Trailing 19-13 late in the match, the Santa Ana College (SAC) wrestling team came back to defeat visiting Rio Hondo College 25-19 in a South West Conference match. The win improves the Dons to 12-1 on the season while remaining undefeated at 2-0 in conference competition.
125 Pounds
The first match of the night started with little action as Sergio Sanchez (SAC) and Justin Silva (RHC) went into the second period scoreless. It was Sanchez who finally broke the tie with an escape in the early stages of the second.
Silva took his first lead of the match in the final seconds of the second with a takedown, making the score 2-1 going into the third period. Sanchez conceded an escape, giving Silva a 3-1 lead to start the third.
Neither wrestler would score again as Silva held on for the 3-1 victory, giving Rio Hondo a 3-0 match lead. However, the Roadrunners would forfeit at 133-pounds, giving the Dons a 6-3 lead in the match.
141 Pounds
Jacob Depraect (RHC) took Sean Pitoniak (SAC) down in the beginning of the 141-pound match before adding two more points on a near fall to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
Depraect added another near fall to take a 6-0 lead into the second period. Depraect conceded an escape allowing Pitoniak to break the shutout at 6-1. The score quickly extended to 10-2 as Depraect scored two more takedowns with a Pitoniak escape in between.
The score remained 10-2 going into the third before Depraect escaped to extend his lead to 11-2. The two traded escapes and takedowns to end the match with Depraect winning 15-4 to put Rio Hondo up 7-6.
The Roadrunners extended their lead to 13-6 following a forfeit by SAC at 149 pounds.
157 Pounds
Cory Lopez (SAC) opened with a takedown 50 seconds into the first period against Jason French (RHC) to take a 2-0 lead. French answered 40 seconds later with a hard takedown to tie the match at 2-2.
French broke the tie with an escape early in the second but Lopez quickly took him back down to retake the lead at 4-3. French escaped later in the period to tie the match 4-4 going into the third period.
Lopez broke the tie with just under a minute in the third with an escape to take a 5-4 lead. French answered with 30 seconds left with a takedown to take a 6-5 lead before adding another takedown after an escape to win the match 9-6, including riding time.
The win extended the Roadrunners lead in the match to 16-6.
165 Pounds
The first points of the 165-pound match-up belonged to Aaron Lopez (SAC) who scored a takedown on Martin Legaspie halfway through the first period. Lopez would ride Legaspie for the remainder of the period.
Lopez extended his lead to 3-0 with an escape 25 seconds into the second period before scoring another takedown to take a 5-0 lead. After conceding an escape, scored another takedown in the final seconds to go up 7-1 heading into the third period.
After conceding an escape to start the third period, Lopez was awarded a point for stalling to go up 8-2. He followed that with another takedown before conceding another escape to go up 10-3.
Lopez continued to trade takedowns for escapes as he pulled out to a 14-4 lead. Lopez went on to win the match 15-4 to cut Rio Hondo's lead to 16-10.
174 Pounds
Eric Guetterman (SAC) struck first at 174-pounds against Daniel Guzman (RHC) before Guzman scored a reverse to tie the match 2-2. Guetterman broke the tie with an escape to take a 3-2 lead into the second period.
Guetterman extended his lead to 6-2 with a near fall but Guzman quickly scored a reversal to cut the lead to 6-4. Guetterman then scored a reversal of his own to take an 8-4 lead into the final period.
The only points of the third belonged to Guetterman who scored a late escape before winning the match 9-4. The win cut the Roadrunners overall lead to 16-13.
184 Pounds
At 184-pounds, Daniel Allen (RHC) scored a takedown with less than a minute remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead over Carlos Arana (SAC). Allen's 2-0 lead held through the end of the first period as well as the second.
Allen quickly extended his lead to 5-0 with an escape and takedown early in the third period. Allen would go on to win the match 6-0 with riding time, giving Rio Hondo a 19-13 lead with two matches left.
197 Pounds
Aaron Dubois (SAC) quickly erased Rio Hondo's lead when he pinned Matt Lopez (RHC) with 22 seconds left in the first period. The pin tied the match at 19-19 but Rio Hondo forfeited the heavyweight match, giving the Dons the 25-19 win.
