Campus News
November 5th, 2019
Lakers open 2nd mat season by topping Fairmont
Fawley's stunning pin of WVU transfer at 174 secures victory
McHenry, MD – Garrett College opened its second wrestling season in dramatic fashion, rallying from a 22-0 deficit to shock NCAA Division II Fairmont State University, 30-22.
Sophomore Davy Mundey started GC's comeback from the 22-0 deficit with a second-period pin of Fairmont's Dakota McGough at 165 pounds. Freshman 174-pounder Trevor Fawley then provided the upset-within-the-upset, registering a stunning first-period pin over Cade Moisey, a transfer from West Virginia University's wrestling program, that pulled GC within 22-12.
"It's a huge upset," GC head coach John Chambers said of Fawley's win. "I really don't know how to explain it. It's a major upset for a freshman going against a guy who was in a Division I wrestling room. There was a lot of shock and awe as it happened."
Mundey's win, while not as dramatic, was just as impressive.
"Davy looked very smooth and methodical," Chamber said of Mundey, who finished third in the district at 165 pounds last year.
Fairmont forfeited the final three weight classes – to Chris Estrada (184 pounds), Loic Tueguo (197 pounds) and Tanner Clark (285 pounds) – to give the Lakers their season-opening win.
"We thought it would be a pretty even match going in as their strength was definitely in the lower weight classes and our strength was in the upper weights," said Chambers, which he said emphasized the importance of Fawley's win.
GC forfeited the 133-pound match before Fairmont won matches at 141 pounds (Levi Smith over Dakota Lovelace in a third-period pin), 149 pounds (Pat Vega over Tim Stokes, 19-4), and 157 pounds (Devin Hamrick over Austin Dyson, 18-0) to build its 22-0 lead.
Fairmont State just relaunched its wrestling program after a 30-year hiatus, but Chambers said that shouldn't minimize GC's achievement in beating the Falcons.
"They've got a lot of transfer students on their roster from other NCAA schools," Chambers noted. "To beat a Division II scholarship school is a big step for us moving forward. It raises our confidence and shows our guys we can compete at a high level."
The Lakers will next compete at the Averett Cougar Open this Sunday.
