Arkansas Wrestle
(All images via obutigers.com)
ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita junior 285-pounder BK Seago came through in the clutch Wednesday night, slamming the door shut with a first-period pin to lift the Tigers past Drury 23-18 inside the Sturgis Physical Education Center for a thrilling home win that came down to the final bout.
Top-ranked 133-pounder senior Jimmy Anderson made a statement to even the score with a 16-0 technical fall over Drury’s Deagan Fugitt. Anderson opened the match transitioning a slick low single into a dump for the first takedown, then exploded in the second period by piling up nine straight points on a reversal and two near-fall sequences before forcing the stoppage whistle in 4:28.
At 149 pounds, junior Caleb Andrews controlled the tempo to grind out a 6-3 decision against Mason Knight. Andrews was a hammer and worked relentlessly from the top position, cranking Knight’s arm like a lever and threatening to manuever into a spladle to maintain control and force Knight to concede position.
Junior 165-pounder Sam Schmidt delivered the first pin for the Tigers by flipping Drury’s Tai Koyama to his back while running an arm bar midway through the second period to give the Tigers their first lead 14-12. Freshman Ethan Day followed up with a key win at 174 pounds, using a slick duck under to score early before countering with a reattack in the first period to earn a 7-2 decision over Drury’s Jeremiah Halter.
Drury retaliated with consecutive wins at 184 and 197 to momentarily take an 18-17 lead, setting the stage for a heavyweight showdown for all the marbles. With the dual meet on the line and the crowd on its feet, Seago landed an early takedown and flattened Tennison with a pancake to to clinch the dual and send the SPEC into a frenzy.
The No. 25 Tigers return to the mat Saturday on a road trip to compete in the Viking Open, hosted by Carl Albert State at the Mick Thompson Fieldhouse in Poteau, Okla.
