The grind of the high school wrestling season started this past weekend for Lowry High School with a trip to Fallon for Earl / Wilkens Memorial Tournament.
The Buckaroos earned victories over Dayton, Douglas, Carson, Churchill County, Galena, South Tahoe and Wells. The only loss was to Spanish Springs of the Northern 4A.
“Spanish Springs is tough — we haven’t been able to get by them in the last couple of years,” said LHS head coach John Brooks. "Overall, I thought we looked pretty good for the first weekend out. Quint (Bell) and Ryan (Johnson) looked really good. I was happy with how they wrestled.”
Lowry started the tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, with a 65-8 win over Dayton. The Buckaroos won the first three matches, as Johnson at 160 pounds began with a 14-3 decision. Seth Hornbarger (170) and Cade Billingsley (180) each won by pin to give Lowry a 16-0 lead.
The Buckaroos dropped a match at 195 pounds but quickly gained a 28-5 advantage after Trent McKellips (220) and Josiah Chapman (285) won by forfeit.
The winning streak continued as Isaiah Blanco (106), Taylor Corak (120) and Matthew Souza (126) won by pin. In between, Julian Esquivel won by forfeit to push the lead to 52-5.
After a loss at 132 pounds, Bryan Day (138), Zack Peters (145) and Bell (152) closed out the dual with easy victories.
In the 59-8 win over Douglas, Lowry dropped two matches — both by decision. Blanco, Corak, Souza, Bell, Hornbarger, Billingsley and Chapman won by pin.
Cade Bell at 138 pounds earned a 7-1 decision over Shane Trivitt and Johnson collected a 14-3 victory over Gabe Wetzel.
Later in the first night of action, Lowry beat Carson 51-15. The two squads split thew first four matches, with Joe Peterson (195) and McKellips (220) winning for the Buckaroos. However, Carson held a slim 12-11 lead after four matches.
Lowry took the lead for good at 106 pounds when Isaac Mori notched a 12-1 decision. Esquivel followed with a 15-13 win overtime to put Lowry in front at 18-12. The Buckaroos extended the lead to 33-12 after wins by Corak, Souza and Nathen Blanco.
Lowry lost a 4-2 decision at 138 pounds but Day, Peters, Quint Bell, Johnson and Hornbarger finished the dual with victories.
The Buckaroos blanked Wells, winning all 14 matches. Mori, Esquivel, Corak, Souza, Nathen Blanco, Quint Bell, Peterson, McKellips and Chapman won by forfeit.
Day, Hornbarger and Billingsley won by pin and only two matches went the distance. Peters won a 9-1 decision at 145 pounds and Johnson claimed a 16-5 victory at 160 pounds.
On Saturday morning, Lowry opened with a 78-6 win over Galena of the Northern 4A. The Buckaroos won eight of the 14 matches by forfeit. Corak, Day, Quint Bell, Hornbarger and Billingsley were winners by pin.
Lowry took on host Churchill County and came away with a 70-12 win over the Greenwave. Churchill County finished second at the 3A state championships last year.
Mori gave Lowry a 6-0 lead after the 106-pound match after winning by forfeit. Esquivel, Corak and Souza followed with pins to push the gap 24-0.
The Buckaroos lost at 132 pounds but followed with eight consecutive wins, Six of the victories were by pin, coming from Day, Peters, Quint Bell, Johnson, Peterson and McKellips. Hornbarger earned a 14-3 decision at 170 pounds and Billingsley won by forfeit at 182 pounds.
“I am not going to go by anything with this result,” Brooks said. “I am not going to trust that score. They were without some guys and did not have either McCormick. That’s good points for them. I have no doubt they will be there at the end of the year.”
Against South Tahoe, Lowry won 13 of the 14 matches, including 10 by pin.
Lowry hosts the Cody Louk Invitational this weekend, with action concluding on Saturday at the Winnemucca Event Center.
“Right now, there is potential for us,” Brooks said. “We still have a lot to work on to get better. Our biggest thing is we need to stay healthy. This weekend should be fun, there will be some good wrestling.”
