Wrestling Team Drops Close Match to Pequannock

For the first time in over a month, the Madison High School wrestling team recorded a loss, as it just didn't have enough firepower to stop Pequannock High School on Wednesday night, losing 38-25.

Patsy Davis started the night off recording a 4-2 win in a gutsy performance against Pequannock's Chaz Coppa. Davis took a 2-1 lead into the third period and after a Coppa escape tied the score, Davis shot in successfully recording a double leg take-down with time expiring to win it.

After a Madison loss at 119-pounds, Max Gotsch (125) stepped up and recorded a strong 8-0 major decision to give Madison an early 7-3 lead.

Madison wouldn't win many matches on the night, but the ones that the Dodgers did win, they made sure to secure as many points as possible, keeping them in the match throughout the entire night.

Losses at 130-pounds, 135-pounds and 140-pounds really put the Dodgers at a disadvantage going into 145-pounder Ryan Colwell's match. But Colwell did what everyone has become used to seeing, as he rolled easily recording a second period pin in a match that he already led 11-0.

Colwell's pin would bring Madison a little closer to Pequannock at 19-13, but Christian Mazzocchi (152) and Anthony Costa (160) each lost close 3-1 decisions in matches that Madison really needed to win in order to keep ground with the Panthers.

But as things started looking bleak for the Dodgers, Ed Carr (171) continued terrorizing opponents with his headlock, stopping Tyler Douglass just 20 seconds into the first period making the score 25-19.

215-pounder Thomas Tracy followed up a loss at 189-pounds by recording a crowd-pumping third-period pin, setting up what looked like a huge upset by the Dodgers.

But after a loss at heavy weight (Mike Boardman) and at 103-pounds (John Costa), Pequannock escaped the nail-biter with the win.

"On paper they were better than us," Madison head coach Steve Healey said. "Obviously up and down the lineup you could find matches that we could have won or saved points here or there but it was an exciting match. If we beat them, I would have said it was a great upset."

"We had a chance right at the end there, but we came up a little short. Our guys wrestled hard and I think it was a good test for us, as they're a quality team and it showed our guys that we can hang toe-to-toe with a quality team," Healey said.

Up next, Madison will head to the Morris County Tournament beginning this Friday.