Matthis vs. Verceles: A battle to be repeated this weekend!

Mount St. Joseph’s second-ranked freshman Nathan Matthis gained vengeance in Saturday’s 120-pound match against top-ranked sophomore Tyler Verceles of visiting 10th-ranked Loyola, earning a 7-4 decision during a tri-meet.

Matthis’ victory improved his series’ lead to 2-1 against Verceles, a former workout partner, junior league rival and returning MIAA runner-up, private schools champion and fifth place National Prep finisher.

Matthis won a rematch of a loss at December’s Beast Of The East Tournament, and appeared to be a slight underdog given Verceles’ runner-up finish at last month’s War On The Shore Tournament where Mathis finished fourth.

“Tyler and I have wrestled at [The Columbia-based] Head Hunters [facility] all the time. I would say that I started practicing with him in 2023, getting ready for Super 32,” Matthis said. “But as far as matches go, I wrestled him last year in the Greco States and beat him 4-3. This season, Tyler beat me at the Beast of the East tournament 8-3.”

Not only did Matthis contribute to the Gaels’ 64-11 rout of the Dons, he also received a forfeit during a 70-12 rout of ninth-ranked Archbishop Curley. The Dons defeated the Friars, 45-27, in the tri-meet.

Matthis and the Gaels have momentum ahead of this weekend’s MIAA tournament, to be held on Saturday at eighth-ranked Gilman.

“Tyler is a very tough competitor, and I knew that going into the match this week that I needed to be focused. Winning this match felt really good. I had a great deal of support from my teammates and coaches,” Matthis said. “They were all in the match, which I felt like it gave me energy. Even afterward, all of them were excited for me and it made me feel great. I know I’ll have many more battles against Tyler as we move into the final three weeks of the season.”

Mathis was among 10 double-winning Gaels’ wrestlers in top-ranked sophomore Brooklyn Pickett (157), top-ranked senior Jake Tamai (132), second-ranked junior Tyler Stephens (144), fourth-ranked junior Connor Allison (150), sixth-ranked senior James Wright (113), seventh-ranked junior Ben Scheiner (138), 23rd-ranked freshman Max Solis (175), freshman Kadyn Tyler (165) and junior Jake Condon (235).

Pinning twice for the Gaels were Allison, Condon, Pickett, Scheiner and Wright.

Pickett’s two pins included one against Archbishop Curley’s 21st-ranked freshman Bradlee Anderson. Wright’s pair of falls included one over the Friars’ 17th-ranked sophomore Liam Rose.

Allison decked both opponents, including the Friars’ 10th-ranked junior Oscar Davis, who was fourth at both MIAAs and private school states last year.

Stephens won by a pin and an 18-3 technical fall over Loyola’s fourth-ranked senior Josh Hale, and Tamai earned a fall and an 8-6 decision over Loyola’s 14th-ranked sophomore Brendan Tobin. Solis pinned Friars’ senior Adeoluwa Adeuwyi to go with a forfeit,

But the marquee victory belonged to Matthis, according to Gaels’ coach Harry Barnabae.

“This was a signature victory over a very seasoned competitor. Tyler has excelled on the national stage so we look to take this momentum into the end of the year tournaments,” Barnabae said. “Nathan has continued to improve each and every week. He is very coachable and will play a major role in the team’s pursuit of [MIAA and state titles] over the next few weeks.”

Mount St. Joseph 70, Archbishop Curley 12

106 Alessandro Barrios, MSJ WBTFall 19 – 4 Dominic Blocker, Curley

113 James Wright, MSJ WBFall Liam Rose, Curley

120 Nathan Matthis, MSJ WBForfeit, Curley

126 CJ Votta, MSJ WBFall, Evan Kaliakoudas, Curley

132 Jake Tamai, MSJ WBFall, Kamryn Ginyard

138 Ben Schiener, MSJ WBFall, Reef Kneidl, Curley

144 Tyler Stephens, MSJ WBFall, Reed Boettcher, Curley

150 Connor Allison, MSJ WBFall, Oscar Davis, Curley

157 Brooklyn Pickett, MSJ WBFall, Bradlee Anderson, Curley

165 Kadyn Tyler, MSJ WBFall, Aiden Mossovitz, Curley

175 Max Solis, MSJ WBFall, Adeoluwa Adewuyi, Curley

190 Bailen Boutz, Curley WBVFall, William Ennis, MSJ

215 Joshua Williamsom, Curley WBFall, Jonah Sellasie, MSJ

285 Jake Condon, MSJ WBFall, Braylon Bradford, Curley

Mount St. Joseph 64 Loyola Blakefield 11

106 Charles Cooper, Loyola, WBFall Alessandro Barrios, MSJ

113 James Wright, MSJ WBFall Logan Myers, Loyola

120 Nathan Mathis, MSJ WBDec 7 – 4, Tyler Verceles, Loyola

126 Jayden Jackson, Loyola WBTFall 21 – 5, CJ Votta, MSJ

132 Jake Tamai, MSJ WBDec 8 – 6, Bredan Tobin, Loyola

138 Ben Schiener, MSJ WBFall, Evan Durand, Loyola

144 Tyler Stephens, MSJ WBTFall, 18 – 3, Josh Hale, Loyola

150 Connor Allison, MSJ WBFall, Amir Cartwright, Loyola

157 Brooklyn Pickett, MSJ WBFall, Keegan Wengert, Loyola

165 Kadyn Tyler, MSJ WBFall, Aiden Goloboski, Loyola

175 Max Solis, MSJ, WBForfeit, Loyola

190 William Ennis, MSJ, WBForfeit, Loyola

215 Jonah Sellasie, MSJ, WBForfeit, Loyola

285 Jake Condon, MSJ WBFall, Brendan Kelly, Loyola