Mat Mocs win twice

Though he's now in his second season, his The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers continue to learn about head coach Heath Eslinger.

They know he takes each of their individual losses to heart but they also have to wonder if he is ever satisfied.

"You can't be a Division I wrestler and get pinned," he said after the Mocs got their first and second wins of the season Sunday at McKenzie Arena.

UTC dropped Liberty University to 3-2 with a 26-16 decision and then extended Cumberland's losing streak to three with a 42-6 win, but the coach's smile of satisfaction was fleeting.

While the Mocs won six of 10 matches against Liberty, picking up bonus points in four of those, Eslinger was well aware of the fact that UTC surrendered bonus points in two of its four losses.

"Bonus points are big in dual meets, and any time you get a pin it's big," he said. "But we have to continue to establish pride and what this (program) represents."

Prescott Garner (125) got the Mocs off to an early lead with a first-period pin and Brandon Wright (165) pushed the Mocs to a 20-10 advantage with four matches to go.

"Bonus points are where you win dual meets," Eslinger emphasized.

Also picking up extra team points were Cody Cleveland (141) and Josh Condon (157) with major decisions. Other first-match winners were Jason McCroskey (184) and Matt Lettner (285).

Liberty's wins came from Joe Panteleo (133), Scott Clymer (149), Chad Porter (174) and Aaron Thompson (197). Panteleo and Clymer picked up extra points for the Flames.

Lettner was one of the day's double-winners, joining Garner, Condon and McCroskey. Cleveland and Wright sat out the Cumberland match. Filling in for Cleveland, Shawn Greevy picked up a pin while Dan Waddell, wrestling in place of Wright at 165, posted a major decision. Other Mocs with one win were Dean Pavlou (149) and Niko Brown (197).

Brown gave up a takedown and two-point near fall in the final 14 seconds of the first period after neutralizing the Flames' Aaron Thompson through much of the initial three minutes of their match.

"I have had an opportunity to work with the football team and I've watched them. Their offensive philosophy is to strike first and to strike often. It might be good to get Coach [Russ] Huesman or [offensive coordinator] Marcus Satterfield to come talk to my guys."

Cody Cleveland (133) had a near takedown taken away from him in the early going of his match and wound up losing but the run-and-gun redshirt freshman is trying his best to follow another of Eslinger's philosophies.

"We've talked about scoring in the first 30 seconds and the last 30 which will almost always give you a chance to win," the coach said.

While he continues to see progress from Brown, Eslinger was unimpressed that Brown's loss by regular decision sewed up the Mocs initial win. He was more excited about Lettner, who broke from a 0-0 deadlock in the opening round to a 1-0 lead after two periods to a 5-2 final victory. The senior heavyweight also got a pin in his second meet.

"I'm proud of who he is and where he is as an individual," Eslinger said. "Because of his consistency and leadership, he's a kid that you want to see reap the rewards of his work."

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