Panthers clinch regular season title, Downing wins Coach of the Year

HARLAN – Thursday was a night filled with team and individual titles as Creston/Orient-Macksburg wrestling clinched the Hawkeye 10 Regular Season Championship and head coach Cody Downing was named the Class 1A Southwest Iowa IWCOA Coaches and Official Coach of the Year.

As a team Thursday, the Panthers sealed the title with an 81-0 win over Lewis Central and a 55-19 win over Harlan. Clinching the title, Downing said puts his team in a good spot heading into the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament Saturday in Red Oak.

“I think confidence,” Downing said on what the team gained from earning the conference title. “You go to the tournament, and you know what you’ve done in dual season. You know what you expect to do on Saturday. I think you walk in with a little swagger and go to work.”

Creston/O-M started out the night against Lewis Central, taking seven matches by forfeit. Downing said the Titans didn’t bring their top wrestlers, filling out a heavy junior varsity roster Thursday.

Of the seven wins, six were pin victories for Creston/O-M. Triston Barncastle (132), Garon Wurster (138), Kaden Bolton (152), Austin Seaton (170) and Andy Weis (182) scored pins in the first period. At heavyweight, Chris Wilson finished his match at 2:58 in the second period.

Max Chapman at 220 scored a 9-5 decision for the win.

“Lewis Central basically didn’t bring any of their top-caliber wrestlers. They basically threw a JV lineup at us,” Downing said. “I don’t understand their strategy there if they’ve got some kids dinged up or sick, but we wrestled like normal. It’s not our kids’ fault who they’re wrestling. We just showed up and went to work against them.”

Barncastle, Wurster and Weis scored their second competed match wins of the night. Austin Evans (120) won by pin again at 1:29, Barncastle finished with a pin win at 0:43, Wurster pinned his opponent at 0:46 and Weis repeated with a pin at 5:15.

Class 2A No. 2 195 Jackson Kinsella also scored a pin at 0:43. Keaton Street won an 11-0 major decision match and Wilson won a 3-1 sudden victory decision in overtime.

“We had a few matches that were toss ups, and we were able to win most of them,” Downing said. “Even the matches we lost were really close, competitive matches. It was really a fun night of wrestling.”

The team success, Downing said, comes the work and preparation his wrestlers have seen throughout their childhood, leading to his title as Coach of the Year in Class 2A for Southwest Iowa.

“It’s just a product of our program and the assistants. You’re talking Kindergarten through (12th grade) with a great feeder program and great junior high numbers,” Downing said. “That’s a staff and program award more than it is to me. I know my name is on it, but I’m going to share that with everybody that has a hand in Creston wrestling because it takes a ton of people to produce the kids and teams we do.”

UP NEXT – With the team “on a good run” coming off a John J. Harris team title Saturday, Jan. 23 and securing a Hawkeye 10 Conference championship, the group moves to the Hawkeye 10 Tournament Saturday. Matches will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Red Oak.

Results

Creston/Orient-Macksburg 81, Lewis Central 0

106 — Justin Parsons (C/O-M) by forfeit. 113 – Lincoln Keeler (C/O-M) by forfeit. 120 – Austin Evans (C/O-M) by forfeit. 126 – Brandon Briley (C/O-M) by forfeit. 132 – Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pinned Jackson Edwards (LC), 1:06. 138 – Garon Wurster (C/O-M) pinned AJ Henderson (LC), 0:18. 145 – Keaton Street (C/O-M) by forfeit. 152 – Kaden Bolton (C/O-M) pinned Logan Koch (LC), 0:55. 160 – Briley Hayes (C/O-M) by forfeit. 170 – Austin Seaton (C/O-M) pinned Christian Jasek (LC), 1:42. 182 – Andy Weis (C/O-M) pinned David Bernal (LC), 0:50. 195 – Jackson Kinsella (C/O-M) by forfeit. 220 – Max Chapman (C/O-M) dec. Dillon Woods (LC), 9-5. 285 – Chris Wilson (C/O-M) pinned Sam Barrientos (LC), 2:38.

Creston/Orient-Macksburg 55, Harlan 19

106 — Justin Parsons (C/O-M) by forfeit. 113 – Luke Freund (Har) maj. dec. Lincoln Keeler (C/O-M), 15-2. 120 – Austin Evans (C/O-M) pinned Tytan Frohlich (Har), 1:29. 126 – Luke Musich (Har) dec. Brandon Briley (C/O-M), 7-5. 132 – Triston Barncastle (C/O-M) pinned Josh Kopiasz (Har), 0:43. 145 – Keaton Street (C/O-M) maj .dec. Dalton McKInley (Har), 11-0. 152 – Kaden Bolton (C/O-M) by forfeit. 160 – Briley Hayes (C/O-M) pinned Bret VanBaale (Har), 1:14. 170 – Zane Bendorf (Har) pinned Austin Seaton (C/O-M) , 3:27. 182 – Andy Weis (C/O-M) pinned Matt Schwery (Har), 5:15. 195 – Jackson Kinsella (C/O-M) pinned Kade Brouillard (Har), 0:43. 220 – Jesse Schwery (Har) pinned Max Chapman (C/O-M) , 5:28. 285 – Chris Wilson (C/O-M) dec. Jeremiah Davis (Har), SV 3-1.