Huskies finish strong, defeat Tigers 45-16
The varsity wrestling won their duel against Blue Valley High School, 45-16. The Huskies finished with four pins for the night.
December 13, 2017
The varsity wrestling team continued their success this season, defeating Blue Valley High School in their dual Wednesday night, 45-16. This victory came four days after the Huskies placed four wrestlers in the top three of their weight class at the Cougar Invitational at Shawnee Mission Northwest on Dec. 9.
The Huskies were handed an early lead when the Tigers forfeited the first match of the night to senior Yusiah Her in the 106 pound weight class. However, BVHS won three of the next four matches and gained a 9-12 advantage heading into the 138 lb weight class match. Senior Eric Gawlick won with a first round pin and started a Husky run that propelled the team to victory, with BVNW winning eight out of the final nine matches.
Although they were down early, head coach Tim Serbousek said the game plan is always to finish strong.
“We always want to win in the third period,” Serbousek said. “We got things done right at the end and we always work for that.”
One of the Huskies’ crucial victories was in senior captain Garrett Parks 170 pound match, in which he scored a takedown in the final seconds of the second period to give him a 3-1 lead. Parks was able to hold onto that lead throughout the final period.
“I came in knowing it was a tough match but I was confident,” Parks said. “I thought I did pretty well executing [the game plan.] I knew that I wasn’t gonna pin him or anything so I just wanted to get points and just hang around and it worked out well.”
With senior Derrick Taylor injured, senior captain Joshua Cruz moved up a weight class to wrestle in the last match of the night in the 285 pound division. Following three consecutive nearfalls, Cruz was able to successfully pin his opponent midway through the first period.
“Since I was wrestling heavier I kind of changed up my stance,” Cruz said. “I was a little bit lower, a little heavier on my feel and not so many shots. I just let him make the mistakes.”
The Huskies recorded 4 pins in total, while the Tigers’ picked up just one. Parks said this kind of win against a competitive team and a rival is a boost to the team’s morale.
“I really think we’re confident,” Parks said. “We’re a pretty good team so I think it just makes us even more confident after beating a team like Blue Valley because they’ve been one of our competitors through the years.”
Even after a strong win, Serbousek said there is still room for improvement.
“We see a lot of things here we have to work on, it’s just the progression,” Serbousek said. “Big win for us against our rivals, but we’re just gonna have to go back and individually work with some kids. Work with them and the team takes care of itself.”
