By Jeffrey Herold
The Ponte Vedra Sharks dominated their match against the Nease Panthers in “The Tank” on Wednesday, Jan. 8, securing a decisive 57-18 victory.
The dual began at 106 pounds, with junior, Enrique Santos taking a forfeit to give the Sharks an early 6-0 lead. The Panthers evened the score at 113 pounds with a forfeit of their own.
In the first live match of the night, sophomore, Cash Trujillo (120 pounds) controlled the action for six minutes, earning a 10-0 decision and putting the Sharks ahead, 10-6. At 126 pounds, junior, Dashiell Hilbert lost a close match by fall at 1:44, giving the Panthers a 12-10 lead.
Senior, Poulo Milea (132 pounds) regained momentum for the Sharks with a pin at 3:53, putting the team back on top. Junior, Daniel De Almedia followed at 138 pounds with a quick pin just 41 seconds into the match, extending the lead to 22-10.
At 144 pounds, senior,Brody Hines delivered a dominant pin at 1:38, earning another 6 points for the Sharks. Sophomore, Jiano Vivar (150 pounds) had a tough match, losing by pin at 1:14, which narrowed the score to 28-16.
“My athleticism and takedown offense were on display during this match against Nease.
emmett Hoffman (11)
Junior, Baxly Hines (157 pounds) responded with a swift pin in just 31 seconds, while junior, Emmett Hoffmann (165 pounds) earned another 6 points with a dominant win.
Freshman, Michael Aker (175 pounds) impressed with a 16-1 technical fall at 4:24, adding 5 more points to the Sharks’ tally. Junior, Noah Marsh (190 pounds) kept the momentum going with a pin at 2:53, and senior, Robbie Grieco (215 pounds) closed the night with a final pin, securing the Sharks’ 57-18 victory.
The Sharks achieved back-to-back wins against their cross-town rivals, making a powerful statement in this year’s Battle of the Bridge. “My athleticism and takedown offense were on display during this match against Nease. I was also able to secure some near fall points against my opponent. However, I need to work on my pinning combinations for my next match because I was unable to pin my guy and instead secured a tech fall to seal the deal.” junior Emmett Hoffmann when asked on his performance that night.
Pictured: Daniel De Almedia preparing for his match. Photo credits to Alex Fenney @fenneysflics
