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Alvarenga Becomes Fourth Keydet to Post Multiple 30-win seasons
LYNCHBURG, Va.- The VMI wrestling team made a late run, but the damage had already been done as Liberty took control by winning five of the first six bouts, including three by pin, as the Flames claimed a 30-13 victory and wrapped up an undefeated home slate in their first season back on the mats since the program was discontinued in 1994.
The Flames took a decision at 125, as Christian Smith defeated VMI's Jonathan Pope 13-8 to take the 3-0 lead. Wrestling up a weight, Keydet freshman Lance Long was pinned at the 1:35 mark at 133 by Sam Walters, while Tim Harner claimed another six points for the hosts by pinning Brandon Franklin at the 2:05 mark of the 141 match.
Senior Sam Alvarenga got the Keydets on the board and claimed his 30th win of the season with a 7-4 decision at 149, becoming only the fourth VMI wrestler to post multiple 30-win seasons in their career. Alvarenga is now alone in fifth place in career victories at VMI, sporting a 108-43 mark, including a 30-6 record this season.
With the match score standing at 15-3, Liberty tacked on six more points at 157, when Shaun Smith pinned Vince Cole 5:26 into the match, before the Flames' Chad Porter was awarded a forfeit victory at 165, giving the Flames a commanding 27-3 advantage.
The Keydets fought back over the next three matches, with John Burton winning his third match in his last four outings, defeating Joseph Son 12-9 at 174. Corry Murray improved to 21-10 on the year with an 11-2 major decision at 184, followed by a 6-2 decision by Kyle Elgert, wrestling up two weights at 197, against Rory Bosek.
The final match of the night saw the Flames tack on their sixth victory of the evening, as Patrick Walker took a thrilling 3-1 decision against Leon Barrow.
The meeting was the tenth all-time between the Keydets and Flames on the mats, as Liberty took their fifth in a row and eighth overall.
The Keydets wrap up the regular season on Sunday afternoon, taking on The Citadel and North Carolina in a tri-meet in Charleston, S.C., beginning at Noon.
Liberty 30, VMI 13
125 – Christian Smith (LU) dec. Jonathan Pope (VMI), 13-8 – LU 3-0
133 – Sam Walters (LU) fall Lance Long (VMI), 1:35 – LU 9-0
141 – Tim Harner (LU) fall Brandon Franklin (VMI), 2:05 – LU 15-0
149 – Sam Alvarenga (VMI) dec. Aaron Kelley (LU), 7-4 – LU 15-3
157 – Shaun Smith (LU) fall Vince Cole (VMI), 5:26 – LU 21-3
165 – Chad Porter (LU) wins by forfeit – LU 27-3
174 – John Burton (VMI) dec. Joseph Son (LU), 12-9 – LU, 27-6
184 – Corry Murray (VMI) major dec. Chris Daggett (LU), 11-2 – LU 27-10
197 – Kyle Elgert (VMI) dec. Rory Bosek (LU), 6-2 – LU 27-13
HWT – Patrick Walker (LU) dec. Leon Barrow (VMI), 1-0 – LU 30-13
Quote from VMI Message board
"Losing to Liberty (ugh!) is bad enough. But 30-13 is really bad. And
to a program that just fielded its first team since 1994...Come on...!"
Liberty Finish Home Slate Undefeated At Home With 30-13 Victory Over VMI
LYNCHBURG, Va. - In another milestone for Liberty during its return season to the mats, the Flames capped off their 2006-07 home schedule with a 30-13 victory over VMI, Thursday evening, in the Vines Center to finish the year undefeated at home with a 5-0 record on the Mountain.
With the victory, the Flames raise their dual match record to 16-7 in their first season back in action since 1994 as the program was reinstated after a 12-year hiatus. The loss drops the Keydets dual record to 5-7 on the year.
The night was a special evening for all as the Founders' Circle was honored before the match. The group played an instrumental part in the return of wrestling to Liberty and several donors to the cause were recognized for their financial support in helping bring back a program which excelled for 20 seasons.
From 1974-94, the wrestling program was one of the premier athletics programs at Liberty as the Flames' grapplers excelled at all levels. Liberty won five-straight NCCAA national championships (1977-81) and was one of the first athletics teams to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
In total, the Flames finished a 20-year span of wrestling with a cumulative 180-101-6 record and had 42 athletes earn All-America honors at various levels, including 22 NCCAA All-Americans, four NAIA All-Americans and 16 NCAA Division II All-Americans.
Following the pre-match presentation, the excitement continued for the Flames on the mats as well as Christian Smith opened up with a 13-8 decision over Jonathan Page at 125 pounds.
Sam Walters kept things going for Liberty with the first of two-consecutive first-period pins as Walters pinned Lance Long (1:35) at 133 pounds. Tim Harner tied for team-high honors on the year by picking up his 12th win by fall at 2:05 over Brandon Franklin at 141 pounds, giving Liberty a 15-0 lead.
VMI finally found its way onto the scoreboard as Sam Alvarenga scored four of his seven points in the first and took advantage of some riding time to pick up a 7-4 decision over Aaron Kelley at 149 pounds.
Shaun Smith gained control of the match at 157 pounds early, leading 4-1 after the first and then ended the match in the second, picking up Liberty third and final win by fall (5:26) over Vince Cole.
The Keydets were unable to field a competitor at 165 pounds, giving Liberty's Chad Porter the win by forfeit and the Flames a sizeable 27-3 edge.
VMI attempted to get back into the match by winning the next three weight classes, starting with a 12-9 decision win in favor of John Burton over Joseph Son at 174 pounds.
Corry Murrary kept things going for the Keydets at 184 pounds, picking up an 11-2 major decision win over Chris Daggett, while Kyle Elgert used three points late in the match to hold off Rory Bosek at 197 pounds for a 6-2 decision, narrowing the margin to 14, 27-13.
However, Patrick Walker closed out the night by thrilling the crowd of 892 as a two-point takedown with 50 second left in the match, enabled him to gain a hard-fought 3-1 decision over Leon Barrow at heavyweight and end the evening's match.
Three Flames extended personal winning streaks on the evening as Harner's fall gave him his 11th-straight win. Walker's 3-1 decision pushed his personal winning streak to nine straight, while Smith's match-opening 13-8 victory gave the junior his seventh-consecutive victory.
The Flames will close out their regular-season schedule next Wednesday when they travel to Greensboro, N.C., to squad off against the Spartans of UNC Greensboro. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
had our friends from the VMI "board" stopped by they may have had a better idea what they are up against.
the newly revived program may be young- but Liberty has a storied tradition of wrestling success and is NOT a program to be taken lightly.
I am quite sure Coach Castro is deadly serious about re-establishing a winning tradition and VMI and their ilk is but one of the first rungs on the ladder we are racing up.
(felt like being arrogant today )
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
stopped by they may have had a better idea what they are up against.
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- By TH Spangler
- By Ill flame
- By jmclaughlin
- By olldflame