Somers’ early lead slips away in loss to Rye

SOMERS, N.Y. - After jumping out to a 33-12 lead, Somers appeared headed for an easy home win against Rye. But the Garnets refused to leave town quietly, clawing back until the match came down to TJ Mauro with Rye trailing 33-30.

“He did everything he could,” said Ryan Ball, but the senior couldn’t secure a final turn and dropped a 5-3 decision, allowing Rye to complete a dramatic 39-33 comeback victory.

Earlier, Rylan Steuber and Kenneth Tripp engaged in a back-and-forth battle that featured reversals, neutrals, and takedowns in rapid succession. After two periods, Steuber held a slim 9-8 lead.

The Somers 103-pounder, however, was done wrestling from underneath. “I felt strong and energetic and I knew I could get him,” Steuber said. “I just overpowered him, hipped in, and put him on his back.”

Steuber opened the third period with seven straight points and rode out the rest of the match. “When I got on top, I felt pretty comfortable,” he said. The 16-8 major decision gave Somers an early 4-0 lead.

That advantage didn’t last long. Rye’s Elias Becerril made quick work of John Jackson, scoring an early takedown and running a half nelson to flip the score to 10-6 in Rye’s favor.

Robert DeCamp followed with another strong performance for the Garnets. Two takedowns gave the 118-pounder a 7-0 lead before he cradled Cameron Harvey for the pin with 47 seconds left in the second period.

A Somers forfeit at 126 kept the match seesawing, but Loghan Dwyer helped restore momentum. He opened with a single-leg takedown and built a 6-0 lead by the second period through solid defense. The 132-pounder shut down Declan Sutter’s shots, sprawling effectively and piling on points.

Dwyer cruised to an 18-3 major decision, sparking three consecutive Somers victories.

Ryan Ball was up next and needed just 51 seconds. “I don’t know—I think it was a cradle,” the senior said afterward.

Cal Ehrmann was equally decisive. Three takedowns gave the 144-pounder a 10-0 lead. “I had good shots today,” Ehrmann said. “I cradled him from a front headlock.”

At 150, Derek Kuchinsky followed suit, though not without some frustration. A 4-4 start left him dissatisfied. “I was disappointed with the way I wrestled,” he said. “I let him take me down.”

Kuchinsky rebounded late, however. “I hit a nice slide single-leg takedown to a cradle and locked him up for the pin,” he said, pushing Somers ahead 27-12.

Three straight Rye pins erased that cushion and set the stage for John Jack Anderson and Mauro. With Somers clinging to a three-point lead, Mauro struck first with a single-leg takedown in the opening period.

Anderson escaped before the horn and opened the second with another escape to pull within one. The heavyweights battled on their feet until Anderson landed the decisive move, scoring a reversal in the closing seconds of the period.

That reversal gave Anderson a 5-3 lead and two minutes to defend it. Mauro pressed hard, repeatedly attacking the leg, but Anderson held firm as time expired.

A Rye forfeit at super heavyweight sealed the outcome, but Ball remained confident in his teammate. “TJ knows what he needs to do,” he said. “If they wrestle again, the outcome will be different.”