LAKELAND, Fla. — On a night they celebrated their senior class, No. 3 Southeastern delivered a commanding performance, rolling past Brewton-Parker Christian 33-3 Friday evening at the Fire Pit.
The dual opened with Brewton-Parker striking first at 125, as TJ McLean earned an 11-5 decision over
Erick Hair to put the visitors ahead 3-0. That early deficit proved to be the lone blemish for the Fire, who responded with nine straight wins to close the night and assert their dominance from start to finish.
At 133,
Chris Dinsdale set the tone for the comeback, using a relentless pace to secure a 12-5 decision over Bryan Cates and even the score. Momentum fully swung at 141, where top-ranked
Andrew Voiles electrified the crowd with the first fall of the night, pinning Kullum Irvin in 3:27. Despite an unsportsmanlike penalty assessed during the bout, the Fire surged ahead 8-3 and never looked back.
The middle of the lineup continued to deliver steady separation. Second-ranked
Mario De La Torre controlled the action at 149, earning a 9-4 decision over Blake Walker, while
Michael Shannon followed at 157 with an 8-2 victory against Justin Whitney. Those wins pushed SEU's lead to 14-3 and kept the Fire firmly in command heading into the upper weights.
At 165, sixth-ranked
Anthony Federico put an exclamation point on the dual, overwhelming David Washington with a 19-4 technical fall in just 4:16. Federico's bonus-point performance extended the lead to 19-3 and ignited another wave of energy from the Fire Pit crowd.
Lane Reardon kept the pressure on at 174, posting an 11-2 major decision over Gailan Wilds. One of the marquee matchups of the night followed at 184, where No. 14
August Batson delivered a statement win, earning a 19-4 major decision over No. 10 Zahquel Davis. Batson's performance underscored the Fire's depth and consistency against ranked competition.
Southeastern closed the evening with composure and control.
Ralph Sanchez picked up an 11-4 decision over Brandon Lively at 197, and heavyweight
Seth Tshiams sealed the dual with a hard-fought 4-1 decision over Turk Daniels to finalize the 33-3 result.
The Fire will be back on the mat next Friday, January 23, traveling to Marshall, Mo., for the Missouri Valley Invitational. The all-day event will provide another strong measuring stick for Southeastern as it continues to fine-tune its lineup and build momentum heading into the heart of the postseason stretch.
