White Tops Red in Ranking Match

Nov. 1, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- Sooner fans attending the annual Red/White ranking match expecting great competition went home satisfied, seeing the white team top the red squad, 18-12.

Three matches went into overtime periods, including four overtimes needed in the 165-pound battle between senior Max Dean and freshman Ryan Smith.

"There were a lot of close matches and some incredible courage displayed out there tonight," head coach Jack Spates said. "It is certainly a great situation to have guys competing and pushing each other in every class."

Joey Fio put the white team up 3-0 by defeating Greg Cannon in the 125-pound match by a decision of 6-4 in overtime. Brian Shelton at 133 pounds quickly tied the team score back up, defeating John Starzyk by a decision of 6-3.

The white team then reeled off four straight wins to give the squad a 15-3 advantage.

Zach Bailey needed the final seconds in the third period to post a 6-5 decision over Kyle Terry in the 141-pound bout. Will Rowe gave the white team another boost at 149 pounds by defeating Seth Vernon by a decision of 6-2. Chad Terry then defeated Shane Vernon in the 157-pound match by a decision of 7-4.

The most competitive match of the evening came in the 165-pound bout. Max Dean and Ryan Smith battled into four over times before Dean prevailed by a decision of 3-2.

Jeff James put red back on the board with a 3-1 decision in overtime over Chris DeVilbiss at 174 pounds, making the score 15-6 in favor of white. Joshua Weitzel gave the white squad three more points in the 184-pound match by scoring an 8-1 decision over Josh Hinton.

Two-time All-American Joel Flaggert topped Eric Lapotsky in the 197-pound battle by a score of 9-4. The score ended with white winning 18-12 when Nathan Fernandez scored a 3-2 decision over Brad Famer in the heavyweight division.

"I saw a lot of good things, but I also saw a lot we need to improve on," Spates continued. "This was a very informative meet for us and we look forward to getting better from here."

The Sooners start the season Sunday, Nov. 4, by traveling to Oklahoma City to compete in a triple-dual against Missouri Valley, Neosho Community College and Oklahoma City.