RICHMOND, Ind. – Central’s wrestling team came to Richmond’s Tiernan Center Wednesday night for the two teams’ annual dual match.
After a series of highly-competitive matches, the Bearcats had a 48-27 win over the host Red Devils, with four unbeaten wrestlers keeping their records intact.
For Richmond, Nate Trawick (285) and Alston Bane (145) moved to 18-0 with match wins Wednesday, while Central’s Michael Nevings (160) and Mykal Taylor (195) also remained unbeaten.
It was close in the team scoring most of the night.
After a quick pin by Central’s Nick Holmes to start the night at 220 pounds, Richmond’s Trawick recorded a second-period fall to tie the team score at six.
But the visitors won the next four weight classes — the four lightest classes — one by forfeit, two by close decision and one by pin, giving the Bearcats a 24-6 advantage.
Richmond then showed strength with pins by juniors Jordan Price (132) and Xavier O’Brien (138) to make it 24-18, then Bane won by a 9-3 decision to close the Central lead to three points at 24-21.
This, however, ended the Red Devil run, as two straight Central pins, then a Bearcat win by forfeit at 170 pounds made it 42-21 Central.
The night ended with a trade of falls, as sophomore Deonte Redmon won in 3:34 at 182 pounds, then Central’s Taylor did the same at 2:38 to set the final margin.
“It was a good win for our guys (Wednesday). We have our two unbeaten wrestlers (Nevings and Taylor), but we have some other good wrestlers as well,” said Central coach Mark Scott. “We continue to see improvement, and we will try to be even better Saturday at New Castle.”
Central competes in a Super Six event Saturday at the New Castle Fieldhouse.
Richmond competes Saturday at Columbus East High School.
“I didn’t think, for our first home match, that the kids were really on key (Wednesday). We didn’t execute a lot of things that we have been working hard on in practice, so it’s a little frustrating,” said RHS head coach Jeremy Bane. “But Nate and Alston remain unbeaten, and a number of other kids are having good seasons and have improved from the offseason work they have put in.”
Bane mentioned senior QuinDarius Deloney, who although he lost a 16-14 decision Wednesday, is still 15-3 on the season.
“We have a number of kids wrestling out of weight class due to our injuries and other factors, and we still have the potential to be a really good team by the end of the season,” Bane said. “We just have to keep working. I believe it can still happen if we get well and keep working.”
Bane reported that one senior wrestler, Ryan Weireter, is now out for the season due to injury, so the team will have to adjust its lineup.
He commented on the win by the sophomore Redmon.
“Deonte is a battler out there, like a lot of our guys are. They just keep getting better,” Bane said. “We will work the next two days, and I think the whole team will have a better performance on Saturday at Columbus East.”
Other Central winners, besides Nevings, Taylor and Holmes, were Brandon Wells, Austin Wable, Cory Cooper, Eliseus Young, Matt Cole and Lorenzo Reyes.
•Wes-Del a double winner: Wes-Del swept two duals at Hagerstown, defeating Cambridge City 54-30 before a 57-24 victory against host Hagerstown. Zac McCool won both of his matches by pin at 138, the only Warrior to pick up two pin wins.
Landon Martin collected a forfeit in his first match at 152, before turning in a key victory by pin in his second match of the evening.