Font ResizeOn Thursday inside his home gymnasium, Jimenez found himself on top of Wyomissing's Malcom White for a pin in 1 minute, 53 seconds.
Jimenez's fall sparked the Eagles -- who won four of the next five matches after splitting the first eight -- to a 45-21 win over Wyomissing.
With the win, Bermudian Springs (17-2) advanced to the semifinals of the District 3 Class AA Team Tournament.
On the season, the big Eagle grappler Jimenez has dealt with teams forfeiting to him time and again.
The free wins are frustrating, he said.
"Sometimes I just really want to wrestle and not just win by forfeits, but there's nothing I can do about it because there's not a lot of heavyweights out there," Jimenez said. "So when I do get a chance to wrestle them, I just wrestle."
Usually, those bouts end with Jimenez on top or on his back. The sophomore Eagle has pinned nine opponents this season and has been pinned eight times.
Leading to Thursday's heavyweight bout, the Eagles were tied with the Spartans, 18-18. Bermudian coach Dave McCollum sent Jimenez to the mat knowing it would probably end in a six-point swing for one team.
"That's his 16th win, so he knows how to win," McCollum said. "The only concern with a guy like Jonatan is he's a first-year starter at the varsity level with only three years of experience.
"So you tell him to go out and stay in position,
Jimenez earned a takedown midway through the first period, then, as White tried to get to his feet, Jimenez tripped him and fell on top of him. The Bermudian grappler used his strength to fasten White to the mat for the pin.
"I've been in that position many times and it is fair to say sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't," Jimenez said.
Luck had nothing to do with the first eight matches.
Wyomissing (12-5) won the first two bouts with 135-pounder Nick Hodgkins pinning Sean Berryman and Elisha Gaylor winning a 6-0 decision over Noah Blasone. Bermudian got on the board when senior Eric Meszaros put on a clinic against Sandro Sanchez at 145, winning by technical fall.
The Eagles got their second batch of bonus points in the 152-pound bout when Dalton Anthony outdueled Wyomissing's Austin Helm. It looked as if Helm would get away with a scoreless first period, but the persistent Anthony shot in for a takedown with 11 seconds remaining. Anthony locked the double-leg in tight, then rolled Helm to his back to take a 4-0 lead.
With Helm down to start the second, Anthony rolled Helm for more back points. Anthony would go on to score a reversal and takedown with less than 10 seconds left to win the major decision 10-2.
McCollum was impressed with Anthony's effort to earn the major, especially matching up against a fellow senior and district medallist.
"That's just experience on Dalton's part," Most guys, you come back to center circle, you're ahead by two, short time, you don't want to make a mistake and give up two. Instead, Dalton turns the tables by going after him on a quick low single and driving right into two and the tilt."
The two teams would split the next four matches before Jimenez's pin. After the heavyweight bout, 103-pound Bermudian grappler Brad Farley made short work of Gordon Jaquan with a 21-second pin. Mason Smith earned a 6-5 decision over Bermudian's Colby Starner to inch the Spartans closer, but Tanner Coyle's pin of Cory Rank at 119 sealed the win.
Wes Marshall and Damon Becker won the final two matches for Bermudian.
The Eagles will face Schuykill Valley this afternoon in the semifinals. The last time the Eagles lost, it was to the Panthers, 40-24, in the Dallastown Duals on Jan. 9.
McCollum said his squad was hoping it would get another shot at Schuykill Valley, a 52-18 winner over Annville-Cleona on Thursday. Now it will.
"They've got a lot of good kids," Anthony said. "They're good where we're good and it's just close matches each time."
tjohnson@eveningsun.com
