It was a tough night individually for the Capital City wrestling team, but the Cavaliers still came away with a 1-1 record in dual competition Tuesday night at Capital City High School.
Capital City won just four head-to-head matchups, ending the night with a 62-18 loss to Hickman and a tie at 42 against Sedalia Smith-Cotton, which the Cavaliers won due to tiebreaker.
"We had guys try to step up and try to plug some holes where we needed it," Capital City coach Mitch Werdehausen said. "We had some guys wrestling tough matches."
Capital City was missing four varsity wrestlers due to contact tracing and injuries, leaving three open spots in each dual.
"We took some bumps, we were missing a lot of guys," Werdehausen said.
The Cavaliers were able to bump enough wrestlers from the JV level to varsity to help secure the tiebreaking win against Smith-Cotton. The first tiebreaker was number of wins by forfeit, and Capital City won five matches by forfeit while losing just three.
"David Ashcroft stepped in to help fill the lineup," Werdehausen said. "It's the 'next man up' mentality, that's what I've been preaching, especially with COVID going around. You just never know who's going out and who's going to be in the next week."
In addition to Ashcroft, Austin Feely, AJ Kempker, Eli Schuemann and Keaton Schrage all won by forfeit against the Tigers.
Eli Jenkins followed with a win by fall in 2:52 at 145 pounds, which extended the Cavaliers' lead against Smith-Cotton to 36-6.
Jenkins was the only Capital City wrestler to win two head-to-head matchups Tuesday. He also won by fall in 5:06 against Hickman.
"Eli Jenkins has been wrestling tough all season," Werdehausen said. "He's a second-year wrestler, but you'd think he had been wrestling longer. If he just keeps pushing and pushing, he's going to do great things."
Smith-Cotton won six of the remaining seven matches.
Jabari Hubbard was leading 11-10 against his opponent at 160 when he scored a takedown late in the second period. However, when the action stopped due to an injury timeout, Hubbard's takedown was ruled as an illegal move and led to a disqualification.
"We've been preaching slams all year," Werdehausen said. "The ref called it as a takedown, and then all of a sudden he changed his mind and called it a slam. There's nothing a coach can really do about that, we just have to learn from that mistake."
Matt Boyer won by fall in 1:30 at 195 for the Cavaliers. In his matchup against Hickman, Boyer avoided a pin against a state-ranked wrestler, losing by technical fall in the third period.
"Matt Boyer is a first-year wrestler, and not getting pinned against the Hickman kid - who's a good, solid wrestler - he did a great job," Werdehausen said.
Hickman won six matches by fall and three matches by forfeit. Schrage lost a 14-7 decision against the Kewpies.
"They've really grown over the last few years," Werdehausen said of the Kewpies. "This was a rescheduled match. They're a tough team, especially with a full lineup."
Hubbard bounced back to win by fall in 4:58 against Hickman. Hubbard trailed 4-0 entering the third period, then scored a reversal that turned into a pin in just a matter of a few seconds.
"I always tell them to keep wrestling through to the final second," Werdehausen said. "You never know what's going to happen. Jabari's a fighter."
Gibril Wilson also won by forfeit at 160 against Hickman.
The Owensville Tournament scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. Capital City is tentatively scheduled to wrestle Saturday in the Missouri Military Academy Tournament.
The Cavaliers (15-6), who are 2-2 in Central Missouri Activities Conference duals, will wrestle Jan. 20 at Battle.
III
Here are the dual and individual results from Tuesday night's Central Missouri Activities Conference duals at Capital City High School:
DUAL RESULTS
Capital City 42, Sedalia Smith-Cotton 42 (Capital City wins by tiebreaker)
Hickman 62, Capital City 18
CAPITAL CITY RESULTS
106 - Open.
113 - Austin Feely won by forfeit, LBF in 3:40.
120 - AJ Kempker won by forfeit, LBF in 3:10.
126 - David Ashcroft won by forfeit, Eli Schuemann LBF in 1:51.
132 - Eli Schuemann won by forfeit, Justin Sullens LBF in :18.
138 - Keaton Schrage won by forfeit, lost 14-7.
145 - Eli Jenkins WBF in 2:52, WBF in 5:06.
152 - Ethyn Otto LBF in 1:47, LBF in :25.
160 - Jabari Hubbard lost by DQ, Gibril Wilson won by forfeit.
170 - Gibril Wilson LBF in 3:49, Jabari Hubbard WBF in 4:58.
182 - Open, Matt Boyer LBTF (17-0) in 5:00.
195 - Matt Boyer WBF in 1:30, Open.
220 - Open.
285 - Greg Porting LBF in 1:23, LBF in 1:49.