Wrestling's Scotton triumphs yet again

It started like most matches for Thomas Scotton.

A quick shot. An early takedown.

The junior 157-pound wrestler was left with the ankle of his fleeing opponent — and that was all he needed to yank Duke’s Chris Piccolella back into the circle to secure two points.

It’s partially that combination of speed and clout that have propelled Scotton from a NCAA qualifier last year to No. 3 in the nation.

Then Scotton, like he does with most opponents, released his foe and faced him once again on his feet.

Another takedown.

Business as usual for Scotton.

“I’m just at the point where I don’t get too concerned about Thomas anymore,” coach C.D. Mock said. “Thomas is the most consistent wrestler I’ve ever coached.”

Scotton’s approach is methodical. His eyes are unwavering, calm but assertive. It’s 4-1 now, until he releases the opposition to set up another takedown.

Then it happened again, a third takedown.

Scotton wanted to get some back points, awarded when an opponent’s back faces the mat, but couldn’t turn Piccolella over — a problem that consistently hampered him before this season.

“I’m definitely not the greatest mat wrestler,” Scotton said. “Coach (Trevor) Chinn has really been a godsend for me. He’s really helped me grow leaps and bounds from last year.”

Scotton lets Piccolella up to start the next period and then takes him down again. It’s getting ugly now.

Again, Scotton struggles to turn his foe over, but he maintains control until to the end of the period.

“Thomas’ first three years here, he couldn’t wrestle on bottom, couldn’t get out of bottom. I worried about him all the time,” Mock said. “We’ve been telling him, ‘You wanna be an All-American in Division I wrestling? You’ve got to be able to do it all. You have to be able to wrestle on the mat, top and bottom.’”

Scotton isn’t necessarily the strongest. He may not be the fastest either, although Mock said he is. But each of his moves is executed with intensity.

This is obvious at the start of the third period when he escapes and then takes Piccolella down again.

After the culmination of his 12-4 victory, it’s clear that Thomas can dominate in all areas of the mat.

He is, as Mock said, the “whole package.”

 “I don’t think he can be held down, and he determines when he wants to get off them; he just lets them go,” Mock said. “People aren’t getting out.”

 

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