Perry, Oklahoma defeat the country’s best wrestlers

The Open Mat.com

By: Christopher Shelton – Stillwater NewsPress (Original here)

With the fresh memory of his first loss in four years fueling him, Stillwater High’s Chris Perry faced the same Pennsylvanian who ended his 101-match winning streak.

Two weeks ago, Jon Fausey toppled the No. 1 189-pounder in the country, but the top dog bit back Saturday night. Perry handed Fausey a 3-1 revenge match to seal a 24-23 victory for Oklahoma against Team USA in the Wrestling USA/Cliff Keen Dream Team Classic at Stillwater High Fieldhouse.

“(Fausey is) a good wrestler,” the four-time state champion said. “I have to give him credit. He’s got great defense. He finds a way to keep himself in all his matches. Even against good guys, he finds a way to win.”

After Oklahoma took the first two matches by forfeit and decision, USA went on a 19-0 run to take a 10-point lead halfway through the meet.

Then the locals stepped up.

At 119 pounds, Cushing’s four-time state champ and OU signee, Jarrod Patterson, edged Pennsylvania’s Shane Young, 4-3. Perry’s Ladd Rupp, also a four-timer and signed with Oklahoma State, followed up with a 9-7 decision against Missouri’s Ryan Mango.

After a hiccup at 171 pounds where New Jersey’s Edward Ruth slapped OSU signee Zach White of Woodward with a 10-2 major decision, Oklahoma swept the final three matches.

Perry’s Stephen Swan, also an OSU recruit, edged Oregon’s R.J. Pena with a 2-1 decision, and another Cowboy-to-be and four-timer Dallas Bailey of Catoosa claimed another one-point match, 10-9, against Oregon’s Alec Ortiz before Chris Perry’s match clinched the dual.

“Overall, I think that we won the matches we were favored in and probably lost the ones we weren’t,” said Perry’s father and event coordinator, Mark. “Obviously, we’re trying to move Oklahoma-USA wrestling in a better direction right now, and I think you could see the difference in the kids that have wrestled at a high level, and some of our kids hadn’t ever been in an environment like this.”

It was the first time in the event’s 13 years that USA lost to its host state’s squad.

“Obviously, when you have (Wrestling USA) magazine bringing in the No. 1 guys against one state, everything is stacked against you,” Mark Perry said. “But I think everybody knows that we have a pretty good state this year with the four (four-time) state champs, who all won (Saturday). … We had a pretty good team.

“Obviously, it was a good turnout. I think the whole program was pretty good.”

The Fieldhouse was nearly sold out for the national high school wrestling contest.

“It’s an awesome event for Oklahoma to win,” Chris Perry said. “It gives us a good rep. The fans were awesome. Having that many fans was great for Stillwater High School. Even in sporting events, it shows what people would do to support Oklahoma. I think we almost had a soldout crowd, and it made it a lot of fun.”