Night of lessons for Nevada Tiger Wrestling
It has been said that failure is not truly failure unless you choose not to learn from it. The Nevada Tiger Wrestling team ran into three high quality, tough opponents Thursday night in Bolivar. Bolivar finished 2nd as a team last year in the state tournament while Pleasant Hill and Osage have tough wrestlers up and down the line up. Head Coach David Hawks “The night was as rough, as the dual scores reflect. We knew going into the night we were fighting an uphill battle, anytime you're competing against the likes of Pleasant Hill and Bolivar you have to perform your very best.” Nevada showed tremendous heart and a never quit and never die attitude in all their matches but in terms of team victories it would not be enough. Nevada also entered the night with several opens, “we had some guys out for various reasons, I certainly don't think that was the difference in any of the duals, but it could have made it a little closer” said Coach Hawks.
Nevada’s first dual of the night was against Osage High School. The dual started at 106 pounds where Nevada was open giving Osage a 6-0 lead. Nevada’s Braylin Brooks would tie the dual up with a pin over his opponent. Mokey Dawn was next up for Nevada at 120 pounds and pushed Nevada into the lead with pin making the score Nevada 12 Osage 6. At 126 pounds Nevada was open giving Osage 6 more team points making the score 12-12. At 132 pounds Nevada’s Joseph Fahnestock picked up another victory by pin making the score 18-12 in favor of Nevada. The dual would turn for the worse for the Tigers. At 145 pounds Nevada was open which tied the dual at 18-18. At 152 pound Nevada freshman Tyler Longobardi had yet another back and forth contest but came up on the losing side as he lost 6-4 giving Osage 3 team points making the score Osage 21 Nevada 18. At 160 pounds Zade Lee would lose by pin fall making the score 27-18 in favor of Osage. Nevada was open at 170 pounds giving Osage another 6 team points pushing their lead to 33-18. At 182 pounds Nevada’s Jace Lee ran into a defending state champion in Osage’s Chase Cordia who won the Class 2 State Championship at 160 pounds last season. Lee would wrestle aggressively but would end up losing by pin fall which gave Osage a 39-18 lead. Nevada was open at 195 pounds which gave Osage a 45-18 lead headed into the final two matches. At 220 pounds Nevada’s Logan Smith would lose a 9-2 decision giving Osage a 48-18 lead. The dual finished at Heavyweight where Nevada’s Skylur Mashek would pick up a 3-0 victory ending the dual with Osage victorious 48-21.
Nevada’s next contest was against host Bolivar. This dual would start at 113 pounds where Nevada’s Braylin Brooks would pick up an open victory giving Nevada an early 6-0 lead. Dawn would then face returning class 2 3rd place medalist Canyon Cunningham at 120 pounds and would lose by Technical Fall making the score Nevada 6 Bolivar 5. Both teams were open at 126 pounds. At 132 pounds Nevada’s Fahnestock would lose by fall giving Bolivar an 11-6 lead. Nevada was open at both 138 and 145 pushing Bolivar’s lead out to 23-6. At 152 pounds Longobardi would win by pin fall cutting into Bolivar’s lead at 23-12 lead. At 160 pounds Z. Lee would also lose by pin pushing Bolivar’s lead to 29-12. Bolivar would get another 6 points at 170 as Nevada was open making the score 35-12. At 182 J. Lee ran into another returning state qualifier in Andrew Bunn and would lose by pin making the score 41-12. Bolivar would get another 6 points at 195 as Nevada was open making the score 47-12. At 220 Nevada’s Smith would run into returning class 2 state runner up Drayton Huchteman where he would lose by fall giving Bolivar at 53-12 lead. At Heavyweight Sklur Mashek wrestled another close match but this time would lose 4-2 extending Bolivar’s lead to 56-12. The dual would end at 106 where Nevada was open and Bolivar picked up another 6 points winning the dual 66-12.
The final boy’s varsity action would be against Pleasant Hill. This dual would start at 120 pounds where Pleasant Hill would get off to a fast start with a win by fall over Dawn giving Pleasant Hill a 6-0 lead. Nevada was open at 126 making Pleasant Hill’s lead double to 12-0. At 132 pounds Fahnestock would suffer a loss by fall making the score 18-0 in favor of Pleasant Hill. Nevada was open at 138 and 145 pounds making the lead 30-0 for Pleasant Hill. At 152 pounds Longobardi ran into the returning 4th place 152 pounder in class 2 from last season Ryan Volland. Volland would win by fall making the score 36-0 in favor of Pleasant Hill. At 160 pounds Z. Lee would also lose by pin making the score 42-0. Nevada was open at 170 making the score 48-0. At 182 pounds J. Lee would run into the returning 6th place medalist at 160 points from last season Lane Brattin. Again Lee would wrestle tough but would loss by fall making the score 54-0. Nevada was open at 195 pounds pushing the lead out to 60-0 for Pleasant Hill. At 220 pounds Pleasant Hill was open giving Smith the victory making it 60-6 in favor of Pleasant Hill. At Heavyweight Skylur Mashek would run into another returning state qualifier in Nathan Hitch and would loss by fall making the score 66-6 for Pleasant Hill. In the final varsity action of the night Nevada’s B. Brooks would take on Sam Ewing, defending class 2 State Champion at 106 pounds last season. Ewing would come away with a pin fall victory giving Pleasant Hill the victory at 72-6.
Nevada’s Varsity Girls would fair a little better than their male teammates. Nevada would win the dual against Osage. The night started at 112 pounds with McKenzie Callaghan was pinned by her Osage opponent. Next at 137 pounds Nevada’s Teresa Dawn would win by pin fall. At 235 pounds returning and Nevada’s first ever female state medalist Claire Pritchett would remain unbeaten on the season by picking up a pin. Callaghan would end up 1-1 on the night as she pinned her opponent from Bolivar later in the evening.
Nevada has a very busy schedule before Christmas break. The Lady Tigers are in competition Friday night and Saturday 12/11 and 12/12 in Belton. Nevada then host a triangular with Diamond and Cassville on Tuesday 12/15 in Wynn Gym at 6 pm. Thursday 12/17 Nevada hosts Pittsburg High School for a dual with start time at 5:30 pm in Wynn Gym then the Varsity boys travel to the Diamond Dual tournament on Saturday 12/19 with action beginning at 10:30 a.m.