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Raiders clinch 32nd consecutive winning season, but lose nightcap By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune ASHLAND - Southern Oregon devoured its appetizer but couldn't quite stomach the main course in NAIA wrestling Saturday at McNeal Pavilion. The third-ranked Raiders secured their NAIA-record 32nd consecutive winning season with a 29-8 victory over ninth-ranked Pacific in an afternoon match but fell far from completing a sweep as fourth-ranked Montana State-Northern dominated in the nightcap, 27-10. The loss was SOU's first at home to an NAIA team since November 1969. Particularly disappointing for SOU was the fact that the Raiders had Saturday's match with the Lights circled on their calendar for months. "We really wanted that one," said SOU sophomore Mike Whitehead. "That was really frustrating, but we have to pull together and regroup and get the job done over the next few weeks. We just didn't have it tonight." Relishing a chance to see what level the defending NAIA champion Raiders were at with a month to go in the season, SOU didn't quite get the answer it was looking for as the five-time NAIA champs from Montana proved to be more intense and technically more sound on the mat. "We wanted to come out a winner, but we learned some lessons tonight," said seventh-year SOU coach Mike Ritchey. "I'd rather learn them here than at the national meet. I'm disappointed in the result, not in the effort." Montana State-Northern won seven of the 10 matches and improved to 12-0 in dual meets this season. SOU dropped to 6-3 in duals. Whitehead, ranked No. 2 at 285 pounds, helped slow down the Lights' momentum in the third match of the night with an 11-1 major decision over seventh-ranked Matt Carter. The former state champion from Crater High pushed Carter around for the entire match and livened up a crowd of 450 that had just seen two other top SOU wrestlers, eighth-ranked Abe Haddon (184) and sixth-ranked Mike Sills (197), come up short in their matches. "Whitehead dominated his kid," said Ritchey. "He kind of got things rolling for us, but we couldn't keep it going." SOU junior Nolan Harris pulled his team within one point at 8-7 with a 3-2 decision over Andy Thompson at 125. Harris found room to grab one of Thompson's legs with 15 seconds to go in his match, then swept Thompson's other leg to take a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately for the Raiders, not much else went their way over the next few matches as only Colin Murphy at 141 was able to come out on top. Murphy, ranked No. 5, edged seventh-ranked Eric Dunmire, 4-2. "They were the more aggressive team, and that's why they won," said Ritchey. "We were flat-footed and didn't get the job done. On their feet they had control of us more than we had control of them, and that was a factor." Another factor in the shocking dismantling of SOU was the fact that the Lights were able to steal a few matches that heading in, ninth-year coach David Ray felt his team would struggle in. "I was really concerned with 149, 157 and 165, but they all came through," said Ray, who wasn't particularly pleased with his team despite the outcome. "I really don't think we wrestled very well. We're going to go back and learn what we can do better to dominate." Montana's Dustyn Azure provided the biggest upset of the night, walking through a door left open by fourth-ranked Ryan Henry for a pin in 38 seconds at 157 pounds. "That hurt us," said Ritchey. "We were expecting to win that match. That was a 12-point swing, and if we get the momentum from that one, then those other two final matches, we might hang in there and pull out. That was kind of a heartbreaker there." Henry got caught holding a move a little too long, ended up with his head trapped under Azure, and after the Montana sophomore pulled Henry's ankles high, it was over. "You've got to have a feel for that," said Ritchey. "You just can't let that happen. Once he got his head trapped and I saw his head go under, that was it." For his part, no one was more surprised by the outcome than Henry. "I didn't even know I was pinned," said the SOU sophomore. "I was in shock. I should have been trying to stalemate it out, but I also shouldn't have gotten in that position. It was a mistake, but whatever doesn't break you, makes you stronger." TEAM SCORE - Montana State-Northern 27, Southern Oregon 10. 184 - Tyson Thivierge, MSU, tech. fall Abe Haddon, 20-4 (5:59); 197 - Emmett Wilson, MSU, dec. Mike Sills, 5-2; 285 - Mike Whitehead, SOU, major dec. Matt Carter, 11-1; 125 - Nolan Harris, SOU, dec. Andy Thompson, 3-2; 133 - Caleb Schaeffer, MSU, dec. Jordan Ottow, 6-4. 141 - Colin Murphy, SOU, dec. Eric Dunmire, 4-2; 149 - Bobby Mantle, MSU, major dec. Shannon Slover, 22-8; 157 - Dustyn Azure, MSU, pinned Ryan Henry, :38; 165 - Kyle Klonzios, MSU, dec. Chris Huntley, 8-6 OT; 174 - Kyle Fisher, MSU, dec. Brian Wilson, 9-2. TEAM SCORE - Southern Oregon 29, Pacific 8. 184 - Abe Haddon, SOU, dec. Ryan Jones, 5-2; 197 - Wes Balensifer, SOU, major dec. Ben Reinhard, 14-6; 285 - Mike Whitehead, SOU, dec. Jon Small, 3-1 OT; 125 - Kahaa Rezantes, P, dec. Marc Harris, 8-4; 133 - Jordan Ottow, SOU, dec. Garrett Miyake, 6-1. 141 - Colin Murphy, SOU, major dec. Guy Delumeau, 12-4; 149 - Shannon Slover, SOU, dec. Aaron Heinberger, 10-4; 157 - Troy Hall, P, match termination Dennis Harada, 19-1; 165 - Chris Huntley, SOU, pinned Anthony Lindoff, 3:09; 174 - Brian Wilson, SOU, dec. Sam Baumer, 6-5. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.