Broncos mat squad suffer losses in league match at Reardan

Seven members of the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos mat squad traveled to Reardan on Thursday, Dec. 15, to showcase their skills against multiple schools in league matches.

Head Coach Jason Hilzer said the athletes displayed immense improvement in their overall technique, but proved they were still in need of additional mat time.

The athletes competing on Thursday were Aarron Phelps, Michael Phelps, Garrett Correll, Dylan Lane, Tristan Regan, Alex Whitman and Tucker Guiles. Hilzer said the opposing schools consisted only of Liberty and Reardan, after Colfax and Warden athletes were unable to participate.

As a new athlete, Regan wrestled in his first league match on Thursday. Wrestling at 106, Regan only had one match against a Reardan athlete. Hilzer said Regan did very well for not having much experience on the mat.

Hilzer said Regan gained the advantage on his opponent and was ahead 7-6 by the third period. His opponent caught him in a move, forcing Regan to lose by pin.

Lane faced two Reardan athletes, wrestling at 145 pounds. He lost both matches by pin in the first round, said Hilzer.

The two athletes Lane faced proved to be more experienced on the mat, which is the reason for his defeat, Hilzer explained. As a new athlete, Hilzer stated he did not expect Lane to acquire the skills necessary to defeat elite wrestlers this early in the season.

Whitman had two matches against Reardan athletes at 145 pounds. Hilzer said Whitman is also in need of additional mat time and lost both his matches in the first period by pin.

For his second match, Hilzer said Whitman challenged his opponent throughout the entire three quarters and ended up losing 5-13 to his Reardan opponent.

Aarron wrestled at 195 pounds and faced an athlete from Reardan as his first league match. Despite his immense efforts, Hilzer said Aarron lost by pin in the first round.

Hilzer said Aarron did much better his second match and managed to take down his Reardan opponent. Unfortunately, Aarron could not get correct positioning on his opponent and lost by pin in the first round.

By his third match, Aarron had exerted most of his energy in the first two matches and lost by pin in the first round. Hilzer said the reason for his losses are due to lack of experience and he expects him to make improvements throughout the season.

Michael wrestled next against a Reardan athlete in the heavy weight division at 285 pounds. Hilzer said Michael impressed him with the improvement in his technique since the Liberty Tournament.

Michael’s efforts fell short against a state veteran Reardan athlete, said Hilzer. His opponent proved to be stronger than Michael and displayed advanced skill on the mat. He lost by pin in the first round.

Guiles faced the same experienced Reardan athlete in his first match. Hilzer said Guiles came out aggressive in the first round and quick on his feet in attempt to match his opponent’s skills.

Also wrestling at 285 pounds, Hilzer stated Guiles lost because his opponent caught him in a move Guiles could not break free from.

His over confidence proved to be the reason for his defeat, said Hilzer, and he expects this mistake to be a learning experience for Guiles as he works towards improvement.

Correll wrestled one league match against an opponent from Reardan. Hilzer said he lost by pin in the first round due to lack of experience and endurance.

He said Correll has much potential to be a strong athlete with some additional mat time.

Hilzer said the team would focus on bottom technique and being quick on their feet during practice this week. They will also be working on taking down their opponents and recognizing opportunities to attack.

The Broncos traveled to Coulee City on Dec. 21 to compete in the Banks Lake Brawl. The athletes will then participate in the Warden JV Tournament on Dec. 23.