Caesar Rodney grapplers win 8th straight match

The Riders Nate Legg (top) scores a takedown and nearfall points at the edge of the mat in the 165 pound match Wednesday night. Legg won by pin in 157. Photo by Benny Mitchell

Camden- The Caesar Rodney Riders used a pair of pins to sandwich their dual meet victory over the Smyrna Eagles 50-24 in a Henlopen Conference Northern Division match.

Nate Legg got the Riders started with a pin at 165 pounds in 1:56 and Cameron Cataldi ended the night with a pin at 157 pounds in 1:04.

Caesar Rodney won nine bouts as they improved to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the Henlopen North.

“I think on both scheduled this match is circled every year it’s a big rivalry, I thought Smyrna brought it tonight they came out firing, it was fun and we love being in those matches, but it is always nice to get the win at home,” Caesar Rodney head coach Trey Mitchell said.

Between the bookend pins the Riders Owen Dixon scored with a late reversal and nearfall points to edge Teagan Gratowski 8-6 at 175 pounds. Jalen Kennedy then received a forfeit at 190 pounds to put the Riders up 15-0.

Caesar Rodney’s Craig Dixon (left) and Smyrna’s Tyree Heath square off in their 138 pound match Wednesday night. Heath won by a pin in 311. Photo by Benny Mitchell

The Eagles responded with a pair of pins by Christopher Kearny (215) in 1:21 and Chi Chi Eule (285) in :19 closing the gap to 15-12 in favor of the Riders.

As the lightweights rolled around the match became a seesaw battle as the two teams went back and forth. Alex McEvoy extended Caesar Rodney’s lead with a 20-5 technical fall at 106 pounds, but the Eagles’ Warren Coates responded with an 8-6 upset win over Cole Moffett at 113 pounds. Coates jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first period and then held off Moffett who rallied for five points in the second period.

Nick Moore got a pin for the Riders at 120 pounds to extend the lead to 26-15 before the most anticipated match of the night where the top two wrestlers in the state at 126 pounds in the RIders Trevor Copes and the Eagles Qwantez Watkins.

Watkins scored a takedown in the first and then another in the third period for a 5-2 decision. The two wrestlers have each won a match over the other this season.

Nate Moore responded with a pin at 132 pounds for Caesar Rodney increasing their lead to 32-18. The twin brothers recorded pins for Riders following a pair of upset losses.

“They (Moore’s) have done nothing but go out there and work hard for the team. They both got pins for us tonight especially after we lost a couple of matches we were probably favored to win and they went out there and got bonus for the team,” Mitchell said.

Tyree Heath got Smyrna back on the board with a pin at 138 pounds before both Jaxson Kopp (144) and Cody Waski (150) received forfeits for the Riders.

Smyrna falls to 7-9 overall and 3-3 in the Henlopen North. The Eagles will travel to Milford Friday night to take on the Buccaneers at 7:00pm.

Caesar Rodney will host defending Division II state champion Caravel on Friday night with a start time of 6:00pm.