The Arlington and Fort Calhoun wrestling teams split their four contested matches Tuesday, but the Pioneers' more-populated lineup scored a 46-28 win during the Eagles' triangular.
AHS hosted both coach Drew Welchert's squad and Weeping Water on the night, going 0-for-2 in its first two duals of the young high school season. FCHS, meanwhile, went 2-0.
The first varsity match of the all-Washington County bout — after Jacob Beans' junior varsity decision win at 160 pounds — went the Eagles' way. Stokely Lewis fell behind Calhoun 145-pounder Owen Miller 4-1 through one period, but notched a pin at 2:36 when the Pioneer lost his grip. Trailing, the Eagle was able to get to his feet and shake Miller during the early stages of the second period.
“He just fell straight to his butt,” Lewis said. “I just turned on him.”
Next, Fort Calhoun's Grant Nixon bested Kolton Gilmore by 12-1 major decision at 170 pounds. The returning state qualifier led 5-0 after one period and 12-0 after two.
“I need to get better on top,” Nixon said after he was unable to finish Gilmore, who scored a late escape. “Being a hammer on top.”
The Pioneer said he can improve by implementing more pressure and more turns during future matches.
After three straight forfeits at 182, 195 and 220 pounds, which resulted in a 24-22 FCHS lead, Jesse Hartline battled Arlington's JoeSeth McBride at heavyweight. The undersized Calhoun wrestler went into the match with plan — his normal strategy against larger competition.
“I try and get pressure on top where I'm good and get a pin in quickly without doing anything dumb,” Hartline said. He succeeded, pinning McBride in just 1:28.
The final contested match of the night may have been the most action-packed. Eagle 113-pounder Trey Hill beat Gage Nixon by 13-3 major decision, but had to work hard to earn it across 6 minutes. The winner said he had to keep finding new ways to keep Nixon down as the Pioneer tried to roll out of holds for a match-changing reversal or escape.
“I was starting to think, 'Oh, man, this one is going to go on forever,'” Hill said.
The AHS grappler held on, though, capping the night of matches with a home win.
“We're pretty good on top and bottom, I think,” Hill said when asked about his team's strengths so far this season. Earlier in the night, the Eagles' Izzy Sanchez, Gilmore and McBride earned pins in their team's 36-30 loss to Weeping Water.
“I've learned a lot,” Lewis said of the young season. “It's a lot of fun. I like the team.”
Fort Calhoun, meanwhile, bested Weeping Water 60-18. Peyton Lincoln, Tristen Hansen, Mason Touring, Dane Jensen and Ely Olberding all won their matches by pin. Touring's match at 220 pounds took just 32 seconds before Jensen's 22-second pin at 285.
“Our team is getting better every week by a huge amount,” Hartline said. “Everyone's being positive, and it's really easy to get better when everyone is positive and having a good time about it.”
New wrestlers have already shown progress in the FCHS room.
“We've got more kids and a lot more talent,” Nixon said. “They're putting that talent to work and improving every day.”
