Junior High Wrestles at Norton
The junior high wrestling team traveled to Norton on Thursday, February 2, for wrestling competition. During the evening, wrestlers from Decatur Community, Norton, Rawlins County, Smith Center, Stockton, and St. Francis were matched up according to their skill levels. The St. Francis wrestlers competed well winning 15 matches and losing 8 during the competition.
Individual results for the St. Francis wrestlers are listed below.
Kobe Tice: won by a 7-4 decision over Hrabe, Smith Center; won by a fall over Silverman, Smith Center; won by a 4-2 decision over Eskew, Oberlin.
Caleb Todd: lost by a 10-8 overtime decision to Silverman, Smith Center; lost by a fall to Eskew, Oberlin; lost by a fall to Hanson, Atwood.
Eli Mills: lost by a fall to Eskew, Oberlin; lost by a fall to Hanson, Atwood; won by a fall over Silverman, Smith Center.
Garin Cooper: won by a fall over Garner, Stockton; lost by a 3-2 decision to Kirchhoff, Smith Center; won by a fall over Peter, Oberlin.
Tyson Poling: won by a 5-3 decision over Urban, Norton; won by a fall over Kugler, Smith Center.
Shadyron Blanka: won by a fall over Bearley, Atwood; won by a fall over Cassaw, Atwood; won by a 7-0 decision over Wicker, Norton.
Jesse Baxter: won by a fall over Sanchez, Atwood; won by a fall over Bearley, Atwood; lost by a fall to Sproul, Norton.
Colton Neitzel: lost by a fall to Timmons, Smith Center; won by a fall over Ruiz, Stockton; won by a 11-1 major decision over Kester, Stockton.
Coach Dylan Loyd shared the following comments:
"The St. Francis junior high wrestling team traveled to Norton this past Thursday to compete in a very tough and competitive quadrangular with the following teams: Norton, Atwood, Oberlin, Smith Center, and Stockton. It was good for these guys to see some different competition as this season continues to move along. I was really impressed with the amount of improvements this group has made in a short week. These guys have really taken it upon themselves to get better every day in the practice room and push each other. We were able to show some new technique throughout the week and it’s always encouraging as a coach to see them work to implement it into their style of wrestling. This upcoming week will be a very busy week for us as we travel to Atwood on Thursday and then to Phillipsburg on Saturday to compete in the Junior Panther Classic.
Individually, Kobe Tice really competed well this past week and took a 180 from where he was a week ago. He really has just a natural feel for this sport and I believe could have a bright future in this sport. He really did a good job of opening up and letting it fly. Caleb Todd continues to get better. This kid is very coachable and does a good job of competing. He does things the right way and as he matures and develops the results will come. Really have been impressed with him. Eli Mills had a good week and really has shown some improvements. He doesn’t have a whole lot of experience but, he wrestles with a lot of intensity and in this sport that’s what you need. He has been a lot fun to watch, as he gets more experience I believe he can do some really good things. Garin Cooper is just a work horse and does the little things well! He is very physical when he wrestles and is a lot of fun to watch. He has a tremendous work ethic and he really has improved. This kid has a very bright future! Tyson Poling continues to dominate and win. He just has this natural feel to him. He has an unorthodox style that just works for him, and you can’t coach that. Every time he steps out on the mat you know he’s going to battle until the very end. Shadyron Blanka wrestled tough all day and finished the day undefeated. He has a lot of experience and what’s crazy is I think he is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He is a hammer on top and does a great job of keeping constant pressure on his opponents. Jesse Baxter had another great day and is continuing to get the job done. He is a physical kid and for the first time in his junior high wrestling career is starting to wrestle with confidence. He does things extremely well and very coachable. He has been a lot of fun to watch. Colton Neitzel also is another one who really has improved from last season. He has always been very good at working the head on his feet and now he has developed some nice shots off of his ties and its working for him. He’s a good kid who listens extremely well. He battles every time he steps out on the mat and I like to see that."
The junior high wrestlers will compete in Atwood on Thursday, February 9, and in Phillipsburg on Saturday, February 11.
