Wrestling season, meet the cold and flu season.
Iola High hosted Humboldt and Fredonia Thursday for twin dual competitions, although sickness on Humboldt and Fredonia’s rosters meant having to juggle competitors in order to get in matches, Iola head coach John Taylor noted.
Because of the way duals are scored — teams are credited with forfeit wins if the opposing school does not have an opposing wrestler in a specific weight class — the Mustangs won both of the duals, 36-26 over Humboldt and 48-16 over Fredonia.
In the third dual, Humboldt defeated Fredonia, 18-9.
“Overall, I’m super proud of the kids,” Taylor said. “We finished the season 4-2 in duals. I’m happy with that. But am I 100% happy with the way we wrestled? No.”
In contested matches, Iola split its four matches with the Yellowjackets, while Humboldt won all four contested matches against Iola. The Cubs also went 2-2 in contested matches with Fredonia.
“We were happy with how it went,” Humboldt coach Kent Goodner said. “We’ve been working on technique all week, and it showed. Last weekend was an eye-opener for us.”
Goodner is referring to the Eureka Invitational Tournament, where several Humboldt grapplers took unexpected losses on the mats.
“The kids have been doing a great job of listening to us, and doing what we’re preaching. Aside from having two kids out sick tonight, we’re healthy and ready to rock ‘n’ roll.”
Taylor said Iola’s youngsters, with a roster made up almost exclusively of sophomores and freshmen, are at times too timid when they get on the mat.
“We tend to be too defensive, but that comes with experience,” he said.
The Mustangs had a scare late in the Humboldt dual when Kale Pratt, who moved up from 157 pounds to 165 in order to get in a second match, wrenched his neck as he was taken to the mat by Humboldt’s Brody Gunderman.
After a brief injury timeout, Taylor and Pratt agreed to forfeit the match and not risk further injury.
“He’s also dealing with a wrist injury,” Taylor noted.
IOLA’S girls also were busy Thursday, wrestling at a mixer in Anderson County.
The Mustangs’ Zoie Hesse won the 190-pound class, pinning her first opponent before emerging with a 7-6 win over 2024 state medalist Izzy Renfro of Basehor-Linwood.