GREAT FALLS, Mont. – UGF Head Wrestling Coach Caleb Schaeffer wasn't expecting to go 2-1 at the 2016 Battle of the Rockies Duals. As usual, as event's scheduler he gave his Argos the tough opponents possible; (4) Oklahoma City, (11) Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), and NCAA Division II (T8) McKendree University (Ill.). Just as they've done all season, Schaeffer's young team exceeded expectations, beating both Oklahoma City (32-10), and Lindsey Wilson (26-20). Against McKendree, the team suffered its first loss of the season, 31-12.
"This is exactly what I wanted to see," Schaeffer said. "We're still not pulling the big upsets yet, but we're winning the 50-50 matches, and winning the ones we should win."
Test number one was the Oklahoma City Stars, a team that beat UGF 37-7 in 2015. This time around UGF had more than 7 points after the first two wrestlers. The start couldn't have been better. UGF's Isaac Wilson squared off against (T16) Mason Naifeh and won by Fall (2:19) after giving up two takedowns early in the first period.
That was followed up by a 10-2 Major Decision from (T16) Clinton Garvin at 133 and UGF was off to the races. The Argos lost just three matches in the dual, and only one of those three cost UGF extra points: a 12-4 Major Decision at 141.
(7) Khaldoon Rashid got the Argos second pin of the day at 165, redshirt-freshman Randy Keesler started what would be a strong overall performance in the event with a 21-6 Technical Fall (5:47). Perhaps two of the most impressive performances came in UGF's two minor decision losses.
At 157, redshirt-freshman Gage Bentley took on (T5) Kristian Holguin-Mendez and recovered from a 12-2 deficit after period 1 to earn five takedowns in a 20-13 loss. Similarly, senior Andreas Geranios wrestled (3) Korey Walker in the heavyweight class and escaped his way to a 7-4 decision.
McKendree proved to be by far the toughest competition of the day, and won all but three matches against the Argos. Keesler and fellow redshirt-freshman Casey Dobson each won a minor decision, though Dobson came close to getting more, winning 10-4 with four takedowns.
The easy highlight of the dual for the Argos was sophomore Matt Hopkins. Throughout most of the season the sophomore has been wrestling at heavyweight in duals for UGF, despite truly being a 197 wrestler, in order to get both he and 197 wrestler John Hensley on the mat. Against McKendree, Hensley got a rest and Hopkins got to prove what he could do against someone his own size.
The result was spectacular, a win by Fall (3:17) against an NCAA DII opponent that accounted for half of UGF's 12 total points in the dual.
"He's just as good as John Hensley, it's just that Hensley can't wrestle heavyweights like Matt can, so Matt gets overshadowed," Schaeffer said of Hopkins. "I'll tell you what, he's a God send – to have someone who can wrestle at either weight and not even blink."
Against Lindsey Wilson, UGF got the benefit of a forfeit at 141. While the dual would've been tied at 20 without those 6 points, the Argo's rally in the final four weight classes would've been even more dramatic, and just as impressive.
Before all the drama began, Garvin got his second win, and first pin of the day, winning by Fall (1:30) at 133 to put UGF up 6-3. The next match was the forfeit, bringing the Argo lead to a seemingly comfortable 12-3.
After losing the next three matches, including a pin at 165, that comfortable lead turned into a 16-12 hole. At 174, Keesler stopped the bleeding, getting his third win of the day, a feat no other Argo could match. His 5-3 Decision win brought UGF within one, but the Blue Raider's best wrestler, (2) Matt Walker earned a Major Decision win at 184 to bring LWC's lead back to five.
That set up the dynamic duo of Hensley and Hopkins to win it for UGF in the final two contests. That was a situation Hopkins felt pretty good about.
"I told John when we were in the same spot against Southern Oregon, that I'd take the odds of me and him bringing up the rear nine times out of 10," Hopkins said. "We're still in that nine."
Hensley put the match in Hopkin's hands to win or lose, tying the score with at 20 all with a 22-4 Technical Fall (6:42) by way of a dominant second and third rounds. Only five total points were scored in period 1 of the 197 match, but in the next two, Hensley earned four takedowns, and three near falls.
That set the table for Hopkins to play the hero, a roll he has already settled into this season. He wasted little time. Neither wrestler had scored when he made his move, brought his large opponent to the ground and didn't let him bac up till the match was over, winning by Fall (1:53).
"With those two closers we know we're right in the dual when we need to be," Schaeffer said. "Its outstanding not know that not only do we have a chance in those situations, but we have a better chance than most teams with those two guys."
While the Argos remain unranked, the team's resume continues to get more and more impressive. UGF's record now sits at 7-1, and the team remains undefeated against NAIA opponents. So far this season the Argos have defeated 5 ranked NAIA teams, including two top-5 teams. Next for UGF will be the open portion of the 2016 Battle of the Rockies, which will start at 9 a.m. at C.M. Russell High School.
