Villa Park avenges setback

VILLA PARK – It was reversal of fortunes Wednesday night between Century League rivals El Dorado and Villa Park's wrestling teams.

Last season, El Dorado defeated Villa Park on the last match of the dual.

The top-ranked Spartans returned the favor Wednesday.

Villa Park, which trailed 28-15 with three matches remaining, won the final three including Ryan Walker's victory by fall in the last match of the dual (170) to pull out the 29-28 triumph over the eighth-ranked Golden Hawks.

The dual started at 182 pounds.

"It was pressure being the last match," Walker said. "I had to get the six points for us to win. It was a lot of pressure, but I had to do what I had to do."

Walker nearly had the pin in the first period against Eric Aparicio, had to settle for a takedown and a three-point near fall.

"Coaches told me to go out and wrestle my match and work my stuff," Walker said. "I had to go for a throw. I was trying to get the pin early, but he (Aparicio) fought out."

Walker would eventually seal the dual with a fall in the second period.

The dual wasn't without a bit of controversy.

Matt Brislawn's (Villa Park) technical fall victory at 152 narrowed the score to 28-20. However, during the 160-pound match, El Dorado was deducted a team point when the referee spotted an El Dorado wrestler on the bench with his singlet straps down.

That made the score 27-20. At 160, Villa Park's Anthony Edery picked up a decision victory, making the score 27-23, heading into Walker's final match.

At the end of the match, the deducted point was added back to El Dorado's point total.

"I thought we would have to have a perfect night to beat them and we almost did," El Dorado coach Steve Lawson said.

Villa Park led 12-6 after the first four matches. El Dorado won three of the next four to take a 16-15 lead. The lead increased thanks to Matt Castillo's overtime victory at 132, R.J. Price's pin at 138 and Jesse Urita's 7-2 victory over 145 to give El Dorado a 28-15 lead.

"I was nervous," Villa Park coach Aaron Cross said of the deficit. "They (El Dorado) wrestle so tough. We had some opportunities to win matches at a couple of weights, but couldn't cash it in."

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com