Bulldogs earn two more dual victories
Nolan Lerch (220 pounds) earned a fall in MFL MarMac’s dual win over East Buchanan. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Kadence Pape wrestled her way to a fall in her 120-pound match against East Buchanan.
Gabe McGeough won both of this matches in the duals against East Buchanan and River Ridge.
Andrew Heins earned a 15-6 major decision victory at 126 pounds against East Buchanan.
At 195 pounds, Collin Henkels earned a fall in the dual against River Ridge.
Mackenzie Bachman wrestled two matches against East Buchanan.
In the dual with River Ridge, 126-pound Jack Vorwald picked up a pin.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac wrestling team is now 11-1 in duals this season, with two more victories last week over East Buchanan and River Ridge.
The Bulldogs hosted the triangular Dec. 21, defeating East Buchanan 52-22 in their opening dual. It was highlighted by falls from Kadence Pape (120), Gabe McGeough (160) and Nolan Lerch (220). Andrew Heins also earned a 15-6 major decision victory at 126 pounds, while Kashton Mathis pulled out a 7-4 decision win at 182 pounds and Taylor Herzmann won by 6-2 decision at 195.
Four Bulldogs—TJ Coleman (106), Holden Mathis (132), Bryce Radloff (138) and Tristen Koehn (145)—won their respective matches by forfeit.
At 152 pounds, Quinn McGeough lost via 14-6 major decision. Keith Anderson (113), Austin Schlee (170) and Mason Overton (285) were all pinned by their opponents.
MFL MarMac won the final dual 72-9 over a short-handed River Ridge. The Bulldogs’ score was boosted by seven forfeit victories as well as five wins by fall. Anderson got the pin at 113 pounds, while Radloff (138), Gabe McGeough (160), Jack Vorwald (126) and Collin Henkels (195) came out on top in their matches.
The lone loss was at heavyweight, where Overton narrowly dropped a 3-2 decision.
Head coach Chet Bachman said the team is starting to come along.
“We’re competing well in our dual meets and we had a good stretch going into the break,” he said.
“Now, we need to find the answer for our tournaments and do better there,” he added.
The Bulldogs wrestled in two tournaments in December, placing fourth at Nashua-Plainfield and third at Starmont. Senior Gabe McGeough was the team’s most consistent wrestler in both, earning the 152-pound championship each time. He’s lost just one match all season
“He’s having a really good season so far,” said Bachman, “but he’s got a tough stretch coming in January. You don’t want to walk in and not go after it and not show what you have. He has to go after it and leave everything out there—that will take him to the next level.”
Other Bulldogs have been on the cusp of the top spot at tournaments, placing second and third, but Bachman said that will have to improve as the season progresses.
“We faced some good competition at those tournaments, but we need to do a better job of getting ready for matches throughout the tournament,” he commented. “We need to have more champions and beat kids in the finals. You have to show up and bring it. You have to prove yourself.”
Meanwhile, the team is starting to find more consistency throughout its weight classes, especially at the top and bottom, which were question marks heading into the season.
“We’re coming together at the top and have seen some improvement. The lighter end has put some things together too. It’s just one of those things that takes time,” Bachman said.
The Bulldogs are flush with talent in the middle, and some wrestlers have competed at two or three different weights.
“And that’s starting to come together,” Bachman noted. “But it’s still going to be week by week, day by day as we go forward. It’s a long season, and sometimes you have sickness and injury, so you never know. It usually works itself out.”
He’s also been impressed by the team’s girl wrestlers, Kadence Pape, Mackenzie Bachman and Audrey Ruff. They’ve each gotten as many as a dozen matches so far, including several in the East Buchanan dual, gaining valuable experience.
“We want them to continue to grow and get more mat time,” he said.
Some of that will come next week, when the girls wrestle in a tournament at Anamosa on Jan. 3, then in a meet at Central on Jan. 7.
It will be a busy week for the Bulldogs overall, also with conference duals at Clayton Ridge on Jan. 6 and then the Maquoketa Valley Tournament on Jan. 8.
