Ohio came into its match against Oklahoma looking to start the decade off right with an upset win against the No. 23 team in the nation. The Bobcats struggled to get anything going, as they fell 35-6 to the Sooners.
Ohio dug itself in a hole early in the dual, and it quickly went down 14-0 in the first two bouts. Losses for Trever Giallombardo and Derek Giallombardo to start the dual set the tone for the rest of the evening and put the Bobcats in a near impossible deficit to climb out of.
Alec Hagan fell to Jacob Butler 8-4 in a rare tight bout on the day. Zac Carson fought hard against Justin Thomas but was pinned as time expired to make Ohio’s deficit 23-0. With little hope, the Bobcats kept fighting.
Joe Terry provided the first win for the Bobcats on the day and defeated Sam Dover 6-2. Terry dominated the entire bout and was a bright spot on a dark day for the Bobcats. Jordan Earnest ended the day for the Bobcats with a win in the heavyweight class.
Coming off the Midlands Championship, Ohio was hopeful of keeping it close with a very tough opponent, but that was not the case. A takeaway for the Bobcats is that the tough competition gives them great experience with Mid-American Conference play looming. Ohio will be back in action on Jan. 10 against Missouri.
