Three points separated the teams as the final match began. Iola High’s Mustangs were in front of Eureka High’s Tornadoes and it all came down to the 285-pound match.
It was sophomore Quade McCoy of Eureka against Iola freshman Trey Colborn. McCoy held a 3-1 edge heading into the third period of the six-minute match.
It appeared the teams would be tied 30-30 and a deciding coin flip would have to take place.
Colborn appeared to be out of gas as the two heavyweights worked out of the neutral (standing) position. Then it happened.
Colborn threw a takedown and put McCoy right to his back. Colborn recorded his first high school varsity victory with a pin of McCoy with 30 seconds left in the match. The two had wrestled 5 minutes, 30 seconds.
That gave Iola its first-ever dual win over Eureka High 36-27.
Three straight years – that’s how many years IHS has been wrestling varsity action – the Mustangs have opened with a double dual against Eureka and Anderson County High’s Bulldogs. Iola had not recorded a team victory over either squad.
But on their home mat Thursday, the Mustangs made history by beating both the Tornadoes and the Bulldogs. The Mustangs defeated Anderson County later in the evening 45-20. Eureka beat Anderson County 45-24.
“It was great to have a good start to the season. Winning at home in front of our fans was good for our kids,” said Aaron Sweazy, Iola’s first-year head coach.
“I knew the history of Iola wrestling coming in and that we hadn’t beaten either team. This was a big double dual to open at home with and our kids were ready.”
Sweazy said the team’s motto for the season is “Believe.”
The Mustangs won seven of the 13 matches against Eureka. Iola senior Brent Clark and sophomore Tristan Sigfusson won by forfeits at 138 and 126, respectively and Eureka’s Jacob Fanning earned a forfeit win at the 106-pound level.
At 120, Iola sophomore Mike Armstrong dropped a 10-8 decision to Kegan Fisher. Freshman Caleb Mock pinned Eureka’s Dakota Cline at the 5:01 mark of their 132-pound match. That was Mock’s first varsity win.
Junior Zeph Larney pushed Iola’s lead out more by pinning Tyler Kuhn in the second period of the 145-pound match. The six-minute match ended at the 2:54 mark.
First-year sophomore John Whitworth was disqualified in his 152-pound match against Chase Mayfield. Whitworth had four technical violations – locked hands – resulting in disqualification.
“John has been away from the sport for a year and we need to refresh him on things. He dropped his singlet straps while on the mat and that cost us a team point,” Sweazy said. “We’ll use that match as a learning tool for not just John but all the kids.”
Iola senior Devin Culler earned a 6-0 decision over Matt Winn in the 160-pound match. Zack Vaughn, Iola senior, notched a major decision, 14-3, over Connor Torrey at 170.
Iola was up 30-15 with four matches to go.
“Eureka is strong in the upper weights. That’s their bread-and-butter and we just had to not give up a lot of team points,” Sweazy said. “Chase (Roettgen) and Denton (Christian) did a good job of battling in their matches. Even though they lost the matches, they didn’t get pinned and gave up minimum team points.”
At 182-pounds, Iola’s sophomore Bryce Misenhelter took on Eureka senior Tyler Lowe, who is ranked No. 2 in Kansas Class 3-2-1A preseason polls. Misenhelter held off being pinned until the second period.
Roettgen, junior, lost 4-0 to Tate McCoy at 195 pounds. Christian, a senior back out after a year away, lost a heartbreaker when Eureka’s Travis Vaughn scored a two-point takedown just before the buzzer to win 7-5.
Then came the 285-pound match.
Iola had suffered a 40-16 loss to Eureka last year at Garnett and lost 40-30 at Eureka in 2009. The Mustangs lost 54-27 to Anderson County last year and 72-12 in 2009 at Eureka.
Against Anderson County, Iola chalked up seven wins in the 11 matches contested. Whitworth at 152 and Christian at 195 earned forfeit wins.
Armstrong pinned Raymond Head in 1:27 in their 120-pound match. Sigfusson lost 15-0, a technical fall, to Storm Pracht at 126.
Mock claimed a 7-2 decision over Ryan Allen. Clark was pinned by Kody Crook in 2:42 in the 138-pound match.
Iola sophomore Jacob Rhoads made quick work in his first-ever wrestling match, At 145, Rhoads pinned Nathan Patterson in 46 seconds. Culler recorded a pin of Dallas Cox in 3:26 of their 160-pound match.
Vaughn lost 7-2 to Lee Koch at 170. Misenhelter made a reverse move off the bottom and pinned Tim Cornett after 1:25 of the 182-pound match.
Colborn was leading Blake Howey in the 285-pound class. Howey got a takedown in the second period and turned Colborn for a pin at the 3:19 mark.
In an exhibition match, Iola sophomore Travis Rieske pinned Michael Ghareeb of Anderson County.
Iola’s wrestlers are competing in today’s Caney Valley High Invitational at Caney. They go to the Anderson County High Invitational next Saturday.
Mustang wrestlers sweep opening dual
