Sola's pin leads UNC to victory

With the score tied and two matches remaining against a bitter in-state rival, there was one person who North Carolina wrestling coach C.D. Mock would want on the mat more than any other.

Fortunately for Mock, it was Evan Sola’s turn.

The junior All-America took 2 minutes and 47 seconds to put Wolfpack 133-pounder Matt Spengler on his back and take down N.C. State’s hopes with him.

The pin gave the Tar Heels their first and final lead of the match, as they went on to a 19-16 victory Thursday in Carmichael Auditorium.

“That’s a good feeling to send Evan out,” Mock said. “It wasn’t a question of … if he was going to pin him. It was a question of when. It’s a good position to be in. The whole time I knew we had that in our pocket.”

The added pressure was no problem for the 11th-ranked Sola, who has been UNC’s unquestioned leader for the whole season.

“It puts a little pressure on me, but that tends to get me a little more amped up and ready to wrestle,” Sola said. “If someone on the team has to be the guy to step out there and win it, I don’t mind being that guy.”

Sola’s dramatic scene would not have been possible if not for a furious UNC comeback in the second half of the match. The Tar Heels (6-9, 4-2 in the ACC) dropped their first four matches to face a 13-0 deficit early on.

North Carolina got off to a slow start because the match began with the 149-pound weight class, exposing the weak middle of the order for UNC.

“One of the worst places we can possibly start for us is 149,” Mock said. “(But) I didn’t anticipate being down 13 to nothing.”

But unlike UNC’s Jan. 28 loss to the Wolfpack (7-7, 3-1) in Raleigh, the team battled back from the adversity to take control of the match.

In that first meeting, N.C. State pinned two Tar Heels en route to victory, but Thursday, several wrestlers escaped with only decision losses, which Mock said was one of the keys to the match.

The coach said 157-pounder Greg Carr, who lost a 17-8 major decision to N.C. State’s Kody Hamrah, performed admirably.

“(I told him) just for God’s sake, don’t get pinned,” Mock said. “He did his job and, under the circumstances, he may have saved the match.”

The difference proved to be UNC’s fitness level, as several Wolfpack wrestlers appeared fatigued during the match.

“It was obvious that we were in way better shape this time,” Sola said. “They were taking injury time, acting like they were hurt when they just wanted to get their air back.”

With an 8-2 victory at 184 pounds, freshman Justin Dobies started the rally that saw the Tar Heels win five straight bouts, culminating with Sola’s win at 133.

“Dobies just gets better every time he wrestles,” Mock said. “He’s very, very young, but he’s a tremendous athlete.”

Dobies’ play helped finish North Carolina’s dual meet season in strong fashion as the team now will take two weeks off to prepare for the March 5 ACC Championships.

Sola said the Tar Heels will be able to use Thursday’s match as a springboard for a team that he said is “expected” to win the league title.

“It’s always crucial to get a win going into ACCs, just to get your confidence up,” Sola said. “Especially when you do it by beating State.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.