West Liberty’s boys’ wrestling team scored its best result of the season with an upset win over Class 2A No. 13 Columbus Community in Columbus Junction last Saturday.
The 38-33 win was just one of three on the night which saw the Comets take out Tipton 45-21 as well as the junior varsity teams for Southeast Polk (63-12) and North Scott (43-28).
Against Columbus Community, Kaden Wiele got the party started at 157 with a first-period pin.
It would not last for long as the Wildcats won six of the next seven duals to open up a 27-12 lead. Perry Lehman at 215 helped to stop the bleeding in the middle of that run with a third-period pin.
The comeback began with a Tully Griffith first-period pin at 120 and a Landon Wainwright decision win at 126.
Columbus got a pin at 132 to put the score at 33-21. With a 12-point difference, the Wildcats needed convincing wins in the final three matches to win the dual.
Victory came quickly and powerfully for the Comets. Briggs Collins at 138, Gable Underbakke and 144 and Ryker Dengler at 150 all secured first-period pins to complete the comeback and snatch victory away from the Wildcats.
West Liberty did not have to sweat as hard in its other three matches as all were wrapped up early on.
The Tipton Tigers held their own against the Comets and kept their shoulders off the mat for the most part.
Of the eight wins, just two were via fall. Those were secured by Ryan Cassady at 113 and Wainwright at 126.
Dengler got himself a technical fall (17-2) and Underbakke earned a major decision (16-8).
Joe Akers, Isaac Aragon, Griffith and Collins all won decisions which led to the final score for the dual of 45-21.
With Southeast Polk and North Scott’s best wrestlers off at the Ed Winger Classic in Urbandale, their junior varsity wrestlers got thrown into the fire against the Comets.
North Scott put up a tough fight but ultimately fell 43-28. West Liberty won the first six matches of the dual thanks to Collins (major decision 10-2), Aragon (pin at 0:47), Underbakke (pin at 1:48), Dengler (pin at 1:00), Wiele (technical fall 17-2) and Griffith (pin at 1:14).
The Lancers made their comeback push, winning the next five matches from weight classes 175 through 106).