Wrestling Match Day Live Blog: State vs. UNC

Live updates and analysis from tonight's top-10 battle between the third-ranked Wolfpack and eighth-ranked Tar Heels.
Wrestling Match Day Live Blog: State vs. UNC
Wrestling Match Day Live Blog: State vs. UNC /

It's a big deal anytime NC State and North Carolina get together on the field of competition. But tonight, there's more of a buzz than usual.

For the first time ever in the rivalry between the Triangle schools, their wrestling teams will face off against one another with both ranked among the nation's top 10.

The undefeated Wolfpack (12-0) is currently No. 3 while the 11-1 Tar Heels check in at No. 8. A big, energized crowd is on hand here at Reynolds Coliseum to see if State can extend its winning streak against UNC to seven, dating all the way back to 2012.

With the strength of the Wolfpack coming in the middle of its lineup, a key to this match will be the first two bouts. If Jakob Camacho at 125 and fellow redshirt freshman Jarrett Trombley at 133 can get their team off to a good start, it's going to be a fun night for the guys in red and white. If they can't, it's game on.

They're about ready to hit the mat, so make sure to check in frequently for live updates and analysis:

125

State's Jakob Camacho vs. UNC's Joey Melendez

The Wolfpack wanted to get off to a fast start and after getting put to the mat early, Camacho gains control and scores a takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Melendez then escapes for a point of his own ...

With 30 seconds to go in the first period, Melendez again puts Camacho in trouble. But time runs out before he can score. 

After 1 period: Camacho 2, Melendez 1

Melendez takes the bottom to start the second period and Camacho immediately gains control and builds up valuable riding time. He's over a minute already ...

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After the wrestlers go out of bounds, Camacho makes a strong move from behind to put Melendez back on the mat. But he escapes just before the period ending buzzer and it's all tied at 2 going into the decisive third period.

Camacho is on the bottom ...

And he gets a reversal almost immediately to to back ahead ... after another Melendez escape, it's now 4-3 ... 

And another takedown, followed by an escape. Camacho up 6-4 with time running out 

Camacho, with riding time added on, wins 9-4 and the Wolfpack is off the the start it wanted --- 

State 3, UNC 0

133 

State's Jarrett Trombley vs. UNC's Jaime Hernandez

Neither wrestler was able to gain an advantage during the first period and it ends scoreless ...

Trombley will start the second period on top ...

Hernandez nearly gets out, but Trombley was saved by a whistle ... But now Hernandez gets out for a 1-0 UNC lead ...

Looks like there's some blood on the mat, so there's a timeout with five seconds left in the period while it gets cleaned up ...

End of 2: Hernandez 1, Trombley 0

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Trombley starts the third period on bottom and immediately gets to his feet. But Hernandez regains control ...

Time running out on Trombley ...

The State wrestler appeared to have a reversal as time expired, but in all the noise, it's not clear if it happened in time .... officials are reviewing it now ...

Call stands ... Hernandez wins the match 1-0.

Match tied: State 3, UNC 3

141

State's Tariq Wilson vs. UNC's Zach Sherman

This could be a pivotal match. Both wrestlers are nationally ranked. Wilson is No. 11, Sherman is No. 10 ...

As was the case in the previous match, neither wrestler was able gain an advantage through the opening two minutes.

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Wilson will be on the bottom as the second period begins, scoreless ...

Wilson with a quick escape to take a 1-0 lead ...

Wilson nearly gets a takedown, but takes Sherman out of bounds before he can complete the move ...

Sherman tries to shoot, but Wilson counters and has the UNC wrestler in serious trouble. But again, the clock works against the Wolfpack and it runs out before Wilson can get the two points or the pin ...

Wilson is up to start the third ... and up 1-0 ...

Sherman gets a stall warning, then Wilson momentarily puts him on his back  ..... and now he does get him there to score two points ... Wilson leads 3-0 with 30 seconds left ....

Riding time accumulating ...

Two more back points for Wilson. Only the horn saves Sherman from getting pinned.. HUGE performance by Tariq Wilson who gestures to the crowd to get loud ... 

He wins 5-0 to put State back ahead in the match

State 6, UNC 3

149

Redshirt freshman Mat Grippi gets the nod over redshirt sophomore A.J. Leitten at 149 to go against UNC's Austin O'Connor ...

And just 11 seconds into the match, O'Connor comes up lame. Not sure if it's a cramp or he twisted a knee, but he's in a lot of pain and trainers are tending to him ...

Must have been a cramp, because O'Connor is going to continue ....

Match restarts with Grippi in the down position ... And the Wolfpack wrestler quickly escapes, then takes O'Connor down for a 3-0 lead ...

O'Connor with an escape ... 3-1 

Fan in the stands here at Reynolds yells for Grippi to "Sweep the leg!" Sure, why not ...

After one period, Grippi holds a 3-1 lead ...

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Grippi starts the second in the down position ... And scores an escape to increase his lead to 4-1 ...

O'Connor with a two-point takedown as they go out of bounds to narrow the gap to 4-3 ... But Grippi immediately escapes to make it 5-3 with a minute to go in the period ...

By the way, UNC's O'Connor is ranked No. 3 in the country. Grippi is unranked. This would be a huge upset and put the Wolfpack securely in the driver's seat with the Hidlay's still to come if it holds up ...

And O'Connor scores another takedown with just three seconds left in the period. They go to the final two minutes all tied at 5 ...

Grippi on top ...

O'Connor with an escape to take a 6-5 lead ...

Grippi shoots, but they go out of bounds before he can do any damage. Time runs out. O'Connor holds on to win 6-5. Match tied with the meat of State's lineup coming up ...

State 6, UNC 6

157

State's Hayden Hidlay vs. UNC's A.C. Headlee

Hidlay, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation, comes out blazing and gets a takedown and two back points right out of the box for a quick 4-0 lead. Headlee, who'r ranked 15th nationally, escapes to make it 4-1 and now UNC is challenging the back points. They're reviewing it now ...

The call and the back points stand ... Hidlay up early ...

Fans not happy with Headlee ... chanting "stalling" ... but the first period ends with Hidlay still ahead 4-1 ...

Finally, a stalling warming on Headlee ... 

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End of two periods and it's still 4-1 ...

Hidlay in the down position, which allow him to get an escape for a 5-1 lead. And now the match is stopped because Headlee is bleeding ...

Hidlay gets tired of the stalling, takes a shot and gets a takedown ... followed by an escape. It's now 7-2 Hidlay ...

Finally, with three seconds left in the match, the ref calls Headlee for stalling and awards points to Hidlay, who improves to 24-1 this season with a 9-2 win.

State 9, UNC 6

 165

Tyler Barnes for State vs. UNC's Kennedy Monday

Monday out in a hurry, with two quick takedowns. Barnes, who is wrestling in place of 10th-ranked Thomas Bullard, has a pair of escapes, so it's 4-2 in favor of the UNC wrestler, who's ranked No. 16. ...

Monday has been dominant thus far. He just recorded his third takedown of the opening period. Barnes escapes and now trails 6-3 ...

Just before the end of the period, Monday gets another takedown ... He then starts the second period with an escape, another takedown and back points and is in complete control at 16-5 ...

Two more points for Monday and it's 18-5 ...

 Two minutes left for Barnes to get something done. He's going to need a lightning bolt here to save the bonus points ...

But it's not happening. Monday gets a takedown early in the third period and gets a technical fall in an upset ... 22-5 to put UNC ahead. Not sure why Bullard didn't wrestle, but the bottom line is that it's anybody's match now. ...

UNC 10, State 9

174 

State's Daniel Bullard vs. UNC's Clay Loutt

As was the case in the previous match, UNC off to a quick start with two takedowns. Two State escapes makes it 4-2 ...

This is actually Bullard, by the way ...

End of 1, Loutt still ahead 4-2. Bullard starts the second in the down position ... 

Bullard trying to escape, but gets thrown back to the mat twice before finally earning the point ... it's now 4-3 Loutt ...

Bullard nearly gets a takedown and is still in control. Now he gets the two points as they go out of bounds. Bullard now ahead 5-4 with 11 seconds left in the period ...

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End of two. Bullard will enter the final 2 minuts up by a point ... they start the third in the neutral position ...

After a slow start, Bullard is now exerting his will on Loutt. Two point takedown increases his lead to 7-4 ...

Stall warning UNC ...

Bullard has Loutt down, with his face pressed to the mat as time runs out ... Nice come-from-behind win by the Wolfpack wrestler, who wins 7-4 ...

State 12, UNC 11

184

State's third-ranked Trent Hidlay vs. UNC's Joey Mazzara

Hidlay wastes little time with a takedown to go up 2-0 ... This is one the Wolfpack figures to win. Just a matter of how big ...

Mazzara keeps looking for the edge of the mat to stay out of trouble. It's only a matter of time before he gets called for stalling ...

Escape ... Hidlay leads 2-1 .... but immediately tacks two more points on for a takedown ... as they go out of bounds (again) ...

Another escape ... 4-2 ...

A stall warning, followed by a takedown makes it 6-2 Hidlay ...

Hidlay starts the second in the down position and gets an escape to increase his lead to 7-2 ...

Stalling called on Mazzara, point to Hidlay for an 8-2 advantage ...

End of two periods ... Hidlay starts in the up position and immediately allows Mazzara to escape so he could talk him down. The exchange ups the State wrestler's lead to 10-3 ...

Another escape and take down makes it 12-4 ...

Mazzara doing everything he can to not give up a bonus point here. And he succeeds. Hidlay wins the match 14-5 ...

State 16, UNC 11

They just announced that tonight's attendance of 4,384 is an NC State record at Reynolds Coliseum ...

197

State's Nick Reenan, who's ranked 20th nationally, can put the wraps on this one by beating UNC's Brandon Whitman ...

Whitman with a takedown and Reenan is in trouble late in the first period. He survives and trails 2-0 after one period ...

Reenan concedes the escape to start in the neutral position. UNC's lead up to 3-0 ...Now it's 5-0 as Whitman takes Reenan down hard ...

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Stall warning on Reenan ...

Barring a dramatic reversal of fortune here, it looks like we might be coming down to a winner-take-all match at 285 ...

Stalling point for Whitman, who now leads 6-0 ...

End of two and Reenan is in a heap of trouble ... 

Third starts in the neutral position ...

This one is going to end quietly ... Reenan gets shut out 7-0 and the final match of the night is going to decide this one. As it should with two top 10 teams ...

State 16, UNC 14

285

UNC fans in the corner behind the Tar Heel bench start chanting Tar ... Heels, but are quicky drowned out by the State band ....

State's Deonte Wilson vs. UNC's Andrew Gunning for all the marbles ...

Wilson tries to shoot at the legs, but loses his footing. But he's able to get up without any damage ...

Wilson was the aggressor for most of the first period, but neither wrestler was able to score ... Headed to the second period with Wilson on the bottom ...

Escape puts the Wolfpack wrestler up 1-0 ...

Both big men are much more active this period ... as they chase each other out of bounds ...

Looked like Wilson got a takedown with eight seconds left in the period, but Gunning was ruled to be out of bounds. They're reviewing the call ...

Call reversed ... two points for Wilson, who takes a 3-0 lead ... Big escape by Gunning in the final eight seconds. But Wilson leads 3-1. State two minutes away from a seventh straight win against the Tar Heels ...

Wilson had Gunning in trouble, but the UNC wrestler gets out of it to score a point and narrow Wilson's lead to 3-2 ...

Wilson finishes strong, gets a takedown late and wins 5-2. 

Wolfpack stays undefeated, beats UNC again ...

Final: State 19, UNC 14


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