On December 7, the school’s varsity wrestling team fell to the Oakville Tigers 45-33 in their dual.

Though they had a few wrestlers out due to illness and injury. Wrestling coach Brent Batcheller said the team faced difficulty due to these challenges.

“When you don’t have a full lineup, winning a dual can be difficult because [it’s] how we match up with the other team,” Batcheller said.

Batcheller said despite losing, the team put their best efforts forward.

“I felt we all wrestled really well. We were out-matched physically in a few matches but overall, I felt we pushed the pace on them all night and dictated the tone of each match, and finished strong. I really like what I am seeing out of [sophomore] Kohen Lamons, [senior] Buckley Rohan, and [sophomore] Donnie Clark so far this season,” Batcheller said.

Rohan said he won his dual because he was able to implement some of the things that he has been practicing..

“I won 8-0 with a pin. I wrestled my match and felt confident, so I felt good using the moves I have been practicing. I made sure to get good sleep to prepare,” Rohan said.

Lamons said he was very proud of the team and his match despite the results.

“The dual went very well for our team although the scoreboard does not reflect it. I believe we were the better wrestlers and if we had a full roster, it would have ended differently. For my dual, I thought I did pretty solid though, I feel like there were some times during the match that if I gave it a little more, I could have pinned the opposing wrestler,” Lamons said.

Although, Lamons said some things could have been better.

“My final score was 7-4. I feel I could have worked my bottom game a lot better, and rather than lay on the ground for the final minute just to win, I could have ended on top,” Lamons said.

During Lamons’s match, he said he did a lot of things well.

“I thought my top game was good, as when I was on top, I was controlling the match. I also think that it was good I was able to wrestle hard for the whole six minutes of the match, as this was the first match that actually went the whole six minutes,” Lamons said.

Caelin Stegmann said the goals he sets for himself motivate him to keep pushing himself during his matches.

“My previous seasons and successes are what keep me working hard through my matches. I’ve always set a high standard for myself and always want to outperform my previous accomplishments. Also, being in the process of chasing the career pin record, really motivates me to work as hard as I can through these matches,” Stegmann said.

With that being said, Stegmann said he is very content with how his dual went.

“The whole match went well for me. I got a quick takedown and was able to secure a few more points before getting the pin. Everything was pretty straightforward and the match was quick. So I don’t think anything could’ve gone much better. I ended with a 5-0 pin, just over a minute and a half into the first period,” Stegmann said.

Even though they lost, Stegmann said he is proud of his team.

“Overall, our team lost to Oakville, falling short 45-33, but we had many of our guys win tough matches. I knew our team had some matches we could’ve won, but also a lot of good wins on our side. A couple of guys weren’t able to wrestle, so I feel that if our team was at full strength, the dual would have been a lot closer,” Stegmann said.

Stegmann said he is hopeful for the season ahead and looks forward to improving.

“I’m feeling pretty confident so far this season. I feel like I’ve got a really good shot at making a state-run. I’ve done well so far, earning five pins out of six matches. There’s a long season ahead and things will only get better,” Stegmann said.

Taking that into account, Stegmann said he was prepared for his next dual.

“I felt pretty good post-dual. I was happy with my win and was ready to head to Fort Zumwalt South, the next day for another competitive dual,” Stegmann said.