Edinboro Improves to 2-0 in EWL Action With 40-6 Win Over Clarion
Deonte Penn Wins 100th Match Thanks to 44th Career Fall
January 19, 2007

EDINBORO, PA – The Edinboro University improved to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in Eastern Wrestling League action with a 40-6 win over visiting Clarion on Friday night. The Fighting Scots have now won eight straight dual matches and 26 of their last 27. The loss drops Clarion to 7-6 overall and 0-1 in Eastern Wrestling League competition.

The match got off to a rather inauspicious start for the Fighting Scots, as Clarion’s Toby Seger won by fall over freshman Eric Morrill (Sandown, NH/Timberlane Regional) at 4:19 in the 125 lb. match. A wild first period saw Seger grab a 6-5 lead, with both wrestlers coming up with a pair of takedowns. Seger came up with an escape, and then a takedown leading to the fall in the second period, dropping Morrill’s record to 9-12. Seger’s three takedowns were the only takedowns by Clarion in the match.

Edinboro would win the final nine bouts, however, with six coming with bonus points. That included three falls, the biggest by eighth-ranked Deonte Penn (Solon, OH/Solon). The senior came up with his 100th career win, along with his school-record 44th career fall, with a pin at 4:39 over Mario Morelli at 165 lbs. Penn posted a takedown thirty seconds into the match and rode Morelli the rest of the first period, at one point getting three back points. In a wild sequence typical of Penn, he started the second period with a reversal, only to be reversed by Morelli, before another reversal led to the fall. Penn is now 23-2 this season and 100-41 for his career.

Ricky Deubel (Chagrin Falls, OH/Kenston) and Daryl Cocozzo (River Edge, NJ/River Dell Regional) recorded wins by decision to knot the match at 6-6 following Seger’s fall. Deubel, ranked 18th by InterMat at 133 lbs., was a 7-3 winner over Sal Lascari, giving Deubel a 17-9 record while Lascari fell to 16-7. Deubel came up with three takedowns in what amounted to a methodical win.

Cocozzo, an oncoming freshman who has now won six of his last seven matches, captured a 10-4 decision over Greg Lewis at 141 lbs. He jumped out to a 6-2 lead after one period thanks to a takedown, two back points and a reversal. The second period featured a Lewis reversal, followed by a Cocozzo escape. Cocozzo accounted for all of the scoring in the third period, with an escape, a penalty point for an illegal hold, and a point for riding time. Cocozzo is now 9-9 while Lewis falls to 11-5.

In probably the most anticipated match of the night, fifth-ranked Gregor Gillespie (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) won a 10-2 major decision over Hadley Harrison, a freshman and a former standout at nearby General McLane High School, at 149 lbs. Gillespie didn’t give Harrison a chance for an upset, recording a takedown six seconds into the match and then riding him out the rest of the period. He followed with a takedown and a stalling point in the second period before Harrison came up with an escape. The sophomore came up with one more takedown in the third period, and ended the match with 4:55 in riding time to give Edinboro a 10-6. Gillespie is now 24-1 and 64-5 for his career. Harrison is 14-9.

Matt Hill (Freedom, PA/Freedom) continued his strong wrestling with a 17-0 technical fall over Nick Billups at 157 lbs. The end came at 3:42. Hill, a senior ranked 10th by Amateur Wrestling News and 11th by InterMat, jumped out to an 11-0 lead at the end of one period. He used a takedown and then turned Billups three different times for three back points each time. Starting on top at the beginning of the second period, he used two more near-fall moves for five points and the win. Hill is now 23-1 and will soon join Penn with 100 wins, as he is 96-36.

Phil Moricone (Derry, NH/Pinkerton) celebrated his return to the rankings with an 8-2 decision over Scott Joseph at 174 lbs. Moricone gave up a takedown in the final seconds to lose the major decision, but still improved to 18-6. Ranked 19th by Amateur Wrestling News and 20th by InterMat, he jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one period with a takedown and three back points.

Edinboro’s lead jumped to 30-6 after a forfeit win for Alex Clemsen (Moberly, MO/Moberly) at 184 lbs. Clemsen is now 24-2 this season and 108-33 for his career. Jim Gibson (Hermitage, PA/ Kennedy Catholic) showed he was fully recovered from an illness which forced him to miss the Virginia Duals, picking up a 12-2 major decision over Dixon Jordan at 197 lbs. The senior, now 14-6, registered three takedowns and a had two more points for a near fall.

The match ended with Joe Fendone (Salem, NH/Central Catholic (Mass.)) picking up his sixth fall of the season for an impressive win over A.J. Brooks. The end came at 5:43 after Fendone had jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two periods. The sophomore, ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News, is now 19-5. Brooks dropped to 13-5.

Edinboro returns to action next Saturday, January 27, seeking to defend its title in the PSAC Championships. Bloomsburg is hosting the event.

Rankings: According to InterMat/Amateur Wrestling News

RECORDS: Edinboro 13-1, 2-0 EWL; Clarion 7-6, 0-1 EWL

NOTE: Deonte Penn wins 100th career match and is now 100-41. He also improves his career falls record to 44.

NEXT EDINBORO MATCH: Saturday, January 27 at PSAC Championships