Orangemen wrestlers take down Crete

Beatrice protected their home mat against Crete Tuesday night at the Ozone.

The Orangemen won the dual over the Cardinals 52-30. It was the first home event of the year for the Beatrice squad.

Beatrice Coach Jordan Johnson thought his team’s effort was “great.”

“We are so young right now, we’re just focusing on getting better every time out,” Johnson said. “I thought we did well. Our younger guys who are very inexperienced all battled really hard.”

The dual started at the 126-pound weight class and Trevor Reinke was able to win a 10-0 major decision over Crete’s Thomas Kennedy-Croft, giving the Orangemen an early 4-0 lead.

In the 132-pound division, Beatrice’s Steven Powers lost by pin to Crete’s Tanner Swain, which gave Crete a 6-4 lead.

In the 138-pound class, Cole Maschmann was able to get Beatrice’s lead back with a pinfall win over Crete’s Zachary Binder, making the score 10-6.

“Maschmann has really been getting after it,” Johnson said. “He’s finally doing what I expected him to do at 138.”

Jacob Karlin then extended that lead to 16-6 with a pinfall win over Layla Wood in the 145-pound division.

In the 152-pound division, Beatrice’s Jarrett Koch won my forfeit, making the score 22-6. Brody Nelson then followed that up with a pinfall win over Mason Bakker in the 160-pound division, extending the Orangemen lead to 28-6.

“Brody wrestled how I thought he would,” Johnson said. “He’s still breaking off the rust from last year, so he sometimes gets ahead of himself. But he proved what he can do.”

Crete would go on a small run after that. In the 170-pound division, the Cardinals’ Dylan White won by pinfall over Beatrice’s Brock Ostdiek.

Kolton Johnson then defeated Beatrice’s Dakota Adams by pinfall in the 182-pound division. Beatrice then forfeited the 195-pound division, making the score 28-24.

In the 220-pound division, Zach Markey won his match by pin over Crete’s Ivery Hoyos, extending the Beatrice lead to 34-24.

Beatrice forfeited the 285-pound division, but Bryce Karlin, Tanner York and Drew Arnold all received forfeits in the 106, 113 and 120 pound divisions, making the final score 52-30.

“I really don’t have much to be upset about because the whole team wrestled really well,” Johnson said. “It was a good dual. I’d like to see our little guys be able to wrestle a little more, but they’ll be back in action this weekend.”

The Orangemen will be in action again this weekend when they travel to the Grand Island Invite.

“We are what I thought we’d be early in the season,” Johnson said. “We have kids that have wrestled a lot, and now it’s just getting them up to the speed of high school. It’s a little different and I think they’re getting there.”