Keegan Koons opened and closed the dual, Dylan Mosley and Terrell Williams endured lengthy struggles and Mexico edged Moberly 40-39 at home on Tuesday night.

“I like how they work hard,” said head coach Gayle Adams, who was particularly impressed with his freshmen. “I’m proud of them.”

For a time it appeared as if the Bulldogs would grab an easy team win. Ricardo Juarez had one difficult moment in the 120 match, but worked out of it and quickly turned the tables on the Spartans’ Austin James.

The buzzer saved James at the end of the first period, but Juarez was up 10-0 and earned a win by fall early in the second.

Keith Ransom was up next at 126. He immediately burrowed into Moberly’s Hunter Boots for a take down, locked his legs around Boots’ head and turned him.

The referee slapped the mat just one minute into the match.

“It’s always important to score first,” Ransom said. “It sets the tone for the match.”

Gavyn Martin dealt with the Spartans’ Carter Smith in 58 seconds after rocking him in a cradle and pinning his head to the rubber.

Mosley and Williams had more difficulty in their matches, at 138 and 160 respectively – although the scoreboard wouldn’t show it.

Mosley was credited with a technical fall after six minutes, ahead 17-2. Several times during the match he held Moberly’s Gage St. Clair in a near pin position. St. Clair would wriggle free and attempt a take down, only to find Mosley with an advantage.

In the third, Mosley reversed one last lunge before taking the win.

For Williams the outing was similar – an 18-3 technical fall after Gannon White lasted the distance. In each period Williams earned take downs and worked toward a pin. At times the struggle would last 20 seconds or more until he released to try another tactic.

“It was hard to finish him off,” Williams observed. “Credit to him – he didn’t give in to me.”

Before Williams’ match, Cameron Beasley rolled out of two pin attempts by Moberly’s Dakotah Courtney, but couldn’t free himself from a third. He lost by fall in the 145 class.

Mexico didn’t fare as well in the heavier weights. At 195, Caleb Prater was pitted against a larger opponent in Beau Garrett. Although he forged an early opportunity he lost by fall at 0:48. Deacon Haag battled Jarrett Kinder for full time, escaping several take downs, but fell by a 7-3 decision in the 220 class. And Emille Scanavino was dropped by Moberly’s Andrew Huff at 0:33 in the heavyweight match.

Jokiah Sewell and Morgan Grubb earned forfeit wins.

But the dual began and ended with Keegan Koons, who had to contend with two wrestlers at 106. In the opener he lost by fall at 0:47. But he finished things off with a vigorous effort, muscling for a pin in a struggle that lasted over a minute before he prevailed.

“After losing the first match I pushed myself,” he said.