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  With sights set on a Capital District championship less than two weeks away, Hanover clearly dominated all-comers at the Hanover Quad last Wednesday at Atlee High School. Turning in scores of 51-19 vs. Lee-Davis, 72-6 vs. Atlee, and 72-9 vs. Patrick Henry, the Hawks showed that they are the team to beat as the season winds to a close. 

  The Hanover lineup was strong and complete, allowing them to take full advantage of any forfeits.
  The Hawks’ Spencer Alexander, keyed up and pacing back and forth between matches like a beast before feeding time, brought home three wins for his team by two pins and one major decision.  Characteristically, he even took on the higher 112 weight class in his match against Patriots’ Steal, pinning him in 36 seconds.  Only Atlee’s Ricky Gambriel escaped a pin from Alexander but lost in an 18-6 major decision. 

  “We just knew we had to stick to our game plan, stay aggressive and get after it,” said Hawks’ coach Aaron Bradley. “Limit the mistakes, limit the giving up the pins; capitalize when we have a guy in position to pin him and get it done.  The guys did a good job overall.  Led by our juniors and seniors with Alexander–103, (Ben) Wilson–135, (Kyle) Locke–171, (David) Polson–152; Levay (125) and Harrison (119) now doing a good job for us, and Buchanan’s coming along.  He’s a freshman for us, so he’s doing well for a freshman at 130.  That’s always a tough weight class.  He’s starting to come around at the right time with districts a week away.”
  Buchanan took all three of his matches, winning by decision against the Confederates’ Don Lineberry who started out strong against him; taking the Raiders’ Bazemore by major decision, and finishing against the Patriots’ Demsey with a pin. 

  Polson also won all three: two by pin, one by injury forfeit.  Locke won two by pins, one by forfeit.  Harrison took all three by pin.  Lavey defeated Lee-Davis’ Rudicille by pin, took a major decision over Atlee’s Joseph, and won by forfeit from PH.

  Atlee, plagued with more injuries than a hospital ward, had nine valiant but inexperienced JV wrestlers quickly promoted to Varsity for an education in the school of hard knocks against the three healthier teams. 

  Atlee’s senior, Gambriel, managed to come up with two pins, but the overall outcome was not surprising for Atlee’s coach, Richard Palmer.  “The evening went exactly like I thought it was going to go,” he said.  “There were no surprises.  I have nine starters out from my starting line-up.  I basically wrestled a freshman team against two very strong teams tonight.  I have a young team that’s injured.  My starters can wrestle.  My inexperienced young kids have not learned how to wrestle yet.  You basically saw, out of a 14-man weight group, I probably had nine or 10 first year wrestlers that had never been on the mat until this first season started.”

  Not surprisingly, Lee-Davis came in second with solid wins against Patrick Henry and Atlee.  The Confederates’ Helmick, wrestling at 112, though falling to Hanover’s Keck, pinned Atlee’s Decourcey in :46, and PHs’ Steal in 1:34. 

  Similarly, at 130 Don Lineberry lost to Hanover, but took Patrick Henry’s Demsey and beat Atlee’s Basemore by a pin in 1:30. 

  Davis, at 215, beat Smoot of Atlee, Jones of Hanover, and won by forfeit vs. PH.  At 189, John Alexander won two by forfeit, and pinned Hanover’s Zach Nussbaum after almost being pinned himself.  At 135 Nick Green pinned Atlee’s Pastillado in 1:29, as well as Patrick Henry’s Overstreet, however Green fell to Hanover’s Wilson by pin in 2:59.

  Lee-Davis’ coach, Thomas Riley was a little disappointed.  “No real surprises,” he said.  “We didn’t wrestle our best tonight.  I think as a team, we just came in sloppy tonight and didn’t wrestle the way we’re capable of wrestling.  A couple of matches could have gone a different way against Hanover.  Hanover, we knew was going to be tough coming in.  We knew we had to get every single point, so a couple of matches, we just were flat coming in.  So we just know we need to warm up better next time.”

  Patrick Henry, coming short of a full line-up, forfeited in five weight classes, but still hade some individual victories.  In the heavyweight division Rossalez asserted dominance early in his only match pinning Hanover’s Hill in 1:25.  Perry at 119, pinned L-D’s Rudacille in 5:30, and Atlee’s Samuel Smith in :50. At 160, Korreseared pinned Atlee’s Smith in 1:30.  For such a young team, Patrick Henry head coach Dennis Adkins, was satisfied with the outcome. “We had a couple of guys who wrestled a few tough matches,” he said. “Overall we’re a young team.  Most of the guys are maybe their first or second year.  For the most part we’re a young team and we’re getting there.”
 
Team Scores:
Patrick Henry 40, Atlee 35
Hanover 51, Lee-Davis 19
Hanover 72, Atlee 6
Lee-Davis 54, Patrick Henry 21
Lee-Davis 60, Atlee 10
Hanover, 72, Patrick Henry 9

Hanover 72, Patrick Henry 9
103 Eubank (H)  p. Nuttycombe, 1:26
112 Alexander (H) p. Steal, 0:36
119 Harrison (H)  p. Perry, 2:56
125 LaVey (H)  by Fft.
130 Buchannan (H) p. Dempsey, 3:52
135 Wilson (H)  p. Overstreet), 0:25
140 Palmen (H)  by Fft.
145 Greenwood (PH) d. Sorey, 12-6
152 Polson (H)  p. Kenzia, 3:51
160 Casstevens (H) p. Korrseared, 1:36
171 Locke (H)  by Fft.
189 Nussbaum (H)  by Fft.
215 Jones (H)  by Fft.
285 Rossalez (PH) p. Hill, 1:25

Hanover 72, Atlee 6
103 Alexander (H) md. Gambriel, 18-6
112 Keck (H)  p. Decoursey, 3:14
119 Harrison (H)  p. Smith, 1:00
125 LaVey (H)  tf. Joseph, 22-7
130 Buchannan (H) p. Bazemore, 4:30
135 Wilson (H)  p. Pastillado, 1:24
140 Palmen (H)  by Fft.
145 Sorey (H)  d. Mackey, 9-6
152 Polson (H)  p. Siepka, 2:25
160 Casstevens (H) p. Smith, 1:03
171 Locke (H)  p. Basemore, 4:43
189 Nussbaum (H)  by Fft.
215 Smoot (H)  p. B. Jones, 1:18
285 Hill (H)  by Fft.

Hanover 51, Lee-Davis 19
103 Alexander (H) p. Shaw, 3:18
112 Keck (H)  p. Helmick, 4:56
119 Harrison (H)  p. Hughes, 3:35
125 LaVey (H)  p. Rudacille, 3:16
130 Buchannan (H) d. D. Lineberry, 7-5
135 Wilson (H)  p. Green, 2:59
140 A. Lineberry (LD) p. Palman, 0:57
145 Baldwin (LD)  d. Sorey, 5-2
152 Polson (H)  Injury Default by Haidari
160 Casstevens (H) d. Eastland, 8-7
171 Locke (H)  d. Griggs, 9-3
189 Alexander (LD) p. Nussbaum, 5:22
215 Davis (LD) md. B. Jones, 16-5
285 Hill (H)  by Fft.
(Other individual results were not made available at press time)