LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock Trojans wrestling team took on a ranked opponent for the first time this evening at the Jack Stephens Center, #17 North Carolina. The final score favored the Tar Heels 35-6, but the Trojans were about to take the first two bouts within the dual.
"We fought tonight," said head coach Neil Erisman. "We fought and out-hustled them and won some matches that on paper were probably weren't supposed to win. I'm proud of my guys and their effort. While we're disappointed in the loss, it's a huge improvement."
RESULTS (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY
Jayden Carson opened up the evening strong for Little Rock at 125 pounds with the first win of the night, a 10-4 decision. The true freshman got the first takedown followed by a two-point near fall in the first period to start ahead. In the third period, he earned two more takedowns and an escape along with a point for riding time.
"My best defense is my offense," said Carson. "I kept shooting and get to my turns and tilts and I knew I needed to get gritty this time."
Paul Bianchi helped the Trojans start off two-for-two with an exciting victory in the next bout at 133 pounds. The junior also earned the first takedown and refused to allow his opponent to do the same to him, coming away with a 5-3 decision.
"I knew if I was taking my shots, he couldn't be taking his," said Bianchi of his strategy. "I had to take control of the match and stay calm and collected."
"It put some fight in our guys," said Erisman of the first two wins in a row. "Jayden made some better choices with his weight the past day or so and it showed. And Paul, he hasn't had an easy match at all yet. He took the fight to his opponent and dictated both the pace and the takedowns."
The next three bouts went to the Tar Heels, but not by much. Conner Ward and Jose Champagne only allowed decisions for North Carolina, while Tyler Brennan held his own against #1 Austin O'Connor despite a major.
Going into the intermission, Little Rock was down by only four, 10-6.
Will Edgar also faced a ranked opponent this evening in #17 Kennedy Monday, only permitting a major decision for the Tar Heel. Dylan Johnson wrapped up the evening for the Trojans by dropping a tight 6-3 decision.
North Carolina picked up 18 points from two pins and a forfeit at heavyweight in the second half to extend most of the gap between the teams.
The Trojans will be on the road all of January, beginning with the Southern Scuffle on January 1 and 2 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The next time Little Rock will be home at the Jack Stephens Center will be Sunday, February 2nd at 2:00 p.m. to face South Dakota State.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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