Amherst senior Hassan Dobbins has been one of the most active offseason wrestlers in recent memory, almost never missing an opportunity to improve at area camps and practices outside of the normal high school wrestling season. Many people across WNY have come to recognize Hassan for his tireless work ethic, fearless style, and humble and polite personality.
On Tuesday night in the Jungle, Dobbins let the result of his work speak for itself as he defeated the Eagles’ defending Section VI Division II 126-pound champion Julian Martin by decision, 10-5, in perhaps the most critical bout of the evening between the ECIC II league rivals.
The final buzzer stirred his teammates and fans into a frenzy, as everyone in attendance was well aware of the hard work and dedication Dobbins has committed himself to for this sport.
While Martin claimed a sectional title last February, Dobbins missed qualifying for the Section VI Division I state qualifier after placing fifth in Class A.
“He has put in the work,” said Amherst head coach Dennis Bauer on Dobbins’ offseason training. “I don’t believe this was a fluke. He is strong in every position.”
In the second period, Dobbins clung to a 3-1 lead, but a flurry of action led to a 7-5 score by the end of the period with Dobbins still holding the two-point lead going into the third.
Martin possessed the final choice in the match and elected to go down. However, Dobbins wouldn’t fall victim to Martin’s Peterson Roll and scrambling ability from underneath again. With time winding down, Hassan was able to catch Martin in his last-ditch effort at a reversal for three near fall points to end the match, 10-5.
The decision win by Dobbins resulted in three team points for Amherst. A decision loss would’ve meant three team points for Lake Shore instead, and, had every other match ended with the same result, a 40-39 win for the #9 small school Eagles.
“The seniors all led well,” said Bauer after team win. “I have been very happy with our numbers and effort. There was great energy from our bench all night.”
Amherst’s Quinlan Lyle, Payton Mack, and Ben Buscaglia collected forfeits while Dobbins, Clark Whitefield, Jonah Christakis, Ben Levine, and Ryan Bitka picked up head-to-head wins. Christakis, Levine, and Bitka all earned pins and team bonus points between 182 and 285-pounds.
Lake Shore’s Blake Hageman, Hyde Horning, Thomas Martin, Carter Grohman, Luke Joslyn, Devin Jeffery, and Connor Bluff won head to head matches in the effort.
It was the season opener for both teams in what looks to be a competitive ECIC II league race this winter. Amherst will visit Starpoint on Thursday, December 12th for their next league dual while Lake Shore travels back to the Town of Amherst to take on Sweet Home in an ECIC II match on the 11th.