“We’re not going to win anything until they [Titan wrestlers] start doing what they are taught to do,” reflected Coach Yabui at the performance of his wrestlers at the exhibition matches against the Kinnick Red Devils and the league dual meet against the Christian Academy in Japan Knights.
The Titans dropped 6 out of the 12 exhibition matches and won against CAJ 19-5. St. Mary’s made an unusual decision not to take the forfeit points at the dual meet against CAJ – The Knights only had 5 wrestlers on the team. St. Mary’s could have filled up all 13 weight classes; which would have given them an automatic win for the dual meet (as a team needs at least 7 wrestlers to win a dual meet against a team with a full line up).
Before the dual, St. Mary’s only had 5 wrestlers to weigh-in against the 5 wrestlers from CAJ. “The problem with the team now is that they don’t wrestle smart and hard, so I made the dual ‘fair’ by not taking the forfeits,” explained Coach Yabui about his decision. If the Titan wrestlers are not wrestling smart and hard, they would not have much incentive to improve if they are wrestling a dual meet that they have already won before the match begins. Coach Yabui further commented that the team wrestled harder but not smart. Particularly in the exhibition matches against Kinnick (who the Titans lost to 2 weeks ago for the first time in 3 years), they dropped 6 out of the 12 match ups. Out of the 6 wins, 2 were actually varsity wrestlers who were given exhibition matches so the outcome was expected. But…
- Wrestlers did not set up their shots; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not set up their shots; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not set up their shots; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not set up their shots; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not set up their shots; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers put their head and elbows on the mat on par terre; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not actively defend on bottom; although they are reminded to do so every day at practice.
- Wrestlers did not take risks when they had to and they took risks when they didn’t have to.
Wrestlers stopped wrestling after each move. “They cannot pause; they have to continue to wrestle and go to the next move and the next,” commented Assistant Coach Moshe. There is no doubt that the Titans are taught the best technique in the Far East but until the Titan wrestlers believe in that and actually execute moves, as they are taught, in matches, they are still far from catching up to the Devils. The shorter than usual season was supposed to be an advantage for the Titans with better conditioning than the other teams but it may turn out to be a disadvantage if the wrestlers don’t start doing what they are taught to do only with a month and a half left in season.
December 5, 2017
St. Mary’s 19—CAJ 5
108lb Eiji Kasahara df. Jow Frazier (CAJ) by pin
115lb Jordan Van Druff (CAJ) df. Harold Mancia by pin
122lb Tatsuhito Matsumoto df. Tai Van Dam by pin
141lb Nishant Chanda df. Joseph Hong (CAJ) by pin
148lb Jihoon Seo df. Sung Won Kim (CAJ) by technical fall
Exhibition matches
Dylan Boulch (KIN) df. Joey Yoo by technical fall
Jeffre Arceo (KIN) df. Teppei Ono by pin
Otto Paul (KIN df. Anish Navaneetha Krishnan by technical fall
Zachary Kornegay (KIN) df. Kai Atobe by pin
Samin Hoque df. Keanu Rose (KIN) by pin
Jonathan Goff df. Patrick Kelly (KIN) by decision
Dai Matsumoto df. Ethan Hamilton (KIN) by pin
Super Cauthen (KIN) df. Konstantin Meyer zu Brickwedde by pin
Alex Lovell (KIN) df. Leon Yoshizue by decision
Gio Cannegieter df. Aubrey St. John (KIN) by technical fall
Lev Titov df. Mark Morgan (KIN) by decision
Nilay Hingar df. Harold Maniebo (KIN) by pin