North Carolina head wrestling coach Coleman Scott wants his team to "go 1-0 every weekend," but if the Tar Heels are ever in a position to collect two victories in a three-day span, he'd certainly take that, too.
On Sunday afternoon, No. 22 UNC did exactly that when the team dominated upset-minded Little Rock, 37-6, in Carmichael Arena.
“It’s our sport, Friday and Sunday, no matter who you’re wrestling, we expect the same of our guys every time,” Scott said. “We've got to take it personal. We want to win every time we step foot on the mat.”
First-year Spencer Moore got the day started with an easy 11-2 victory, utilizing four takedowns and a six-point third period to run away from his opponent.
Moore physically wore down his opponent, despite their same build and weight class, and said he felt like his win at 125 pounds gave the Tar Heels the leg-up they needed to earn the victory.
“It’s a big responsibility because it shapes the momentum of the whole match,” Moore said. “Earlier in the season, we lost to those top-tier teams, and I feel like I could’ve won some of my matches and helped us out overall. That’s been my focus coming into the second half of the year, to try and get us bonus points and establish momentum.”
Later on, entering the 149-pound bout, No. 20 redshirt senior Zach Sherman physically manhandled his Little Rock opponent en route to a 14-2 win. He utilized a four-point near fall and three takedowns to build his lead, putting UNC up 15-0 before redshirt senior Austin O’Connor took to the mat at 157 pounds.
The 2021 national champion and current No. 6 wrestler in the country fell behind 2-0 early but rallied, as he’s done for his entire career, to dominate his opponent with lightning quick hits and ferocious takedowns after his opponent scored first.
“He got a little pissed off in the beginning getting taken down first, but then he rattled off 23 points,” Scott said. “I loved his weekend, at 2-0 and a weight up.”
