot out of state, and I feel like it prepared us for this. We had a lot of Division I opponents and hadn’t wrestled Division II or DMA. So we weren’t sure what to expect. We know they always bring a good team.”
DIAA Dual Team Wrestling
Division II
Championship
Caravel 52, DMA 15
126 – L. Poore (Car) pinned Orth, :38; 132 – Williams (DMA) dec. Knight, SV-1 3-1; 138 – Kling (Car) pinned Delcollo, 1:29; 145 – Miller (Car) pinned Perrin, 1:40; 152 – Antonio (Car) dec. Spoor, 6-3. 160 – A. Poore (Car) pinned Simpson, 1:50; 170 – Hall (Car) pinned Novack, :18; 182 – Duarte (Car) dec. Moaney, 9-2; 195 – Rhoades (Car) pinned Morgan, :13; 220 – August (DMA) won by forfeit; 285 – DiNigris (DMA) dec. Drumgo, 6-2; 106 – Mundy (DMA) dec. Bakhsh, 9-3; 113 – Radecki (Car) pinned Avery, :59; 120 – Iaonnoni (Car) maj. dec. Mahan, 10-2.
Semifinals
Caravel 75, Lake Forest 6
120 – Ioannoni (Car) pinned Blakeslee, :44; 126 – L. Poore (Car) pinned Dempsey, 3:01; 132 – Knight (Car) pinned Russ, :55; 138 – Kling (Car) dec. Moyer, 5-2; 145 – Ahmad-Statts (LF) pinned Miller, 4:36; 152 – Antonio (Car) won by forfeit; 160 – A. Poore (Car) pinned Dempsey, 2:27; 170 – Hall (Car) pinned Ferrell, 2:26; 182 – Duarte (Car) pinned Young, 3:12; 195 – Rhoades (Car) pinned Wyatt, :18; 220 – Diluzio (Car) won by forfeit; 285 – Drumgo (Car) pinned Stanley, :37; 106 – Bakhsh (Car) pinned Pinder, 2:14; 113 – Radecki (Car) pinned Silver, 3:15.
DMA 45, Laurel 21
120 – Pete (Lau) pinned Mahan, 2:43; 126 – Niblett (Lau) dec. Orth, 3-2; 132 – Williams (DMA) maj. dec. Weaver, 11-3; 138 – Delcollo (DMA) pinned Austin, 5:30; 145 – Limehouse (Lau) dec. Perrin, 8-2; 152 – Spoor (DMA) maj. dec. Bell, 14-2; 160 – Simpson (DMA) pinned Hastings, 3:07; 170 – Novack (DMA) dec. Furbush, 3-2; 182 – Rife (Lau) dec. Roy, 8-3; 195 – Moaney (DMA) pinned Johnson, 1:06; 220 – August (DMA) pinned Hearn, 5:00; 285 – DiNigris (DMA) maj. dec. Pusey, 15-3; 106 – Mundy (DMA) pinned Harrington, 4:32; 113 – Smith (Lau) pinned Avery, 3:34.
