Panther wrestling takes team win

CENTERVILLE – Creston/Orient-Macksburg won its first tournament team title this season, finishing 31.5 points above Hawkeye 10 opponent Clarinda at the Big Red Invite Saturday.

With 13 teams in Saturday’s tournament, the Panthers scored 201.5 points with five wrestlers ending their day in gold singlets as they battled for first place. Clarinda finished in second place with 170 points, and Bondurant-Farrar scored 152 points for third place.

Due to weather, Class 1A No. 5 Underwood, Winterset and Interstate 35 were scheduled to wrestle but did not make the tournament.

“We haven’t seen Bondurant-Farrar. They’re ranked ahead of us in a couple spots, and I don’t know if they’re at full speed,” Creston/O-M head coach Cody Downing said. “It doesn’t matter. We show up ready to go regardless of who is there. Part of this year is just being healthy. It’s always good to win a tournament. It definitely makes you feel like what you’re doing is working.”

Triston Barncastle at 132 finished in first place in a five-man bracket as the lone Panther atop their respective weight class. Austin Evans (120), Kaden Bolton (152), Briley Hayes (160) and Andy Weis (182) also wrestled in first-place matches.

“(Saturday) was much better,” Downing said on how the finals matches compared to last week’s finals at Crestwood.

Barncastle went 5-0 on the day, adjusting to a move from 138 pounds.

Barncastle had one bye in the third round and pinned all four opponents he faced, pinning Clarinda’s Michael Mayer at 1:06, Ottumwa’s Daltin Doud at 1:41, Kirksville’s (Mo.) Lane Patterson at 0:46 and Davis County’s Taylor Huggins at 4:38.

Evans’ route saw two pins before a 9-3 major decision win over Bondurant-Farrar’s Class 2A No. 6 113 Dalton Rowe. The win sent him to the finals against Davis County’s Dawson Townsend in the finals. Downing said Evans survived the beginning of the match, fighting back from being down early to finish with a 4-2 decision loss.

Bolton picked up a pin over Knoxville’s Tristan DeJong and 9-4 decision win over Fairfield’s Logan Adam in pool play. He scored a pin over Clarinda’s Tyler Raybourn and 16-11 decision win over Ottumwa’s Zachariah Shoemaker to face PCM’s Class 2A No. 3 152 Colby Tool. Bolton lost to Tool by pin at 1:43.

“I think Tool is one of the better 152 pounders in the state,” Downing said. “I’d still like to see Kaden close the gap on those guys that are the top echelon at 152.”

Hayes won all three pool play rounds by pin. He knocked off Clarinda’s Dillan Hunter at 0:22, Ottumwa’s Andy Palma at 1:31 and Knoxville’s Wayne Johnston at 2:47. In the semifinals, Hayes took an 11-5 win over Bondurant-Farrar’s Aiden Carl with an 11-5.

He went on to face a Kirksville, Mo. state qualifier, Jaden Ballinger. Hayes scored a reversal in the first period for his lone two points. Down 14-2, Ballinger pinned Hayes at 2:47.

Weis, adjusting to 182 from 220, scored two pins in pool play to move in the semis. He scored a pin over Columbus Community/WMU’s Trent Wilkerson at 0:34. Against Bondurant-Farrar’s John Powers, Weis fell in a 5-0 decision win.

Downing said Weis has become efficient at 182 after being worried about the drop in weight classes as 220 pounds and 182 pounds have different styles.

“We had guys, even in losses I feel like, are starting to gain momentum,” Downing said. “Doing things we practice, getting a feel for practice, the style we practice. Some loses Saturday, I felt like we’re getting better.”

Injury update

During Saturday’s tournament, Class 2A No. 2 195 Jackson Kinsella injured his nose in the semifinals against Knoxville’s Gage Rowley.

“We thought maybe he broke his nose. Just out of an abundance of caution – he heard a pop – so we just pulled the plug on him,” Downing said. “He did get x-rays that night, and he’s going to be OK. He’s going to be a little tender for a few days, but it just wasn’t worth the risk of further damaging it.”

With Kinsella able to return to the lineup, the Panthers’ main 132 pounder Garon Wurster also looks to return after a broken orbital bone earlier in the season at the DCG Invitational Dec. 5.

“There’s a chance we could have Garon Wurster for this weekend. We’re waiting for some final decisions there. We’re very close to the finished product,” Downing said on the roster lineup.

With things setting up well for the Panthers into the home stretch of the regular season, Downing said he’s seen the team’s reaction to the recent success.

“I feel like we’re definitely more bought in. I never doubted that we were, but once you have success with the stuff that you’re doing at practice, it’s easier to see it work and go try it every time out,” Downing said. “I definitely feel like the buy-in is there. The work ethic has always been there. So, now it’s about having success of what we practice in the room.”

UP NEXT – Creston/Orient-Macksburg hosts a double dual Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Results

Team standings – 1. Creston/Orient-Macksburg 201.5; 2. Clarinda 170; 3. Bondurant-Farrar 152; 4. Ottumwa 118; 5. PCM, Monroe 109; 6. Kirksville 97; 7. Davis County 85; 8. Centerville 76; 9. Knoxville 75; 10. Columbus Community/WMU 73.5; 11. Fairfield 73.5; 12. Van Buren County 43; 13. Mount Pleasant 19.5.

106 – 1. Cody Hay (B-F) pinned Kaden Whipp (Clra), 1:58. 3. Justin Parsons (C/O-M) pinned Kade Martin (DC), 1:44. 5. Remington Fry (PCM) dec. Jasmine Luedtke (Ott), 7-1.

113 – 1. Lane Scorpil (CCO) pinned Connor Fiser (B-F), 2:55. 3. Marco Alejo (Knox) pinned Lincoln Keeler (C/O-M), 3:59. 5. Chance McKim (Kirk) forfeit Corbin Grace (Ott).

120 – 1. Daswon Townsend (DC) dec. Austin Evans (C/O-M), 4-2. 3. Dalton Rowe (B-F) pinned Chris Luedtke (Ott), 3:53. 5. Hewitt Brinegar (PCM) dec. Jacob Bland (Fair), 8-6.

126 – 1. Chase Fiser (B-F) dec. Carson Coleman (MP), 9-2. 3. Braylon Griffiths (Ott) maj. dec. Brandon Briley (C/O-M), 11-2. 5. Deken Sorensen (DC) pinned Brecken Courtright (Fair), 0:24.

132 – Round 1. Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pinned Michael Mayer, 1:06. Round 2. Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pined Daltin Doud (Ott), 1:41. Round 3. Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) bye. Round 4. Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pinned Lane Patterson (Kirk), 0:46. Round 5. Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pinned Taylor Hugin (DC), 4:38.

138 – 1. Nathaniel Genobana (Cent) pinned Andon Trout (Knox), 2:34. 3. Kale Downey (Clar) dec. Dominic Cahalan (Kirk), 3-2. 5. Aidan Anderson (C/O-M) pinned Jayden Ball (DC), 1:20.

145 – 1. Matthew Lewis (Cent) pinned Karson Downey (Clar), 1:14. 3. Keaton Street (C/O-M) pinned Austin Payne (DC), 3:31. 5. Payton Cline (Fair) pinned Mikey Cain (Ott), 1:46.

152 – 1. Colby Tool (PCM) pinned Kaden Bolton (C/O-M), 1:43. 3. Zachariah Shoemaker (Ott) maj. dec. Logan Adam (Fair), 11-1. 5. Tyler VanderLinden (B-F) pinned Tyler Raybourn (Clar), 4:54.

160 – 1. Jaden Ballinger (Kirks) pinned Briley Hayes (C/O-M), 5:35. 3. Aiden Carl (B-F) dec. Wayne Johnston (Knox), 4-3. 5. Gerardo Orozco (CCO) pinned Wyatt Wheeler (PCM), 1:39.

170 – 1. Trevor Summers (Ott) pinned Lucas Henderson (Cent), 3:44. 3. Porter Smith (B-F) pinned Kaden Street (C/O-M), 1:11. 5. Zeb Padget (PCM) pinned Brayden Nothweher (Clra), 1:31.

182 – 1. John Powers (B-F) dec. Andy Weis (C/O-M), 5-0. 3. Jase Wilmes (Clar) pinned Gavin Montalvo (Knox), 5:00. 5. Trent Wilkerson (CCO) pinned Nate Richards (PCM), 4:05.

195 – 1. Cole Ridnour (Clar) pined Gage Rowley (Knox), 2:30. 3. Donovan Nickelson (PCM) inj. for. Jackson Kinsella (C/O-M). 5. Colton Hannah (Kirk) dec. Evan Reha (B-F), 3-1.

220 – 1. Crew Howard (Clar) pinned Brant Tedrow (VBC), 2:25. 3. Cooper Sloan (PCM) pinned Jay Fuerra (Ott), 2:56. 5. Max Chapman (C/O-M) pinned Cesar Smithburg (Fair), 2:39.

285 – 1. Chance Malone (CCO) pinned Logan Green (Clar), 0:20. 3. Bryce Kertz (Kirk) pinned Chris Wilson (C/O-M), 4:13. 5. Kinser Sloan (PCM) pinned Josiah Westercamp (VBC), 5:07.