Braves put up 115 on OC and Buena
That’s more like it.
The Absegami Braves reminded two old rivals who’s boss over the last five days. Last Friday night the Braves were down 18-11 to an Ocean City team that has certainly pushed them hard over the years. They uncorked a wild 37-0 run that buried the Raiders under an avalanche of slapped mats and rapidly blinking scoreboards, whipping them 48-24.
Late Tuesday afternoon old enemy Buena Regional showed up at Absegami looking for trouble. That’s what they got. There was no stirring comeback. The Braves soared to a 38-0 lead and that was that. Gami 67, Buena 12.
Freshman 106er Owen Doyle won the China Sea Restaurant Match of the Day in the Ocean City meet. Doyle lit the fuse on the bomb that blew away the Raiders with a first period pin and began the 37-point wave that left OC on the beach spitting out salt water. The Braves won every match from 106 to 145.
Senior John Devlin had the Pitney Italian Market Fastest Pin of the Day against Ocean City. Devlin rang up six points in just 12 seconds in his match at 126 pounds. Devlin is a veteran Brave. This is his last shot at a trip to states and he appears to be highly focused. Last year his season ended in regional action, certainly no insult. But that’s not what Devlin is after. He wants a spot on the state podium. When you watch him warm up and watch him wrestle you can see how hard he is chasing excellence. It will be fun to see if he can catch it. He has improved significantly every season he has been in brown.
After Doyle lit the fuse Christopher Eaton, Aiden Zeck, Devlin, Julian Rivera, Sean Cowan and Frank Gargione all won their matches. All by pin except Devlin’s 4-0 decision and Zeck’s 11-3 major decision.
And that was that.
If you’re looking for the Braves responsible for the smoking wreck that Buena’s lineup resembled after Tuesday’s gathering you’d better round up the usual suspects. Once again Absegami swept every bout from 106 to 145, including four pins and a technical fall. Round ‘em up and read ‘em their rights. Same guys. Same results.
Frank Gargione won the Training Wheels Driving School Match of the Day against Buena. Gargione, a sophomore who started as a freshman, put the finishing touches on the Braves’ meet-opening 38-point run with a first period pin. A loss there (Buena grabbed 12 points in the next two bouts) may have given the Chiefs some hope. Not today.
Freshman Christopher Eaton had the Absecon Lawn Care Fastest Pin of the Day Tuesday. Eaton smoothed out the competition at 113 nice and flat in just 37 seconds.
Ray Weed added a third-period technical fall at 170. George Rhodes threw a first-period pin on the blaze at 182. Buena forfeited the last three bouts and the Braves, after a sour-tasting opening night loss at Top 20 Delsea, are looking pretty good.
The Three Freshmen at the beginning of the Absegami lineup are a combined 16-2 this season. What Doyle, Eaton and Zeck are doing is very difficult. One freshman doesn’t usually start this strong, let alone three. Perhaps the difference is that, for the last two seasons, all have been wrestling for Absegami coach Shawn Scannell and his expert coaching staff at the Galloway Mustangs youth program. Whatever the reason, Braves’ fans are enjoying it. Visions of having these three —along with fellow frosh winner Julian Rivera and soph star Sean Cowan— in the Gami lineup for years to come are tantalizing.