Comets take 2 of 3 in Conference Quad
The Comets are back to work after the Holiday Break heading to Monticello for a quad dual with Monticello, Beckham Catholic and Maquoketa for a conference tilt.
They started out the night against Beckham with a 37 - 36 win. The Comets then moved on against an unmatched Maquoketa team with the Comets taking a convincing win of 54 - 24. The final dual of the night was against the Panthers of Monticello.
The teams split the matches 7 - 7 but Monticello was able to score a few more bonus points to take the dual 42-37. The Comet wrestlers are 7 - 2 in the River Valley Conference on the year.
Comets Battle at Benton Community
The Comet wrestlers competed at The Bobcat Jerry Eckenrod Invitational at Benton Community last Saturday.
They battled all afternoon against some of the top competition in the state.
The Comets had Drake Collins (170) and Colin Cassady (113) battling it out in the finals.
Drake dopped a close match 6-3 against Jacob Fitsler from Dallas Center Grimes. Fitsler (ranked 4th in 3A) was able to hold on at the end to take the title.
Cassady battled a familiar face in Jace Hedeman of Union La Port City, the defending state campion at 106 last season. He has Cassady’s number winning the last four matches including last season’s state semi-final match. Hedeman controlled the match from start to finish taking a 10 - 4 win.
Ryan Cassady competing at 106 finished the day with a 2 - 2 record to take fourth place out of 10 wrestlers.
Josh Zeman (138) had one of the tougher days for the Comets. He wrestled No. 6 ranked Chase Straw of Independence twice on the day dropping the last match 7 - 2 and wrestled the No. 2 138-pound Caleb Olsen of Union. Zeman competed all day and finished in sixth place going 2 - 3.
Bryson Garcia (152) finished the day 3 - 2 taking seventh place out of 13 wrestlers.
The other Comets competing were Joe Akers and Tytan Griffith.
Coach Ian Alke said the Comets fought hard all day and wrestled well.
"I saw some real good things from the kids today and somethings we need to work on," Alke said. "It’s the little things that are keeping a couple of the guys from taking that next step and we will work on those things this week. This is another tough tournament with a lot of good teams and kids and this will help the guys come post season."
The Comets will be back in action this Thursday night for the one and only home dual and senior night for Collins, Cassady, Zeman, Preston Daufeldt, Jace Bornson and manager Karla Velesco.
"I hope we get a good crowd to send off these senior wrestlers and Karla has been a manager all four years," Alke said.
The action starts at 5:30 p.m. with the Comets taking on Camanche and West Branch.
This Saturday the wrestlers will head to Solon for the Ed Hadenfeldt Invitational.