With the 2023-24 high school wrestling season hitting its home stretch, Iola and Humboldt grapplers are positioning themselves for league and regional competitions in the coming weeks.
But first, the schools met for a dual in the IHS gymnasium Thursday.
Officially, Iola won, 45-30, because of the scoring nature for unopposed wrestlers.
However, Humboldt won four of the six contested matches.
Both team’s coaches are cautiously optimistic their wrestlers will have strong finishes to the season.
“Having this young team step up in a dual is tough,” Iola head coach Jason Bates said. “Our confidence level isn’t quite there yet with our experience. We have lower numbers, but they all came out and took on the challenge of a varsity dual. We had specific goals in mind, and they did well. The kids showed improvement.”
Likewise, Humboldt coach Kent Goodner depicted this season as “so far, so good.”
“Healthwise, we’re in pretty good shape,” he said. “We’re finally getting over the sickness. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be ready for regionals.”
BECAUSE neither had an opponent in his weight class, Iola’s Tripp Mathes, who normally wrestles at 126 pounds, took on Humboldt’s Broc Ivy in a 132-pound exhibition.
Ivy controlled matters from the second period on to win, 10-2.
Iola’s Kale Pratt pounced on an opening in the second period against the Cubs’ Bradley Lowry to get a pin at 3 minutes, 53 seconds.
At 157 pounds, the Mustangs’ Ean DeLaTorre won, 7-2, over Humboldt’s Karsyn Kaufman.
“Ean did a great job,” Bates said. “He moves very well on his feet. We’ve been working on different things with him. He stepped up with a big win today.”
In a match of newcomers to wrestling this season, Humboldt’s Brody Gunderman pinned Iola’s Rohan Springer at 4:18 in the 165-pound category.
Cole Mathes, the second-ranked Class 3A wrestler at 175 pounds, moved up to 190 pounds to take on Iola’s Broderick Peters. He also earned a second-period pin, winning at 3:30.
And at 285 pounds, the Cubs’ Garren Goodner pinned Iola’s Alston Nelson at 3:01.
