Entering Wednesday night’s home High Desert League dual with McQueen, Spanish Springs had won 52 straight league duals and eight straight league titles.
So call it bad luck, or call it poetic justice, but with it all on the line, with Spanish Springs clinging to a 32-31 lead with one match left, it was two freshmen who walked to the center of the mat.
As the entire gym, and both benches, went ballistic, it was Spanish Springs’ Colby Preston (145) who proved to be the hero.
Preston used a move coach Joe Imelli doesn’t teach, or endorse, to pin Kyle Ward late in the first round and extend the Cougars’ winning streak to 53.
“It’s not something I’m going to teach him or tell him to work on, but he’s got great hips and when he hit that floor, boy he got that foot down and turned those hips right over,” Imelli said. “As soon as he was on top, I knew that kid wasn’t coming out of that position. He ‘boa constrictor-ed’ down.”
Preston said the winning streak he preserved isn’t something the team talks about, but it was certainly on his mind as he got ready to wrestle.
“(I was thinking) I can’t lose,” Preston said. “I gotta get the win somehow.”
The drama of the final match of the night was set up by the previous two as the Lancers’ Nick Aguilar (138) and David Montes (132) earned consecutive pins. Caleb Romero (182) also earned six points for the Lancers with a pin.
“There’s no excuse for us to get pinned, especially at home,” Imelli said. “It’s not something we do so that’s something we’ll have to correct.”
For the Cougs, Reese Masset (126), Blake Boswell (152), Jacob Dye (160) and Casey Preston (195) won by fall.
Jacob Ruiz (113) won by technical fall, 22-7, and Joey Arterburn (220) edged out a 2-1 decision.
For the Lancers, JR Garcia (106), Montana Puckett (120) and Anthony Flores (170) won by decision. Damon Ramos (285) won by major decision.
Spanish Springs, which improved to 3-0 in league duals, didn’t wrap up its ninth straight league title with the dramatic win, but it got close. The Cougars can do the deed with a win next Wednesday at North Valleys. McQueen fell to 2-1 in league duals.
Raiders come up short to Panthers
The Reed wrestlers dropped to 1-2 in HDL duals with a narrow 39-37 loss at North Valleys on Wednesday night.
The Raiders dropped the dual despite winning four weight classes by forfeit.
Christian Richer (138) won by fall while Chase Heit (145) won by major decision and Izzy Casarez (152) won by decision.
Reed hosts Reno next Wednesday in another HDL dual.
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