W: #2 Perry Meridian rallies for 33-29 win over #17 Cathedral

By E. Shawn Aylsworth

Managing Editor

INDIANAPOLIS – No. 2 Perry Meridian not only trailed its Jan. 13 dual meet against visiting 17th-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral heading into the last match, but the Falcons’ sixth-ranked sophomore Jared McKinley had fallen behind 4-1 late in the first period of his 112-pound showdown with Fighting Irish freshman John Hummel.

But quicker than you could say “Holy upset, Batman,” McKinley got Hummel on his back and pinned him at 1:53 (see carousel picture) to give coach Jim Tonte’s Falcons a thrilling 33-29 victory in a seesaw match that had five lead changes, including four in the last six matches.

Each team won seven times, but the Falcons earned a major bonus when third-ranked 152-pound senior Jacob Tonte received the maximum six points with a forfeit. That was part of the plan for Cathedral coach Sean McGinley, who juggled his lineup judiciously in trying to steal a victory.

And it very well might have worked, had Perry Meridian 15th-ranked junior Logan Cooper not upset No. 5 senior Jake Buchanan in a manic matchup at 215. From the down position to start the second period, Cooper hit the trifecta with an escape, takedown, and three-point near fall to take a commanding 6-0 lead into the final period.

Cooper’s subsequent 8-1 win stretched Perry’s precarious lead to 27-23, allowing the Falcons enough room to endure 4-3 and overtime losses at heavyweight and 103 (the meet started at 119) before McKinley’s pin brought the house down and ended the night.

CHECK OUT THE RESULTS AS WELL AS PICTURES AND VIDEOS!!

The individual results:

119: #8 (at 112) Brian Harvey (Cath) major dec. Michael Clem, 13-4 (Cath, 4-0)

125: Jason Simmons (PM), dec. Alex Collignon, 8-2 (Cath, 4-3)

130: #10 John Stringfield (Cath) major dec. Joey Klinesmith, 15-4 (Cath, 8-3)

135: Gino Gillum (Cath) pin Kenny Harris, 2:46 (Cath, 14-3)

140: #14 Kirk Johnson (PM) pin Sam Oskins, 4:23 (Cath, 14-9)

145: #10 Derek Harz (PM) pin Maxx Hamm, 0:58 (PM, 15-14)

152: #3 Jacob Tonte (PM) won by forfeit (PM, 21-14)

160: Austin Niebarger (Cath) dec. Nick Witten, 5-2 (PM, 21-17)

171: #2 (at 160) Tyler Willis (Cath) pin Dearold Brooks, 1:54 (Cath, 23-21)

189: Andre Richards (PM) dec. Casey Devlin, 7-5 (PM, 24-23)