|
|
|
In five words, Leavenworth wrestling coach Jay Johnston delivered a challenge to his final three wrestlers.
“Pins. Pins. We need pins.”
Trailing by 16 points with just three matches left, Johnston knew that to be victorious over Blue Valley Northwest Wednesday, his team needed the six points that each pin would provide.
Get those and LV could then pull out a come-from-behind victory over its visitors in the opening match of Leavenworth’s senior night triangular. But to do that, the Pioneers had to have pins.
Jacob Roberson wasted little time to make his contribution, getting a pin win over his 195-pound opponent in the first period. Nathan Butler then followed suit, pinning his 220-pound opponent in the second round, leaving LV down 36-32 heading into the final match.
And so, for the third time this season, 285-pound Jesse Colver took the mat with a chance to secure a Pioneer victory. With 1:35 left in the final period, Colver did just that when he bowed his opponent onto his back and held him there for the pin moments later.
“First off, it’s awesome to just finish 3-1 at home on the year,” Johnston said. “From the start of our program four years ago to defending our turf now, that is a big deal. Secondly, it’s a lot of pressure for kids their age but we had to have those pins to win. You could see they were going out there with intentions of winning and nothing else.”
Leavenworth began the night hot against Blue Valley Northwest. The squad won the first three matches, pins from Danny Wilson at 106 and Chris Nelson at 120 plus a 17-2 tech win by 113-pound Jacob Baker to hold an early 17-0 advantage.
“Chris Nelson had an awesome day,” Johnston said. “He is a kid that just goes and goes and goes. It’s just his second year so the technique is not quite there but he is all energy, all hustle and I’ve been so proud of him.”
Yet, the momentum quickly shifted the Huskies way when the visitors were victorious over the next six bouts. Pioneer 126-pound grappler Michael Harrington lost by pin followed by Mark Davis falling by pin at 138. A Pioneer open sandwiched at 132 allowed Northwest to take an 18-17 lead.
Leavenworth’s Eli Keppler then fell, 6-3, at 145 while 152-pound Kelsey Mason was pinned and Jake Schatzel suffered a pin loss at 160 to give the Huskies a 33-17 edge. Peter Gardner finally stalled the scoring slip for the Pioneers when he secured a 4-0 win at 170.
In five words, Leavenworth wrestling coach Jay Johnston delivered a challenge to his final three wrestlers.
“Pins. Pins. We need pins.”
Trailing by 16 points with just three matches left, Johnston knew that to be victorious over Blue Valley Northwest Wednesday, his team needed the six points that each pin would provide.
Get those and LV could then pull out a come-from-behind victory over its visitors in the opening match of Leavenworth’s senior night triangular. But to do that, the Pioneers had to have pins.
Jacob Roberson wasted little time to make his contribution, getting a pin win over his 195-pound opponent in the first period. Nathan Butler then followed suit, pinning his 220-pound opponent in the second round, leaving LV down 36-32 heading into the final match.
And so, for the third time this season, 285-pound Jesse Colver took the mat with a chance to secure a Pioneer victory. With 1:35 left in the final period, Colver did just that when he bowed his opponent onto his back and held him there for the pin moments later.
“First off, it’s awesome to just finish 3-1 at home on the year,” Johnston said. “From the start of our program four years ago to defending our turf now, that is a big deal. Secondly, it’s a lot of pressure for kids their age but we had to have those pins to win. You could see they were going out there with intentions of winning and nothing else.”
Leavenworth began the night hot against Blue Valley Northwest. The squad won the first three matches, pins from Danny Wilson at 106 and Chris Nelson at 120 plus a 17-2 tech win by 113-pound Jacob Baker to hold an early 17-0 advantage.
“Chris Nelson had an awesome day,” Johnston said. “He is a kid that just goes and goes and goes. It’s just his second year so the technique is not quite there but he is all energy, all hustle and I’ve been so proud of him.”
Yet, the momentum quickly shifted the Huskies way when the visitors were victorious over the next six bouts. Pioneer 126-pound grappler Michael Harrington lost by pin followed by Mark Davis falling by pin at 138. A Pioneer open sandwiched at 132 allowed Northwest to take an 18-17 lead.
Leavenworth’s Eli Keppler then fell, 6-3, at 145 while 152-pound Kelsey Mason was pinned and Jake Schatzel suffered a pin loss at 160 to give the Huskies a 33-17 edge. Peter Gardner finally stalled the scoring slip for the Pioneers when he secured a 4-0 win at 170.
At 182, DeAndre Mapp competed in a grueling three overtime match before dropping a 10-4 decision. The result made the overall score 36-20 Northwest with three matches left and set the stage for the Pioneers exciting comeback.
“Those three guys have faced the pressure the entire year and they just responded wonderfully,” the LV coach said of his heavyweights.
After defeating the Huskies, Leavenworth honored its three seniors, Baker, Mapp and Corbin Sutherland before taking on Blue Valley North. The Pioneers lost 54-28, but had to use a shorthanded lineup due to state regulations on matches wrestled.
Starting at 106, Danny Wilson won thanks to a Mustang open before Baker was pinned in the 113-pound match. Nelson then dominated again at 120 with a 13-2 win and Harrington was pinned at 126.
Danial Wilson followed that with a pin win of his own at 132, as did Andrew Hempstead at 145, but a Leavenworth open defeat at 138 put the score at 22-18 in favor of the Pioneers.
“Danial Wilson is never done,” Johnston said. “He never gives up, has a never say die attitude and a lot of guys that get down four or five points they give up. But he came through and got a huge win.”
Four straight pin defeats and two LV opens however, allowed North to claim the next 36 points. Mason at 152, Gardner at 170 and Nathan Graves at 195 were all pinned.
In the 220-pound match, Leavenworth’s Kenneth Sculley was pinned and Sutherland won by a North open, leaving the final score at 54-28 Mustangs.
