Huff Wins First Coker Title at Pembroke Classic

PEMBROKE, N.C. – Charlie Huff earned the first championship in Coker wrestling history on Saturday (Nov. 9) at the 33d Annual Pembroke Classic. Huff took home the championship in the 133-pound division. Also placing at The Classic for the Cobras were Zach Dicus and Austin Akins. Dicus placed fifth in the 174-pound division and Akins took sixth place in the 285-pound division.

Huff's championship run began with a 7-1 defeat of Brewton-Parker's Ethan Wampler. He then took down Ferrum's Dakota Thompson 7-4, followed by a 5-1 decision against Ross Benzel from Limestone in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals Huff defeated Virgil Toms of Newberry 4-3. He then earned a 5-4 decision over Colby Yates to bring home the championship.

At 174, Dicus's day started when he pinned Life's Jonathan Hill. He then had a 10-0 major decision against UNCP's George Arrington. In his next match, Dicus defeated Limestone's Matthew Ostermiller 7-2 to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals Dicus was pinned by UNCP's Robert Slade, dropping him to the wrestleback bracket. From there he was pinned by UNCP's Terrance Zaleski in the semifinals of the wrestleback bracket. In the fifth place match, Dicus took on Ostermiller once again, defeating him 7-6.

Akins opened the match with a pin of Ferrum's Aston Williams and a 16-0 tech fall against Belmont Abbey's Thomas Turpin. Pembroke's Chris Giddens narrowly defeated Akins 4-3. In the wrestleback bracket Akins lost another close match, 2-1 to UNCP's Christian McLean. In the final match of the day, Akins dropped a 7-3 decision to Limestone's Derek Pommerenke, earning a sixth place finish.

Also earning multiple wins for the Cobras were Mikel Nelson, Gavin Perkins, Rashad Cunningham, Walker Barfield, JD Dykes and Kevin Thompson.

The Cobras will be back on the mat when they travel to NC State for the NC State Open on Sunday (Nov. 17). The NCSU Open begins at 9 a.m. at Carmichael Gymnasium. 

33rd Annual Pembroke Classic

Championship First Round

149 - Kevin Thompson (Coker) WBTF Dakota Stewart (Anderson) 149 T1.5 16-1; 2:23

Championship Second Round

 125 - #4-Mikel Nelson (Coker) WBF Ian McKinley (East Tennessee State) F 1:00

 133 - Charlie Huff (Coker) DEC Ethan Wampler (Brewton-Parker) D 7-1

 133 - RaSean McArthur (Coker) DEC John Ivashchenko (The Citadel-Unattached) D 2-1

 141 - Tyler Ross (UNC Pembroke) DEC Joseph Fought (Coker) M 12-4

 141 - Rashad Cunningham (Coker) DEC Lucas Setzer (UNC Pembroke) D 6-1

 149 - Eric Milks (UNC Pembroke) DEC Walker Barfield (Coker) D 8-6

 149 - Kevin Thompson (Coker) DEC Danny Soares (Limestone-Unattached) M 13-0

 157 - Sean Murphy (Ferrum) DEC Athon Arant (Coker) M 13-1

 157 - Darien Peele (East Carolina-Unattached) DEC Johnathan Dykes (Coker) D 6-4

 174 - Grant Chaistain (Life-Unattached) DEC Joseph Holland (Coker) D 2-0

 174 - Zach Dicus (Coker) WBF Jonathan Hill (Life-Unattached) F 0:57

 184 - Jon Altice (Ferrum) DEC Jacob Ralph (Coker) D 3-0

 197 - #1-Joe Grisko (Newberry) DEC Robert Parland (Coker) D 8-2

Wrestleback Second Round

149 - Walker Barfield (Coker) DEC Ed Stokes (Coker-Unattached) D 4-1

 125 - #4-Mikel Nelson (Coker) DEC Timothy Britt (Limestone) M 13-4

 125 - Gavin Perkins (Coker) DEC Jonathan Lopez (Limestone-Unattached) D 2-0

 133 - Charlie Huff (Coker) DEC Dakota Thompson (Ferrum) D 7-4

 133 - Virgil Toms (Newberry) WBF RaSean McArthur (Coker) F 0:42

 141 - Logan Meister (Ferrum) DEC Rashad Cunningham (Coker) D 6-2

 149 - #2-Seiji Borja (Newberry) DEC Kevin Thompson (Coker) D 13-6

 174 - Seth Robertson (George Mason-Unattached) WBTF Philip Burrows (Coker) T1.5 16-1; 6:01

 174 - Zach Dicus (Coker) DEC George Arrington (UNC Pembroke) M 10-0

 285 - #3-Austin Akins (Coker) WBF Aston Williams (Ferrum) F 1:00

Wrestleback Third Round

 141 - Joseph Fought (Coker) WBF Jared Greer (Anderson) F 6:45

 149 - Walker Barfield (Coker) WBF Gabe Dunham (Cumberlands) F 2:54

 157 - Athon Arant (Coker) DEC Jake Jones (East Tennessee State) D 5-0

 157 - Johnathan Dykes (Coker) DEC Tyler Williams (Brewton-Parker) D 7-4

 174 - Cody Burres (The Citadel-Unattached) WBF Joseph Holland (Coker) F 4:15

Wrestleback Fourth Round

 133 - RaSean McArthur (Coker) WBF Varlee Kelleh (Coker-Unattached) F 4:00

 141 - Rashad Cunningham (Coker) DEC James Prescott (Brewton-Parker) D 1-0

 141 - Joseph Fought (Coker) DEC Patrick Hutton (North Carolina State-Unattache) M 9-0

 149 - Kevin Thompson (Coker) DEC Walker Barfield (Coker) D 1-0

 157 - Joseph Remaklus (UNC Pembroke-Unattached) DEC Athon Arant (Coker) D 8-1

 157 - Johnathan Dykes (Coker) DEC Jason Carr (The Citadel-Unattached) D 3-1

 174 - Philip Burrows (Coker) WBF MaNako Peay (East Tennessee State) F DQ

 184 - Janicento Williamson (St. Andrews) DEC Jacob Ralph (Coker) D 3-0

 197 - Stacy Davis (North Carolina State-Unattache) DEC Robert Parland (Coker) D 3-2

Championship Quarterfinals Round

 125 - Grant Burkhalter (Cumberlands) WBTF #4-Mikel Nelson (Coker) T1.5 16-0; 7:00

 125 - #2-Travis Laxton (Newberry) DEC Gavin Perkins (Coker) M 12-3

 133 - Charlie Huff (Coker) DEC #1-Ross Benzel (Limestone-Unattached) D 5-1

 174 - Zach Dicus (Coker) DEC Matthew Ostermiller (Limestone) D 7-2

 285 - #3-Austin Akins (Coker) WBTF Thomas Turpin (Belmont Abbey-Unattached) T1.5 16-0; 4:13

Wrestleback Fifth Round

 133 - Henry Majano (Limestone) DEC RaSean McArthur  133 (Coker) D 5-2

 141 - Rashad Cunningham (Coker) WBF Landon Burkhalter (Cumberlands) F 6:20

 141 - Andrew Clayton (The Citadel-Unattached) DEC Joseph Fought (Coker) D 5-3

 149 - Orlando Medina (Brewton-Parker) WBF Kevin Thompson (Coker) F 1:27

 157 - Isaiah Bradley (Limestone-Unattached) DEC Johnathan Dykes (Coker) D 5-3

 174 - Arthur Walthour (Brewton-Parker) WBF Philip Burrows (Coker) F 5:35

Wrestleback Sixth Round

 125 - Brendan Calas (North Carolina State-Unattache) DEC #4-Mikel Nelson (Coker) M 10-1

 125 - Gavin Perkins (Coker) DEC Kyle Lowe (Limestone) D 7-2

 141 - Rashad Cunningham (Coker) DEC Logan Smith (Ferrum) D 6-5

Championship Semifinals Round

 133 - Charlie Huff (Coker) DEC Virgil Toms (Newberry) D 4-3

 174 - #3-Robert Shade (UNC Pembroke) WBF Zach Dicus (Coker) F 5:48

 285 - #2-Chris Giddens (UNC Pembroke) DEC #3-Austin Akins (Coker) D 4-3;TB2

Wrestleback Quarterfinals Round

 125 - Immanuel Henderson (Brewton-Parker) DEC Gavin Perkins (Coker) D 11-6

 141 - Dyllan Greene (Newberry) WBTF Rashad Cunningham (Coker) T1.5 15-0; 6:00

Wrestleback Semifinals Round

 174 - Terrence Zaleski (UNC Pembroke-Unattached) WBF Zach Dicus (Coker) F 3:27

 285 - #5-Christian McLean (UNC Pembroke) DEC #3-Austin Akins (Coker) D 2-1

Finals - First Place

133 - Charlie Huff (Coker) DEC Colby Yates (Unattached) D 5-4

Coker-Unattached

Championship First Round

 149 - Luke Ludke (George Mason-Unattached) WBF Ed Stokes (Coker-Unattached) F 4:08

Championship Second Round

 133 - Cameron Nolan (Cumberlands) DEC Varlee Kelleh (Coker-Unattached) M 11-2

 133 - Christopher Diaz Rivera (Limestone-Unattached) DEC Deron Burton (Coker-Unattached) D 7-3

 285 - Jake Shumpert (Brewton-Parker) WBF Brian Lussier (Coker-Unattached) F 1:50

 285 - Jackson Dowless (The Citadel-Unattached) DEC Tyvon Leacock (Coker-Unattached) D 4-2

Wrestleback Second Round

 149 - Walker Barfield (Coker) DEC Ed Stokes (Coker-Unattached) D 4-1

Championship Third Round

 285 - #5-Christian McLean (UNC Pembroke) WBF Alex Green (Coker-Unattached) F 1:19

Wrestleback Third Round

 133 - Varlee Kelleh (Coker-Unattached) DEC Jacob Phillips (Brewton-Parker) D 6-4

 133 - Markus Almeida (Belmont Abbey) DEC Deron Burton (Coker-Unattached) M 12-0

 285 - Tyvon Leacock (Coker-Unattached) DEC Chandler Cole (Ferrum) D 9-8

Wrestleback Fourth Round

 133 - RaSean McArthur (Coker) WBF Varlee Kelleh (Coker-Unattached) F 4:00

 285 - Jackson Dowless (The Citadel-Unattached) DEC Brian Lussier (Coker-Unattached) D 5-1

 285 - Alex Green (Coker-Unattached) DEC Richard Sharek (UNC Pembroke-Unattached) D 7-2

 285 - Jake Shumpert (Brewton-Parker) DEC Tyvon Leacock (Coker-Unattached) D 3-0

Wrestleback Fifth Round

 285 - Alex Green (Coker-Unattached) DEC Christopher Sayers (Limestone-Unattached) D 4-1

Wrestleback Sixth Round

 285 - Alex Green (Coker-Unattached) DEC Kenny Mason (Brewton-Parker) D 5-4 

Wrestleback Quarterfinals Round

 285 - Devin Pommerenke (Limestone-Unattached) WBF Alex Green (Coker-Unattached) F 0:29