The Fort Calhoun Pioneers missed a number of school days and wrestling matches due to recent winter weather.
On Tuesday, though, the FCHS boys still returned to the mat in shape and ready to compete on Parents' Night against Omaha Benson and Omaha Northwest.
“If you've got guys coming back after that and they're all on weight, that's not bad,” coach Drew Welchert said, cracking a smile. “That was step one and then, yeah, they actually all wrestled very well. Wins and losses, the guys did well.”
The Pioneers swept their Omaha competition across two home duals, topping Northwest 63-12 before a 51-24 victory against Benson.
“Not a lot of mistakes for having missed so much practice,” Welchert said, crediting seniors AJ Duros and Gage Nixon for leading the team.
Nixon was one of the five FCHS wrestlers who started Tuesday's dual against Benson with a pin. Presley Olberding, Landon Bernasek, Seth Waters and Fred Altstadt did, too.
Welchert said he's been impressed with the 138-pounder, Waters.
“He's worked his tail off and he's finally starting to get a lot of success in competition,” the coach noted.
After Duros claimed a forfeit at 157 pounds, freshman Ray Caruso scored the Pioneers' next win at 175. He topped Bunny Nay Lay Htoo by decision.
“Plenty strong and he listens well,” Welchert said of the ninth-grader. “He's one of the most coachable kids on the team. He's consistently getting better, better and better just like a handful of those other younger guys.”
Trey King claimed a pin at 190 pounds next, scoring FCHS team points at the end of a back-and-forth match. This season is the junior's first wrestling.
“He's doing a fantastic job listening and improving and making corrections and stuff,” Welchert said.
Merritt Olberding finally capped the dual — the night's third — by pin at 113 pounds, securing a 27-point victory.
Overall, it was the Pioneers' second win of the night after Merritt Olberding, Bernasek, Nixon, Waters, Altstadt, Duros, TJ DeMilt and Connor Holmstedt all took victories from Northwest Huskies in the opener. Holmstadt's pin at 215 pounds took just 40 seconds.
“We've got a lot of guys that are working hard in the practice room,” Welchert said at the end of the night's work on the mat. “We can see improvement.”
Fort Calhoun next competes Saturday during the Nebraska Capitol Conference Tournament at Douglas County West. Matches begin at 9:30 a.m.
