DIAA crowns new Division II wrestling team champ as DMA, Caravel duel

SMYRNA -- Delaware Military Academy threw its weight around Saturday night.

Doing so allowed the Seahawks to sport some statewide supremacy.

DMA won the seven heaviest weight classes in the DIAA Wrestling Team Championships in the Smyrna High gym.

Two started the Division II final against Caravel and five, including three close decisions, ended it as the Seahawks dethroned the 3-time defending champs 36-24.

Coach L.A. Collier knew DMA had the personnel to accomplish such a feat. But performing well in such a pressure-packed, noisy environment is still a challenge and his Seahawks answered it affirmatively.

"I just kinda knew our big guys would come through," said Collier, a state team and individual champ as a late 1990s Saint Mark's wrestler who also coached Hodgson to the 2008 Division II title. "They are just solid.

"I felt like it could have been lopsided going our way or it could be real tight, we could maybe mess it up. But once we got to 157, 165, I felt really good."

DMA trailed 25-18 before winning the last five at 150, 157, 165, 175 and 190 pounds. Charles Perrin's 8-1 decision started the run before Ethan MacDonnell's second-period escape spelled the difference in a 1-0 win at 157. Malcolm Roy then won 4-2 at 165.

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"He just busted his butt to be in this lineup and he wanted to be in that spot," Collier said of MacDonnell. "It was pivotal."

Drew Simpson had an equally formidable task trying to avoid trouble against Caravel's Matthew Duarte but prevailed 3-1 at 175.

"I knew I had to wrestle a smart match," Simpson said. "I knew it was gonna be close. I knew I had to get a win for the team."

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Hayden Moaney's 63-second pin at 190 then unleashed a celebration that Simpson's win had already started.

"All the hard work, every single thing we've done at practice, time after time after time, it gets so repetitive you want to quit so bad," Moaney said. "But it's so worth it."

No. 2-seeded DMA improved to 11-4. Before winning the final five bouts, DMA had opened with state champ Tyler August's win by forfeit at 215, where the match started, Cael DeNigris' 3-0 decision at 285, Gavin Mundy's pin at 130 and Dylan Decollo's 8-1 decision at 132.

Caravel downed DMA 52-15 in the 2022 title match in the Seahawks’ only previous appearance in the finals. The Seahawks had been craving a rematch ever since.

"Every single day since last year, we've been focused on this," Moaney said. "It's finally come true."

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The No. 1-seeded Bucs (9-6) were three-time defending Division II champions, though team titles were decided in the state individual tournament in 2021 due to limitations on competition resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Delaware has determined its state wrestling team champions in a dual-meet format since 1993.

Caravel had plenty of triumphs worth savoring Saturday, especially its first -- Natalie Radecki's rousing pin as the first period came to a close in the 106-pound bout. Appearing as if she may be pinned herself, Radecki slithered out of trouble and then created some for DMA with a fall of her own.

Julian Rexrode's pin at 113, state champ Eddie Radecki's major decision at 145 over the stubborn Alyssa Mahan, state champ Luke Poore's win by forfeit at 138 and Jamar Wells' 5-1 decision at 144 put the Bucs up 25-18 before DMA won the last five bouts. Caravel later had a team point deducted for misconduct.

Caravel and DMA advanced to Saturday night’s championship match with afternoon semifinal wins. DMA won 59-21 over No. 3 Tower Hill (14-5). Caravel prevailed 44-25 against No. 4 Saint Mark’s (10-23)

The tournament began with quarterfinal matches Wednesday in which Caravel downed 8th-seeded Flight B champ McKean 49-21, DMA handled No. 7 Red Lion 56-15, Tower Hill nipped No. 6 Lake Forest 37-36 and Saint Mark’s bounced No. 5-seeded Henlopen South champ Laurel 42-34.

Saint Mark’s was making a satisfying return to the state’s wrestling elite under first-year coach Cameron Butler, a 2016 Maryland state champ who then wrestled for Clarion University. The Spartans were Division I state champions seven times from 1995 through 2010, often with teams that were nationally ranked, and also won five state team titles from 1986-92 in the individual meet.

Championship match

Delaware Military Academy 36, Caravel 24

215-August (DMA) won by forfeit; 285-DeNigris (DMA) dec. Rhoades 3-0; 106-Natalie Radecki (C) pinned Avery 2:00; 113-Rexrode (C) pinned Esterling :48; 120-Eddie Radecki (C) maj. dec. Mahan 14-5; 126-Mundy (DMA) pinned Massey :30; 132-Delcollo (DMA) dec. Canty 8-1; 138-Poore (C) won by forfeit; 144-Wells (C) dec. Williams 5-1; 150-Perrin (DMA) dec. Massey 8-1; 157-MacDonnell (DMA) dec. Saker 1-0; 165-Roy (DMA) dec. Diluzio 4-2; 175-Simpson (DMA) dec. Duarte 3-1; 190-Moaney (DMA) pinned Miller 1:03. (Caravel had one team point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct).

Semifinals

Caravel 44, Saint Mark's 25

190-Miller (C) maj. dec. McKelvey 20-10; 215-Rhoades (C) pinned Kilby :17; 285-Zellman (SM) won by forfeit; 106-Bakhsh (SM) maj. dec. N.Radecki 18-7; 113-Rexrode (C) maj.dec. Till 15-6; 120-E.Radecki (C) dec. Menickella 7-1; 126-Foley (SM) pinned Massey 1:41; Poore (C) pinned Baxley :51; 138-Kosec (C) won by forfeit; 144-Wells (C) pinned Hughes 2:54; 150-Hanna (SM) dec. Saker 4-0; 157-Diluzio (C) dec. Santoro 5-0; 165-Spoor (SM) won by forfeit; 175-Duarte (C) won by forfeit.

Delaware Military 59, Tower Hill 21

190-Moaney (DMA) won by forfeit; 215-August (DMA) won by forfeit; 285-DeNigris (DMA) won by forfeit; 106-Avery (DmA) pinned Browne :37; 113-Lucian (TH) pinned Esterling 1:44; 120-Mundy (DMA) pinned Flynn :48; 126-Delcollo (DMA) pinned Gravuer 1:18; 132-Pratt (TH) pinned Papili 3:32; 138-Williams (DMA) pinned Silliman :47; 144-Duffy (TH) pinned Perrin 4:38; 150-MacDonnell (DMA) pinned Pierce 4:00; 157-Donnelly (TH) dec. Malmgren 5-2; 165-Roy (DMA) pinned Lucian 4:43; 175-Simpson (DMA) won by tech.fall over Nace 18-2.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Caravel, Delaware Military wrestle for DIAA Division II team title