Mid-Prairie drops duals with Monticello, Regina

WELLMAN

    Mid-Prairie lost a pair of duals at home on Dec. 10, losing to Monticello, 36-46, and Regina Catholic, 36-39.

    The first round saw bonus points in every match; other than Monticello’s Bo Kramer’s 14-5 major decision over Kaden Meader at 160 pounds, every match ended with a fall, five for the Golden Hawks and four for the Panthers.

    Mid-Prairie pinned four straight, starting with Jardin Mufaume’s fall in 1:52, coming after Mufaume built an early lead with a takedown and two-point near fall, giving the Golden Hawks their first team lead, 12-10. Then, falls by Ben Meader at 182 (1:44), Cael Garvey at 195 pounds (41 seconds), a Monticello forfeit at 220, and another pin from heavyweight Gannon Callahan (49 seconds) gave Mid-Prairie a commanding lead, 36-10, with six matches remaining.

    However, the Golden Hawks had to forfeit at 106, 126 and 138 pounds. Monticello picked up steam at the heavier weights, too.

    Kale Hansen pinned Mid-Prairie’s Mose Yoder at 113 pounds. Hansen earned an early takedown, but Yoder responded with a hard-fought escape and a takedown of his own. An escape and takedown from Hansen gave the Panther a 4-3 lead going into the second quarter, where he pinned Yoder in with 28 seconds left.

    Noah Freeman was pinned by Mark Sunlin at 120 pounds and Spencer Grout also lost by fall at 132 pounds, affording Monticello enough points to claim their 46-36 team victory.

    In the second round, Mid-Prairie won five matches by forfeit and Gannon Callahan pinned Regina’s Caeden Shelter at heavyweight, but the Golden Hawks lost the remaining seven matches (no wrestlers from either team competed at 132 pounds).

    The 195-pound contest was the only match that did not end by forfeit or fall. Mid-Prairie’s Cael Garvey and Regina’s Ronan Poynton were deadlocked in the first period and the match remained scoreless until Garvey earned an escape in the second period after choosing to start in par terre. Regina then chose to start down in the third period, where Poynton also earned an escape. Going to overtime, Poynton shot for a double-leg takedown near the edge of the mat and managed to keep his toes just inside, thereby winning the match 3-1.

    With one match left to wrestle, Mid-Prairie led 36-33. At 152 pounds, Owen Trimpe racked up an early 6-0 lead over the Regals’ Sam Aitchison off three takedowns in the first minute. Trimpe ended the first period with a 6-3 lead.

    Midway through the second period, however, Aitchison went in for a single-leg takedown, managing to circle Trimpe to his back and quickly end the match with a pin.