Blair wrestler Atticus Dick tallied the decisive team points Thursday as the Bears earned a 36-35 home dual win against Elkhorn South.
Karter Scott and Shay Bailey, however, played just as large of role. Even in defeat.
“We had a lot of guys get pinned and we can't do that, but when it came down to it, Karter Scott, that freshman, he really helped out the team by doing everything he could to stay off his back,” BHS coach Erich Warner said.
Before Dick's 3-1 decision victory at 126 pounds got Blair to 36 points, Scott did everything in his power to ensure the Storm scored four instead of six at 120. He kept his shoulders off of the mat and even scored a late escape in going all 6 minutes against South's Matthew Parker.
Dick's win would push Blair's advantage to 36-31 before the dual finale at 132 pounds — Bailey's weight class. To beat Elkhorn South, the 4-29 senior Bear needed to win or keep the Storm's Samuel Webster (12-13 overall) from pinning him. He lost 21-8, but his teammates were on their feet as he never allowed what would have been a deflating pin.
“(Shay) gets beat, but he wins the dual for us just because of his fight, his grit and his toughness,” Warner said. “Really proud of both those kids (Scott and Bailey) and the whole team, really, but those two stick out.”
Dick was one of the Bears celebrating the heart shown out on the home mats.
“Oh my gosh, it was awesome. I'm going to have no voice tomorrow,” he said. “It was really great.”
The 126-pounder overcame his own adversity, too, winning his first pressure-packed match back after having his wisdom teeth removed.
“They need me. My team needs me here,” Dick said, recalling what was going through his head during his match at 126 pounds. “I had to really dig deep.”
Blair's Charlie Powers, Yoan Camejo, Dex Larsen and Jesse Loges added pins in their team's one-point win, while Luke Frost claimed a 4-1 decision at 113 pounds. Dane Larsen scored six team points by forfeit as well.
The Bears' overall effort pushed their season dual record to 27-4.
“When you dual, you want to win,” Warner said. “Point blank.”
BHS did just that.
Bears finish 2nd at Plattsmouth Invite
BHS won more matches Saturday during the Plattsmouth Invitational.
The Bears finished second to first-place Millard South, scoring 167 team points and crowing two weight class champions in Powers and Dex Larsen. Powers improved to 38-2 this season with a win by pin against the host Blue Devils' Mathew Zietek and a 4-2 decision against Millard South's Henry Reilly.
Larsen, meanwhile, moved to 39-0 with three wins in the 195-pound weight class. He pinned Millard South's Brock Dyer in 1:12 to start before earning 3-2 and 7-3 decisions against Grand Island Northwest's 27-9 Victor Isele and the Patriots' 18-4 Connor Hoy, respectively.
Blair's Loges, Braden Hanson and Gabe Gaskill also reached their bracket finals, finishing second. Frost added a third-place finish at 113 as well.
