The difference was just four points when the last match Thursday between Centralia and Mexico started.
Mexico at Centralia Photo Gallery
The Class 1 No. 1 Panthers won their home dual 44-35 …
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The difference was just four points when the last match Thursday between Centralia and Mexico started.
Mexico at Centralia Photo Gallery
The Class 1 No. 1 Panthers won their home dual 44-35 in Centralia with Class 2 top 10 Mexico after winning five of the final six matches, including a 15-0 technical fall by Marshall Kable over Travis Shramek in the 285-pound bout that began with a 39-35 team advantage by Centralia.
“Not a lot of heavyweights get technical falls, and he did it with offense from his feet,” Centralia head coach Luke Gramke said. “He was taking good leg attacks. That’s something he was stressing and adding to his toolbox.”
Mexico took a 29-9 lead after being awarded an open at 144 pounds as the Bulldogs won three straight matches at 113, 120 and 126 pounds. Logan Hilderman beat Waylon Adkisson by a 16-0 technical fall, and Kyler Benne and Brayden Arnold pinned Porter Douglass and Tucker Loyd.
“Their lower weights are full of hammers,” Gramke said. “Winning is contagious and losing is contagious. If you can set the tone with your lightweights, it’s going to be beneficial for the dual. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that tonight but were able to battle back.”
Gramke and Mexico head coach Gayle Adams both said each team was dealing with atypical lineups with various sickness and injury. Adams said the Mexico lineup from “two weeks earlier” might have been a different outcome, but each program is in good shape with several state trophies.
Benne and Arnold are underclassmen that are improving, Adams said, and Hilderman has stood out for Mexico this season. The freshman is ranked third at 113 pounds and picked up yet another nice victory over a top-five kid Adkisson.
“He’s 21-2 (as of Jan. 23), and he’s beaten some really quality kids in the state — Class 4 placers and Class 3 placers,” Adams said. “He’s going to be in the thick of it come February.”
Adams acknowledged Centralia has some tough kids at the middle weights, including Louis Suddarth at 157 pounds and Rex Bryson at 165 pounds. The top-five kid Suddarth pinned Isai Hernandez, who qualified for 157 for the first time this season, and the multiple state medalist Bryson pinned Hunter Love.
Charlie Robinson is ranked in the top two at his weight class for Centralia and beat Jesus Garcia via a 17-1 technical fall at 132 pounds while Grant Van Horn is a three time state medalist for Mexico that pinned Coulten Baker. Van Horn was coming off his 150th career win during the previous weekend’s St. Charles Invitational. Adams said Van Horn did “what he was supposed to do” but mainly wants to see his team be healthy.
“We have to wrestle better in some spots,” Adams said. “With practice and everything, I think we’re going to be fine. I like where we’re at right now. We just got to get healthy.”
Regardless how the dual started, Centralia was only down 29-27 after Bryson’s win and gained some breathing room thanks to Van Horn. But then Rayden Booska at 190 pounds, Ian Tuggle at 215 and Kable at 285 made it three straight wins for Centralia.
The top-two wrestler Tuggle pinned Grant Walker right before Kable’s victory over the sophomore Shramek. Booska pinned Jerian Evans in a battle between underclassmen, and Jonathan Williams gave the Panthers another win from their sophomore group with a 15-6 major decision over Kyle Lewis at 138 pounds.
“With Booska, he took care of business pretty quick,” Gramke said. “He got to his offense and was able to put it away.”
“Jonathan Williams had been struggling a little bit with confidence so it was good for him to right the ship a little bit. He got placed in some difficult situations, and at no point was he throwing himself a pity party.”
Gramke said Thursday was not the “best version” of Centralia but was impressed with the quality lineup he and Mexico was able to put together. The depth is there for both teams, but Adams said a few matches were the difference this particular night.
“I can’t speak enough how talented they are,” Adams said. “I’m happy with my guys, and I’ll go to war with my guys any night.”