Wrestling team opens season with win
By Shelton Burch
Sports Editor
The Dodge City Red Demons wrestling team opened their season with a win, beating the Pratt Greenbacks 37-31 in a Thursday night dual.
The Red Demons needed a comeback to do it, despite having led at one point 18-3.
In the 106 Division, Pratt’s Devon Weber opened the dual with a 7-1 win by decision to give the Greenbacks an early 3-0 lead. Then came the 113 class. Dodge City sophomore Anthony Mariche beat Pratt’s Kaiser Pelland by fall, giving the Demons a 6-3 lead.
After him, Dodge City junior Couy Weil took floor against Pratt sophomore Dylan Cox in the 120 division, and also won by fall, which gave the Red Demons a 12-3 lead.
“I just went out, dug deep for my team, just did what I had to do,” Weil said.
Weil entered the match ranked No. 3 in the state in his division at 6A level.
Dodge City expanded its lead to 18-3 when freshman Daniel Rojas gave the Red Demons three straight victories by falls, winning the 126 division matchup.
Then, however, things got difficult for the Red Demons. Pratt won the 132 matchup by fall, narrowing the lead to 18-9. Dodge City’s Garrett Edwards won the 138 competition, but he was the last Red Demon to win until the fourth competition later when sophomore Jashon Taylor won the 170 division for the Red Demons.
Pratt won the three matchups between, taking the 145, 152 and 160 divisions, all by fall.
In the end, however, the dual came down to Dodge City juniors Marcos
Fisher and Evan Darville, wrestling in the 220 and 285 divisions respectively.
Dodge City trailed 31-25 as Fisher took the mat against Pratt Junior Sevren Hance, who he eventually pinned to tie the score at 31-31.
Fisher said he was focused on just trying to do what he could in his match instead of the scoreboard.
After he pinned his opponent, Darville was able to pin Pratt’s Raiden Kohman. The victory gave the Red Demons the victory by a score of 37-31.
Here are the total results from Thursday night’s dual: (#7) Dodge City – 37 Pratt – 31
106 – D. Weber (Pratt) dec. A. Rodriguez (Dodge); 5-3
113 – (#6) A. Meriche (Dodge) pinned K. Pelland (Pratt); 1:37
120 – (#3) C. Weil (Dodge) pinned D. Cox (Pratt); 4:58
126 – D. Rojas (Dodge) pinned C. Nickelson (Pratt); 4:58
132 Cl. James (Pratt) pinned A. Hurtado (Dodge); 1:09
138 – G. Edwards (Dodge) maj. Co. James (Pratt); 11-2
145 Bryce Winsor (Pratt) pinned C. Marquez (Dodge); 4:53
152 – K. Riner (Pratt) dec. P. Moon (Dodge); 7-3
160 – J. Koehler (Pratt) maj. W. Moon (Dodge); 9-1
170 – J. Taylor (Dodge) dec. C. Blankenship (Pratt); 4-1
182 – J. Lamatsch (Pratt) pinned J. Ayala (Dodge); 1:45
195 – H. Huber (Pratt) dec. K. Velez (Dodge); 1-0
220 – M. Fisher (Dodge) pinned S. Hance (Pratt); 2:18
285 – E. Darville (Dodge) pinned R. Kohman (Pratt); 3:11
