The Eagles close out Thursdays dual with four straight six-point wins
Centennials wrestling team used a perfect finish to knock off Gresham 44-26 on Thursday night, taking the inside track for second place in the Mount Hood Conference dual season.
The Eagles overcame a nine-point deficit midway through the dual, tying the score 26-26 after Austin Jackson secured a cradle hold for a second-round pin at 182 pounds.
That set the stage for teammate Ryan Ybarra, who was giving up 20 pounds to Greshams Brian Salgado in the next bout. The two battled back and forth through the first two rounds with a pair of stalling penalties costing Salgado three valuable points.
Ybarra went into the last two-minute session with a 9-8 lead.
He wouldnt need much time to finish the bout.
Salgado attempted a quick roll in search of a tying escape point, but the move left his side exposed and Ybarra pounced.
I knew once his arm went up that was my chance, Ybarra said. I got in there and synched him up.
Within 10 seconds, the referee slapped the mat awarding the pin.
Centennials Alex Thavongsack followed with the quickest fall of the night, needing just 20 seconds to end his 220-pound match. The six-point victory clinched the dual victory for the Eagles, heading into the heavyweight match, which Gresham chose to forfeit.
Look for extended dual coverage, including a complete list of weight-class winners, in the Tuesday, Jan. 29, print edition.
View a photo gallery of the dual at
http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/jan24cnt-gre_wrestling