Central stings Cape and Smyrna for state wrestling title

What becomes of the broken-hearted on Valentine’s Day? They get rolled up in the celebration like sweaty wrestling mats at the DIAA Dual Meet State Championships.

Sussex Central and Milford were the heartbreakers who wouldn’t back down Feb. 14 in Smyrna. Both teams were flickering lights that shined brightly at the end of the night. The Golden Knights beat Cape 28-26 in the semifinals when Central’s Brandon Bautista edged Cory Lawson 4-3 for a win by decision in the final bout.

But the real shocker was Sussex Central beating Smyrna 32-30 in the finals on consecutive wins by Bautista and Blake Chambers to win the state championship and send coach Phil Shultie and his sidekick Chip Illian off to sunset beach with their second state championship and first since 2008.

Shultie and Bautista stood side by side against the wall exhausted after the dramatic win over Cape. Coach was shaking his head, “No, I don’t know how much more of this fun I can take,” and Bautista nodding “Yes,” because he knew it would come down to him and Lawson and likely be decided by a single point.  

In the Division II finals, Milford trailed Indian River 30-15 with four bouts remaining, but surged back to a 33-30 victory and their fourth straight Division II state title.

The crazy good and competitive Henlopen Conference teams will compete at the Henlopen Conference tournament Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18, at Sussex Central High School in Georgetown.

“We needed bonus points and we need more pins,” said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. “The wrestling was tremendous from both teams.”

Central/Cape results

170 - Blake Chambers (Central) over Christopher Handlin (Cape) win by decision 14-8

182 - Lucas Hudson (Central) over Holden Kammerer (Cape) win by decision 3-1

195 - Brock Maloomian (Cape) over Michael Wright (Central) win by decision 10-7

220 - Johnny Morris (Central) over William Ott (Cape) win by decision 3-1

285 - Zackery Flores (Cape) over Mario Santizo (Central) win by decision 6-0

106 - Javon Saffold (Central) win by forfeit 

113 - Yony Morales (Central) over Keith Harmon (Cape) win by pin 0:31

120 - Anthony Caruso (Cape) over Junior Perez (Central) win by major decision 17-5

126 - Rashad Stratton (Central) over Andre Currie (Cape) win by major decision 15-3

132 - Maxwell Norquest (Cape) over Brandon Greenlee (Central) win by pin 5:36

138 - Vincent Diego (Cape) over Drew Morris (Central) win by decision 7-2

145 - Ezekiel Bean (Cape) over Tyler Bunting (Central) win by decision 7-2

152 - Dante Jacquet (Cape) over Max Tolson (Central) win by major decision 18-7

160 - Brandon Bautista (Central) over Cory Lawson (Cape) win by decision 4-3.