ARCATA, Calif. — In a dual that came down to the final seconds of an overtime bout, Cal Poly Humboldt wrestling delivered one of its grittiest performances of the season, narrowly falling 19–17 to nationally ranked No. 7 (NAIA) Southern Oregon University on Friday night inside Lumberjack Arena. The Jacks opened the evening with a flurry, taking five of the first six matches and showcasing dominant victories from Caleb Tatad (125) and Jayson Victoria (149).
Tatad set the tone immediately at 125 pounds, overwhelming Diesel Del Rosario in an 18-5 major decision that electrified the home crowd. At 133, Josh Neiwert kept the momentum rolling with a hard-fought 2-0 decision, followed by another strong performance from 141-pounder Darrell Nanpuya, who controlled his match from start to finish in a 6-2 win.
The Jacks' largest margin of victory came at 149, where Victoria put on a clinic, recording a 12-0 major decision over Trevor Wolf. His performance marked one of the most decisive wins of the night for either side.
After Southern Oregon claimed the 157-pound match, 165-pounder Joe Anthony Perez responded with one of the dual's most dynamic battles, securing a 13-8 decision to extend Humboldt's lead heading into the upper weights.
Southern Oregon, however, showed why it entered the night as a top-10 team nationally. The Raiders stormed back with bonus-point wins at 174 and 184 and added decision victories at 197 and heavyweight to chip away at the Humboldt lead.
With the dual deadlocked heading into the final bout, 285-pounder Liam Clark battled Southern Oregon's Justin Tripp through regulation, sending the deciding match into sudden victory overtime. In the dramatic final sequence, Tripp managed the takedown that sealed the 4-1 win and clinched the dual for the Raiders.
125: Caleb Tatad (Cal Poly Humboldt) over Diesel Del Rosario (Southern Oregon) (MD 18-5)
133: Josh Neiwert (Cal Poly Humboldt) over Zachary Keinonen (Southern Oregon) (Dec 2-0)
141: Darrell Nanpuya (Cal Poly Humboldt) over Simon Graeber (Southern Oregon) (Dec 6-2)
149: Jayson Victoria (Cal Poly Humboldt) over Trevor Wolf (Southern Oregon) (MD 12-0)
157: Dylan Straley (Southern Oregon) over Gil Mossburg (Cal Poly Humboldt) (Dec 5-0)
165: Joe Anthony Perez (Cal Poly Humboldt) over Shaiden Carr (Southern Oregon) (Dec 13-8)
174: Jackson Potts (Southern Oregon) over Nathan Vasquez (Cal Poly Humboldt) (MD 8-0)
184: Ethan Miller (Southern Oregon) over Eric Ruiz-Cornelio (Cal Poly Humboldt) (Fall 3:34)
197: Carson Gooley (Southern Oregon) over Micaiah Montalbin (Cal Poly Humboldt) (Dec 10-5)
285: Justin Tripp (Southern Oregon) over Liam Clark (Cal Poly Humboldt) (SV-1 4-1)
The Lumberjacks now look ahead to their upcoming winter slate as they will head to the Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nevada on Sunday, December 21.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt wrestling, visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app on Apple iOS or Google Android, and follow the Lumberjacks on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
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Twitter/X: @HumboldtJacks
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