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Twice as nice
Parisi wins 2nd straight title in dominating fashion
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Published: February 21, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM — With a huge lead late in the third period, it was simply a matter of the seconds ticking off the clock.
When they did, Dominic Parisi stood up and calmly pointed up to the Jay M. Robinson fans in the stands of Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
One might say he didn't have much of a reaction for just winning a state championship.
"I don't like to do a lot of (showboating)," Parisi said. "That's not me."
It might also have something to do with the fact the Robinson junior has won every one of his matches over the last two seasons.
With a dominating 9-0 major decision win over Chapel Hill's Joshua Craig in the 4A 119-pound final, Parisi won his second straight NCHSAA title Saturday night, and capped off a second consecutive undefeated season.
"It feels about the same (as winning the 112-pound title last year)," Parisi said. "It feels great."
Parisi finished the season 59-0 and, since a decision loss in the semifinals of the 2007 state meet, he has reeled off 117 consecutive wins.
"Heck no, I didn't expect that at all," he said of the back-to-back perfect seasons.
Although four Cabarrus County wrestlers reached the championship finals, Parisi was the lone champion.
Robinson teammate Garrison White suffered his first loss in the 4A 103-pound final, while the Northwest Cabarrus duo of Luke Dutch (130) and Robert Golde (112) also took home runner-up finishes.
For Parisi, though, there was never a doubt — throughout the tournament or the final match.
After winning his first three matches by a 24-9 technical fall, a 12-0 major decision and a second-period pin, the top-ranked Parisi entered the final as a huge favorite.
Craig, ranked eighth, had upset Mallard Creek's Michaiah Miller in the semifinals, after Miller beat Butler's Tom Puckett — the runner-up last year to Parisi at 112 — in the second round.
"Last year (Craig) wrestled 112 at the state tournament, my weight class. I won it and he didn't place," Parisi said. "So I had a good mind going into it."
And he never let the underdog get any confidence, recording an early takedown in the first period, another one in the second and adding three back points for a 7-0 lead heading into the third.
"That was the plan," Parisi said of the most recent of his dominating wins.
Said his father, and Robinson coach Dave Parisi: "When you're coming into a tournament 55-0 and get a five-point lead it's going to be pretty tough to come back on you."
The final two minutes was a mere formality before Parisi could celebrate again, having taken everyone's best shot as a defending state champion.
"The pressure was on him, but I think he came in here today with a lot of confidence," Dave Parisi said. "He couldn't have performed any better. I'm extremely proud of him."
The second-ranked White, in his first state meet, recorded pins in his first three matches
before running into the anticipated showdown with top-ranked and defending champion Ben Creed of
Cary. Creed prevailed with a 7-2 decision, but the match was much closer.
It was 2-2 going to the third period when Creed scored an early escape for the eventual winning
point.
"I think the official let it go too long and then the situation ended," Dave Parisi said.
"Garrison should've got the neutral there, but Ben Creed wrestled a good match."
Creed later got a reversal and two back points before the final whistle.
Creed, who lost just one match this season, took a 2-0 lead in the first period before White
tied it with a reversal. White nearly got another reversal late in the second period, but ran
out of time before he couldn't complete it.
White finished his freshman season 56-1.
"Garrison I know is pleased with the season and he'll be back," Dave Parisi said. "This is only
going to make him hungrier.
Dutch came within a takedown in the final seconds of winning the 3A 130-pound title.
His match with top-ranked Brandon Hodges of Ragsdale also was 2-2 heading into the final two
minutes. Hodges was able to stand up and force an escape early in the period. Dutch went on the
offense from there, but couldn't keep Hodges in bounds to score the takedown after several
restarts in final minute.
"Luke sort of cut him loose there (on the escape) so we could work a takedown, but it just
didn't pan out," Northwest head coach Ken Kepley said. "We were there a couple of times in
close, and just couldn't finish it."
Dutch used a quick reversal at the start of the second period to take a 2-0 lead, but Hodges
quickly turned it around to even the match.
Dutch, a junior who came in ranked third and placed fifth at last year's state meet, reached the
finals with a pin, a major decision and a decision, and finished 55-4 on the season.
"It's disappointing, but we were right there," Kepley said. "We were right in the mix. A mistake
here or a mistake there we don't make and we win that match."
Golde also came in ranked third, and also ran into the top-ranked wrestler in his class, and
Timdarius Thurston of High Point Andrews came away with 12-4 victory in the 112-pound 3A final.
Thurston led the whole way after an early takedown and pulled away in the third period.
"He's tough as he can be," Kepley said of Thurston, who finished the season undefeated. "He
doesn't look like he ever gets tired. He's a senior and we won't see him again. Robby wrestled a
tough match."
Golde recorded a pin and two decisions to reach the title match in his first state meet. He
finished his junior seaason 53-4.
"A heckuva run for him," Kepley said.
"They don't have anything to be ashamed of. That's what I told them."
"We were there, we made some noise and people are going to have to open up their eyes and look
it at us."
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