JIM GREEN
Corinth Holders' 220-pounder Elijah harris ponders his next move as Louisburg's Chris Smith writhes in pain from an armbar during Thursday's match.
CORINTH HOLDERS -- There is strength in numbers, and those numbers gave Corinth Holders' wrestling team an edge in Thursday's tri-meet against Louisburg and Goldsboro.
The Pirates defeated the Warriors 65-9 in a Northern Carolina 2-A Conference match and then bested Goldsboro 60-12 in a non-league event. Louisburg had to forfeit four weight classes while Goldsboro gave up 42 points (seven) weight classes.
The match against Louisburg started at 285, where Corinth's Sam Berman won by forfeit. The next match at 106 between Darius Dunn of the Pirates and Braulio Rayo of the Warriors turned out to be the best of the evening, as Rayo rallied from an early deficit and held on for a 4-3 win, giving the visitors three points.
Dustin Brennan then gave Corinth four points when he took a 14-2 decision over Trevious Foster to make it 10-3, and Mike Holly won by forfeit at 120 pounds to make it 16-3.
Cameron Brewer defeated Darrian Brown 9-2 at 126 pounds, making it 19-3.
Louisburg picked up its other victory at 132 pounds when John Cuddy pinned Greg Alford in the second period, cutting the deficit to 19-9.
The rest of the match was all Pirates.
Tyler Johnson recorded a second-period pin over Octavious Wiggins at 138 pounds, and Matt Duncan shut out Ryder Bishop 13-0 at 145 pounds to make it 29-9.
Corinth then won the next three matches by forfeit - Charlie Gray at 152, David Pierson at 160 and Demetrius Smith at 170 - increasing the lead to 47-9.
The Pirates finished off the Warriors with three consecutive pinfall victories.
Elliott Lindley put Ryan Neal's shoulders to the mat in the second period at 182, Will Floyd did the same in the third period against Julian Falkner at 195 and Elijah Harris pinned Chris Smith in the third period of their 220-pound encounter to complete the scoring.
Corinth Holders only wrestled seven times in the victory over Goldsboro. The Pirates took forfeits at 106 (Dunn), 113 (Brennan), 152 (Gray), 170 (Chris Lewis), Lindley (182), Floyd (195) and Harris (285).
Goldsboro's wins came at 120 pounds, where Deverntay Carmichael took a three-point decision over Holly; at 126, where Jamelle James pinned Jerry Deloatch; and at 220, where Ricardo Exum decisioned Chris Solano for three more points.
For Corinth Holders, Cameron Brewer picked up four points with a major decision over Dijon Ward at 132; Johnson added three points with his decision over Kurtis Durham at 138; and Pierson earned five points with a technical fall over Thomas Sheinall at 160 to complete the scoring.
