CONCORDIA – Back in action for their first home dual since mid-November, the number-25 ranked Cloud County Community College wrestling team did not disappoint their home crowd by earning a 30-19 victory over Central Christian College inside of Arley Bryant Gymnasium in Concordia, Kansas on Tuesday.
The victory is the second dual victory of the year for the T-Birds, with both dual victories coming at home. It also marks the third straight year that CCCC has defeated Central Christian College on the mat.
"Tonight felt good for us to get a win as we've been wrestling some extremely tough competition this past weekend and our guys opened up and competed when given the opportunity," said head coach Cody Cole in a post-dual interview. "Micah Sterling responded well tonight at 184 pounds after some adversity with a takedown early to get a pin and Elwin Trejo at heavyweight to seal the deal for us was big deal and it's nice to have him at the back end of our lineup for situations like tonight." "Tomorrow night, we welcome number 13 Barton in our Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference opener and we know that they're a tough team that will go after us early so we need to show up and try to go for things off the whistle instead of sitting back and waiting for the action to come to us."
Central Christian would kick off the dual with a 12-3 major decision victory at 125 pounds over Aiden Connors as the Grapevine, Texas native would be unable to capitalize on an early first period takedown to allow the Tigers to take a 4-0 lead in the match. Concordia, Kansas native Blake Leiszler would get the T-Birds on the scoreboard with a takedown and four-point near fall that would turn into a pin at the 2:28 mark in the first period at 133 pounds to give CCCC a 6-4 lead, and Joel Ostrom would follow suit with a pin of his own at the 2:15 mark in the 141 pound match.
The 12-4 Cloud County lead would be cut into at 149 pounds as Nate Normandin would get a reversal and four-point near fall after allowing an early takedown, but be taken to overtime as the sophomore would be unable to escape a third-period takedown. In the sudden-death extra session, Central Christian's Jerome Cannon would work his way to a takedown that would end the match with Normandin falling 8-6.
Central Christian would use the momentum swing heading into the 157 pound match to earn a pin at the 1:03 mark as Chandler Schoenberger would be unable to fend off Hazen Benton which would allow the Tigers to once again take the lead at 13-12. An open weight by Central Christian at 165 pounds gave Kobryn Mann a forfeit victory, but the Tigers once more would have a response with a pin at the 1:22 mark over Dante Harper of Cloud County in the 174 pound match.
Sterling would be taken down in the opening minute of the first period of his match at 184 pounds, but work his way towards a reversal that would quickly put his opponent Mason McCarty on his back. The Centennial, Colorado native would then waste no time to end the match, earning a pin at the 2:32 mark to put Cloud County up 24-19.
With both teams having an open weight at 197 pounds, Cloud County would only have to avoid a pin at heavyweight to earn a match victory, and things would never be in doubt for the T-Birds in the match. Trejo would get a first-period takedown before seeing Jacob Sabus cut the lead in half on an escape, but Sabus would have first choice at the end of the period and choose bottom position. The decision would prove to be just what Trejo needed as the Liberal, Kansas native moved to end things in quick fashion and get a pin just over a minute into the second period to end the dual.
What's next?
A top-25 showdown awaits a quick turnaround for Cloud County as the T-Birds welcome the Barton Cougars to town for a 7 p.m. dual on Wednesday. The dual will serve as the KJCCC opener for both squads, and the first of three KJCCC West Division Duals for CCCC this season.
--cloudtbirds.com--