F&M Tops Wrestlers 21-12

The varsity wrestling team could manage only two decisions Saturday as it fell to Franklin and Marshall, 21-12, for a dismal beginning to its new season.

Howie Chatterton (167) and Bob Panoff (hvy.) scored convincing victories for the Crimson, but Chatterton's came with the meet score at 15-6 and Panoff's with the final outcome already decided. Three draw bouts--two leading off the meet--accounted for the Crimson's six other team points.

Chatterton went into the third period of his match ahead of F&M's Bruce Leonard, 3-2. Starting in bottom position, Chatterton stood up, ducked, reached back for Leonard's left leg, pulled it up, and turned in on Leonard for a reversal and additional two-point predicament. Leonard managed to escape to neutral position, only to have Chatterton take him down and throw him into another predicament. With points for riding time, Chatterton won the decision, 13-3.

Panoff defeated Bill Corell, 5-0, in the final match on a second-period predicament for two points, a third-period escape for one point, and two points for riding time.

More typical of the gray tone of the meet, however, were the three draw bouts. Captain Andy Kopecki (123), leading off the meet, drew with John Hilliard, 1-1, on second and third-period escapes. Sophomore Bruce Goodman, filling in for Danny Naylor at 130, drew with Jestyn Payne, 2-2, on Goodman's reversal and Payne's two escapes. And at 145, sophomore Jeff Seder pulled out a 6-6 draw with Dave Martin, when the referee accused Martin of intentionally going out of bounds to avoid a take-down and awarded Seder the tying point.

The same penalty cost Harvard a match, when the referee--John Mulligan--called Paul Padlak (160) on intentionally going out of bounds, giving F&M's co-captain Jim Clair a point and a 2-1 victory.