Bryson City – It was simple enough Thursday when Swain hosted Robbinsville, the winner would get the 2nd place team dual spot from the Smoky Mountain Conference. What was at stake may have been simple enough, but the match between the old SMC foes was anything but simple. The two engaged in an instant classic from start to finish. Robbinsville bolted out to a strong start, the Devils fought back and then held on to take a 33-31 win.
The match started at the lowest weight class, the 106. From there the Black Knights took the first 6 straight weight classes and built a 28-0 lead over the Devils. In the 145 pound weight class Swain’s Dawson Lowe scored a huge win. Lowe earned a 3-2 decision by scoring in the late in the match to take the win. Lowe’s thrilling win got the large pro Maroon Devil crowd going and effectively swung the momentum over to Swain.
If Lowe’s win was not enough to swing the tide, Chris Miller would provide another huge spark in the 152 class. Miller made short work of his man earning a pin that made the score 28-9.
Miller and Lowe may have got things going but it was Dwight Winchester in the 160 class that sent the Devils over the edge. Trailing in the match itself, Winchester scored a thrilling reversal and was able to pin his man. Robbinsville protested the win, saying their man did not have his shoulders to the mat. After a long pause and much discussion between the coaches and official, the Winchester win stood and Swain cut the Robbinsville lead to 28-15.
Swain’s two seniors scored wins in the next two classes. Ross Ensley earned a pin in the 170 class. Caleb Woodard followed with a 5-0 decision in the 182 class. With Ensley and Woodard’s wins the Devils cut the lead to 28-24. In the 195 class Will Paul was next up for the Devils. Paul made it six straight wins for the Devils by taking a 3-1 decision.
With only two weight classes remaining the Devils had cut the Black Knights lead to 28-27. Craig Cutshaw put the Devils in front for the first time all night by pinning his man in the second period.
Following the Cutshaw pinfall the Devils went into the final match with a 33-28 lead. In short meaning that it all went down to the final match. Robbinsville had to get a pin in the heavyweight match in order to take a 34-33 win. On the Devils side anything other than a Robbinsville pin, meant a team win.
Corbin Wildcatt took the mat for the Devils in the heavyweight match. Going the distance Wildcatt lost the decision 5-3, but in doing so the Devils secured the match win 33-31.