Pirates grapplers take down Bulldogs for first time in a decade

Matanzas won 51-24 on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

By Ray Boone
| 1:45 p.m. January 24, 2019

Matanzas' Ian Eckert attempts to take down FPC's Tim King. Photo by Ray Boone

Matanzas' Josh Bower attempts to pin FPC's Kenneth DeFord. Photo by Ray Boone

Matanzas' Ian Eckert attempts to pin FPC's Tim King. Photo by Ray Boone

Matanzas coach John White instructs a wrestler during a match. Photo by Ray Boone

Matanzas' Josh Bower and FPC's Kenneth DeFord grapple during a match. Photo by Ray Boone

Matanzas' Shaun Culbreth tries to pin FPC's Joseph Rizzo. Photo by Ray Boone

FPC's Evan St. Pierre grapples with Matanzas' Ethan Goodman. Photo by Ray Boone

FPC coach Zach Sanford instructs a wrestler during a match. Photo by Ray Boone

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

When Pirates wrestler Shaun Culbreth stepped onto the mat to face his opponent from rival Flagler Palm Coast, he knew he was going to win.

His match against the Bulldogs’ Joseph Rizzo lasted two periods. Culbreth, who grapples in the 113-pound weight class, got a takedown for 2 points in the opening period. In the second period, he got on top of Rizzo and eventually pinned him.

Culbreth was one of 10 Pirates wrestlers to win his match as Matanzas hammered FPC 51-24 on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Matanzas High School.

“I’m proud of our guys. We pushed hard. I think we gave them more than what they were expecting. But we definitely got out-experienced.”

FPC coach Zach Sanford

It was the Pirates first win over the Bulldogs in 10 years.

“It’s a nice feeling. These guys have worked so hard throughout the year,” Pirates coach John White said. “FPC has such a strong tradition down there that it took us a while to get over that hump.”

White added that he thinks this team is arguably the most well-rounded team he’s had in his 14 years coaching at Matanzas. In the past, he’s had up to five strong wrestlers, including Matanzas’ first-ever state champion Tyrone Jones in 2017-18.

“This is one of our toughest teams top to bottom,” he said. “We lost a couple matches maybe we shouldn’t have. But the other guys got the job done.”

Culbreth, a junior, has been on the team since his freshman year. He said his teammates are more like family now.

“When you see your teammates get win after win after win, it’s just a great feeling,” he said.

160: Sam Russo (MAT) over Preston Cremeans (FPC) (Dec 11-4) 170: Quenteen Robinson (MAT) over Marcelo Gonzalez (FPC) (Fall 1:03) 182: Jayden Austin (FPC) over Tyrel Scheltz (MAT) (Fall 1:28) 195: Gregory Moore (MAT) over (FPC) (For.) 220: Cecil Bermudez (MAT) over (FPC) (For.) 285: Anthony Cinelli (FPC) over Alex Licul (MAT) (Fall 1:46) 106: Logan Johnson (FPC) over Joshua Jeffers (MAT) (Fall 3:57) 113: Shaun Culbreth (MAT) over Joseph Rizzo (FPC) (Fall 3:20) 120: Ethan Goodman (MAT) over Evan St. Pierre (FPC) (Dec 6-4) 126: Caleb Bower (MAT) over Brendan Buckles (FPC) (Fall 1:28) 132: Andrew Dance (FPC) over George Joanos (MAT) (Fall 0:33) 138: Josh Bower (MAT) over Kenneth DeFord (FPC) (Dec 8-1) 145: Ian Eckert (MAT) over Timothy King (FPC) (Fall 1:21) 152: Noel Alicea (MAT) over Gerrick Schwartz (FPC) (Fall 1:13)