FINAL RESULTS

PHOTO GALLERY

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The first conference showdown of the year featured all the twists, turns and drama right down to the final bout Tuesday night in the Rike Center, as a motivated Otterbein group stormed back from an early hole to stun visiting Mount Union.

The Cardinals, trailing 15-3 at one point, rallied to claim five of the last six bouts to beat the Raiders 20-18 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener for both schools. It also marked Otterbein's first win against Mount Union since launching the program back in 2016.

Otterbein, competing with heightened inspiration this year in the current absence of head coach Brent Rastetter (out on medical leave following open-heart surgery), rolled out the mats for the first of just two contests at home this season.

That early excitement was halted by Mount Union, which controlled the initial two matches via bonus points to grab an 11-0 lead before anyone could blink.

Andrew Sas (141) helped stop the visitor momentum temporarily with his workmanlike 4-2 decision, but the Raiders used a major decision at the next weight class to open a 15-3 cushion.

A determined and unrattled Otterbein team kicked into gear from there. Austin Amens (157) churned his way to a strong decision to reach the midway point, and Cale Callahan (165) nearly tallied a major but settled for a comfortable three points himself…

Logan Cormell (174) then dominated his opponent across seven minutes for a double-digit victory, snagging four points and shrinking the gap to 15-13 all of a sudden.

The Cards nearly jumped ahead in the 184-pound contest behind a valiant effort from captain Kyle De Moss, who led most of the way before a last-second takedown by his opponent forced overtime. Unfortunately, his counterpart used that energy to secure the difference-making points in sudden victory.

Otterbein was now looking at an 18-13 gap with just two bouts left...

Senior Brandon Thomas, a recent backup to 2x national qualifier Jarrod Setliff, fittingly rose to the occasion in his first-ever OAC start at 197 pound after beginning college as a heavyweight… In a match that didn't see much wiggle room for either wrestler, Thomas held on and avoided trouble in some key spots to eventually survive with a tight 2-0 decision.

It came down to a winner-take-all finish at heavyweight, as Zac Stray took the mat with the Cardinals trailing just 18-16. He found leverage in the first period, secured a takedown near the edge of the mat, and rode that wave to a lopsided 13-0 major behind a home crowd/bench that rose to its feet.

Otterbein, beating Mount Union for the first time in seven chances, will now have more than two weeks off to keep building for a long season. The Cards will next compete in the Ohio Northern Invitational come December 2 in Ada.