Preps 01
The Wichita Eagle ‐ January, 2006
Penalty gives South edge in win over Northwest
By Michael Phillips
A spirited night of wrestling between two City League powerhouses was not decided on the mat.
Instead, an unsportsmanlike penalty against Northwest coach Eric Prichard was the decisive point in South's 37-36 victory.
In the aftermath of the sixth match of the night, Prichard was penalized a point for stepping onto the mat. A point was deducted from Northwest's score, creating a 15-15 tie.
Northwest (2-2) fell behind, but came back and tied the dual 36-36 by scoring nine points in the final two matches.
In the confusion afterward the official consulted his rule book, which said the victory is awarded to the team with fewer penalty points. Prichard's was the only one of the night, so South (4-0) was awarded an additional point and the dual.
In the chaotic aftermath, Northwest fans heckled the official, and Prichard retreated to the bench, inconsolable.
"It hurts when you're the coach and you're the one that cost them the dual," he said.
Northwest's fans rebuffed South coach Mike Church as he tried to visit with Prichard, but Church eventually made it through the crowd.
"Eric Prichard is a great coach and a good friend of mine — 36-36 is the score in my eyes," Church said.
Both coaches said they did not want the aftermath to distract from what was a terrific night of wrestling.
The dual came down to the heavyweight bout, the final match, where South was protecting a three-point lead with senior Xavier Louis. He knew his opponent, Northwest senior Tyler Jessen — Jessen had defeated Louis to win the state title last year.
In front of a standing crowd, the wrestlers were deadlocked 1-1 toward the end of the third period. Jessen made a final move, and with 2.6 seconds on the clock he took Louis to the mat for a 3-1 victory that tied the dual, a burst of athleticism that would soon be forgotten amid controversy.
"It was a great dual, both teams were even," Church said. "They're going to be outstanding in the tournament."
