Carson's Jarod Butler battles Wooster's Christian Hanley in a 160-lb. match Wednesday night at Douglas High.
Seth Reichelt, Eli Thomas and Zach Bumbly won by fall on Wednesday night to put the Carson High wrestling team on track to a 53-24 dual meet victory against Wooster in Minden.
Carson improved its Sierra League record to 3-0 and set the stage for its return home tonight for a championship showdown against Damonte Ranch at Morse Burley Gymnasium. The meet, postponed last week due to a winter storm, is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
“We’re excited,” Carson coach Keith Shaffer said. “We’re going to have to be on our toes for Damonte.”
Carson actually hosted Wooster on Wednesday, although the meet was held at Douglas High School as part of a four-team league meet.
Douglas bested Galena 66-12 and then defeated Wooster 51-15 in a makeup from last week’s regular league schedule.
The Senators weren’t at full strength since 120-pounder Brandon Basa was held out as a precaution after he turned an ankle at practice this week. Heavyweight Sheldon Miller was out due to illness.
Among the highlights for Carson was freshman 106-pounder Eli Thomas, who pinned Jorge Diaz in 1:23.
Thomas was coming off a third-place performance this past Saturday at the Sutter Lions Club Invitational in Sutter, Calif.
“Eli is very talented and he’s coming along,” Shaffer said of Thomas. “He got tested a little tonight and he was able to come out on top.”
Reichelt pinned Wooster’s Noah Moran in 1:22 of the 152-pound match and Zach Bumby pinned Jimmy Vega in 1:21 of the 145-pound match. Nathan Mersino was an 18-3 victor over Patrick McDonald at 138 pounds.
Wooster picked up wins at 132 pounds, where three-time state champion Ian Timmins pinned Kyle Rudy in 3:13 and Christian Hanly rallied from a 5-3 deficit and pinned Jared Butler in 5:14.
“Kyle is a tough kid and a strong wrestler,” Shaffer said of Rudy, a second-place medalist Saturday at Sutter.
“He wasn’t expecting to see Timmins tonight and I think he got a little deer-in-the-headlights. That was a good one to see, though. That was a good learning experience for him.”
Douglas defeated Galena with the help of three wins by fall: Kindel won at 120 pounds in 17 seconds, the fastest fall of the evening; Andrew Williams won his 138-pound match in 1:23 and Will Williams won at 145 pounds in 1:19.
Against Wooster, the Tigers’ Gabe Wetzel won his 152-pound match in 26 seconds, Jaden Blanchard won his 106-pound match in 1:36 and Shane Trivitt won his 132-pound match in 3:15.
Carson hosts Douglas to close out the league dual meet season next Wednesday.