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No. 2 Jackson escapes with victory
Referee disqualifies Southern's Walters for biting

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/22/05
BY JOE ADELIZZI
STAFF WRITER

JACKSON * In Southern coach John Stout's eyes fans got to see a night of great
individual efforts and a great team battle in high school wrestling.

"The problem is, that it was decided on an official's gut feeling," said
Stout.

The gut feeling led to a disqualification in the 103-pound bout, giving Jackson a
victory in a bout they were trailing. It led to the No. 2-ranked Jaguars taking a
29-17 victory in a match a lot closer than the score would indicate.

Southern freshman Jason Walters was beating Jackson's Sean Cook 4-0 in the first
period of their bout when referee Ed Glassheim made the disqualification call because
of biting.

"I had heard the kid from Jackson calling out that the Southern kid was biting
him," said Glassheim after the Class A South battle was over. "I let them
continue wrestling because I didn't see the biting, but as soon as they stopped I
took a look and it was obvious there were bite marks."

He said that he had the option of disqualifying the Southern wrestler or continuing.

"To me it was obvious that he had been bitten," said Glassheim who made the
decision after about a five-minute discussion with Stout and Jackson coach Scott
Goodale.

It meant six team points to Jackson, and it cost Southern three team points. Jackson
was leading 20-17 going into the bout.

If Goodale had his way, the wrestlers would have continued.

"You don't want to win a match on something like that," said Goodale who
had led the packed house in cheers earlier in the night when his team got two huge
wins on the mat.

First Jackson's Matt Bradley beat Southern's Luke Lanno at 135 pounds with a takedown
with 28 seconds left in their bout.

Two bouts later Dave Concepcion upset highly-touted transfer Keith Dillard, 5-4, at
145 pounds.

After each of those bouts Goodale was leaping in the air and pointing to Jackson
fans, who made up about three-fourths of the 800-plus fans who packed the gym for the
early season showdown.

But things began going downhill for the Jaguars after the next two bouts, won easily
by Jackson's Scott Winston and Ken Carney to give their team a 20-5 lead.

The Rams won the next four bouts, including a four-overtime triumph by heavyweight
Mike Carey that got the Rams within three.

"I was so proud of how our kids battled and battled," said Stout.
"Both teams did some amazing things on the mats, that's for sure."

The Rams continued to flex their muscle at 112 when another freshman, Brian
Broderick, defeated Jackson's Kyle Kinchen.

"They (Southern) out-hustled us, out-wrestled us and were in better shape than
us," said Goodale.

"He (Glassheim) said that he had a gut feeling that our kid bit their kid,"
said Stout. "He went with his gut instead of what he saw. There kid was trying
for a crossface cradle, and anyone who has wrestled knows when that's going on you
can get bite marks on your arm."

Had Southern won that bout, and the rest of the results had stayed the same, it would
have ended in a 23-23 tie. The Rams, thanks to defending state champion Frank
Molinaro's technical fall at 140 pounds, would have won the tiebreaker on criteria.

"Tonight didn't prove anything," said Goodale. "We have kids not ready
to wrestle. That's why I hate the early-season match against Southern. I know we'll
be better later in the year. And I'm sure Southern will be a lot better too."