Grapplers take down Newcastle, build on senior leadership

Eddie Poe photo

Reigning three-time state champion Tate Stoddard wraps up his Newcastle opponent before a victory by pin. 

By: 
Eddie Poe eddie@glenrockind.com

One by one they stepped onto the mat for battle. On the far end of the mat, the Glenrock Herders wrestling team huddled together before the opening match. On the other side, the Newcastle Dogies looked across the GHS gymnasium, hoping to intimidate.
The opening match went the distance. Senior Brysen Collier shook Kale Corley’s hand and the whistle blew, commencing battle at 138 pounds. A reigning state champion in 3A, Corley gave Collier his best, but the Herder pushed through. He persevered.
On several occasions, the two wrestlers were stopped by the referee’s whistle, but determination kept them going. In the end, Collier raised his arm into the air, signaling a well-earned victory.
“I had never wrestled him before, it was a tough match,” Collier said.
Getting that win was a huge confidence booster.”
As the evening of duals pushed on, Glenrock and Newcastle each traded victories. At 145, Aidan Orozco gave his all on the mat but came up short in a loss. Seniors Zane Moore and Ian Arnold each picked up wins with a pin at 152 and 182, respectively. At 220, Cade Griffits won by forfeit.
Moving to the lower weights, Talon Granaas fell at 106 and Josie Bruno battled but lost at 113. Three-time state champion Tate Stoddard carefully maneuvered his way around the mat and picked up a win by pin at 120. When it was all said and done, the Herders earned a 39-36 win.
“We picked up some huge wins tonight,” head coach Nic Dillon said after the duals. “That final score will widen by the end of the season but it was a good win.”
Through two and a half weeks of the season, Glenrock has already seen their fair share of tests. Last weekend, the Herders made their way to Worland for the Battle of the Big Horns, their fourth meet of the season.
It’s given many Herders the opportunity to wrestle in up to 20 matches, a commodity for any team through the first few weeks of the season.
“It’s good for us,” Collier said. “It helps with our conditioning and helps us get into a groove.
“Coach Dillon pushes us hard and by Christmas we usually start to feel comfortable and get into a groove.”
At the Battle of the Big Horns, Glenrock finished second in Pool B behind Thermopolis. They fell to the Bobcats 42-36, but beat Shoshoni and Cody in duals to advance to the gold bracket.
After losses to Worland, Douglas and Thermopolis, for a second a time, the Herders took eighth in the gold bracket. In the best of the best tournament, Stoddard took first at 120 with wins over Brady Stingley of Riverton and Alex Nicholson of Lovell, both by pin. Arnold took second with a loss in the finals to Charlie Beaudrie of Cody in a 5-4 decision and Collier placed third in a semfinal loss to Tyler Combridge of Sheridan in a 9-7 decision.
Dillon expressed high praise for his senior class, noting their strong leadership efforts and ability to build confidence in Glenrock’s younger wrestlers.
By the end of the season, Collier is confident that this year’s team will be a “dark horse.”
“I think we’ll surprise some people by the end of the season,” he said.
The Herders will travel to Moorcroft tonight for a Tri-Meet with the Wolves and Spearfish, South Dakota.

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