As the date for Columbus wrestling hosting districts grows closer, the Discoverers last home dual of the season was against the Kearney Bearcats. However, the ‘cats were too much to “bear,” toppling the Discoverers 39-27.

After the lone spotlight illuminated the gym, the boys entered through the main gym entrance for the last time of the season. To start the duel at 106 pounds was Freshman Brenyn Delano. Delano took an early 10-2 lead in the first period over Kearney’s Flavia Nagatani. In the second period, Delano took down and worked Nagatani into a pin with 55 seconds remaining giving the Discoverers a six-point head start.

Making his home varsity duel debut at 113 pounds was Freshman Kaden Brownlow. Brownlow was taken down and pinned by Bearcat and NSWCA No.3 Archer Heelan with sixteen seconds remaining in the first period, tying the team score at six points apiece.

Another wrestler who made his home varsity duel debut at 120 pounds was Sophomore Eric Slusarski. In the first period, Slusarski was taken down by Kearney’s Ethan Lawrence but was able to escape, giving Lawrence a 2-1 lead. In the second period, Lawrence was able to increase his lead 8-4 with a series of takedowns and escapes from Slusarski. In the final period, Lawrence was able to escape Slusarski giving him a match victory of 9-4 and the Bearcats the team lead at 9-6.

However, the Discoverers were able to get the lead right back in their 126-pound match as Sophomore Cadyn Kucera took down and pinned Bearcat Jackson Lavene with six seconds remaining in the first period. This allowed the Discoverers to take Kearney’s three-point lead and replaced it with one of their own to the tune of 12-9.

The next wrestler to take to the mat at 132 pounds was Freshman Jaden McFarland. In the first period, McFarland was taken down on the edge of the mat by Kearney’s Perry Swarm. After a second scoreless session, Swarm took down McFarland. While McFarland was able to escape and takedown Swarm, that wasn’t enough as McFarland lost to Swarm 3-4, tying the team score for the second time of night at a dozen points apiece.

The fourth Freshman to take to the match at 138 pounds was Marcus Beltran. After being taken down in the first period and being reversed in the second by Bearcat Ethan Kowalek, Beltran found himself in a 4-0 hole. In the third period, Kowalek took down Beltran three times. Beltran’s only points came from two escapes, losing in a 2-10 major decision giving Kearney their lead back. 

The first senior to take his last trip to the home mat was Alex Korte at 145 pounds. After giving a point to Bearcat Beau Hostler on a technical violation in the first period, Hostler was able to escape and takedown Korte in the second, increasing his lead by three. In the third period, Korte earned points on an escape of Hostler, but three takedowns of Korte led to a 3-10 major decision by Hostler, and an increased Kearney’s lead 19-12.

152 pound junior Carter Braun was next to the mat, and was taken down and nearly pinned by Bearcat Gage Ferguson in the first period. After Braun escaped Ferguson in the second period, Ferguson took firm control of Braun and was able to secure a 15 point lead, a technical fall, and adding on five more points to Kearney’s lead.

Fellow junior Levi Bloomquist followed and made his home varsity debut at 160 pounds. He was able to add six more points to the Discoverer score as he took down and worked Bearcat Jakob Ransdell into a pin forty-five seconds into the match.

Blayze Standley was the second Discoverer senior to take his last trip to the home mat at 170 pounds. The only points scored in the entire match against Kearney’s Tate Kuchera came in the second period when Standley was able to escape and take down Kuchera, only allowing him to escape once. Standley’s final home dual win of 3-1 made the score a bit closer, but the Discoverers still trailed 24-21.

Junior Rylee Iburg looked to even the score by winning his 182 pound contest with Bearcat Carter Abels. After a scoreless first period, Iburg was nearly pinned by Abels in the second and was reversed in the third. This gave the No. 3 Abels a 0-5 win and increased Kearney’s lead by three.

The last three matches of the night were all pinfalls. The lone Discoverers pin came from Sophomore Liam Blaser who tied the team score at 27 points by pinning Bearcat Riley Johnson one minute into the second period. Kearney’s two pins came from Bearcats  No. 3 Dario Rodriguez at 195 and Heavyweight Caden Johnson pinning Discoverers Seniors Justin Gaston and Jordan Willaims roughly a minute into their respective matches. The final score of the night was 27-39 Bearcats.

CHS Anchor News would like to wish the wrestlers the best of luck before home districts on February 13th. To stay up to date on the Discoverers winter postseason play, be sure to follow CHS Anchor News on Twitter and Instagram along with checking out our Fusfoo page.