The Imps took 13 of the 14 matches, including five by fall, and are now just one duals win away from 350 consecutive team dual victories.

Even still, coach Jerry Winterton said there were things his team must continue working on.

“I don’t feel comfortable in my lineup at all. We’ll have a really good wrestler that I can sit back and then I’ve got a couple guys where I’ve got to squirm and get through the matches with,” Winterton said. “The thing I like about this group is they’ve all got potential. They’ll all get better as the year goes on, I’m sure of that.”

Continuing to shine for Cary was Eloheim Palma. Still ranked as the No. 3 heavyweight in the nation, the back-to-back state champion took just 21 seconds to pin the Falcons’ Mack Lloyd.

“Anytime you’re in the top-5 in the country, that’s special,” Winterton said. “He’s got all the tools because he’s quick and he’s powerful. It’s that quickness that makes him different from all of the heavies.”

Having key wrestlers out with injury isn’t an ideal way for any team to enter a conference match — especially when facing Cary. But that’s where Green Hope found itself before grappling the Imps — without Sean Donohue, Jared Compiano and Richard Yount.

It didn’t help that some Falcon wrestlers may have been too excited to face the 18-time state champions.

“When you come over and you wrestle Cary, a lot of them are nervous all week about the Cary match,” Green Hope coach Chip Bunn said.

Despite the lopsided result, the loss is just Green Hope’s third of the year and could’ve been much closer, according to Cary’s head man.

“You take those close matches and put them the other way, it’s as scary as I thought it was going in,” Winterton said.

Joey Baird, the state’s No. 1 wrestler at 140-pounds, provided the lone bright spot as his pin of Jason Rossi had the Falcons (12-3) down just 12-6 after the first four matches. Baird has lost about 12 pounds since last season, and being able to drop into a lower weight class has paid off.

“Joey’s worked hard all off-season and he’s just getting used to getting to 140,” Bunn said. “He’s been losing weight, following his guideline, so now he’s got to get used to weighing there. He’s a real solid wrestler.”

But unfortunately for Green Hope, even after Baird had won the match, Cary still had four wrestlers left that are ranked either No. 1 or 2 in the state.

Sophomore Benjamin Creed, ranked No. 1 at 103 pounds, senior Gabe Brotzman, ranked No. 1 in the state at 152 pounds, Matthew Colvard, ranked No. 2 at 160 pounds and Palma, No. 1 at 285, all lived up to their rankings with pins.

It didn’t help the Falcons either when Kenny Buchanan was upset at 130-pounds by Cordale Risk. Buchanan is now ranked No. 5 in his weight class after the loss.

Also winning for the Imps were Jacob Brotzman (125), Ronnie Winterton (135), David Alecio (145), Joshua Boozer (171), Christopher Hare (189) and Kevin Puente (215). Winning the matches with lower-ranked players is a positive sign for a young Cary team.

“We’re dominated by a lineup that has juniors and they’re right there to break through and take that next step,” Winterton said. “Most of them are guys who started wrestling in ninth grade and they’re just now coming on, and that’s what it takes — two or three years.”

Cary will compete in the Mark Adams Tournament on Monday and Tuesday.

“[A loss] gives you incentive as a coach to get them back in there and work them harder, teach them,” Bunn said. “We made a lot of sloppy mistakes when we had an opportunities to score. We gave up some points that we shouldn’t and then we let them be more physical and more aggressive.”