NHS wrestling team wrestling for traction

In the world of high school sports, triumphs and setbacks are an inevitable part of the journey. The Niwot High School wrestling team faced challenges in the first three duals of the season, resulting in a 0-2 record to start the year.

Breaking into the regular season, the Cougars dropped their dual against Timnath High School on Dec. 6 in a 48-30 loss. Despite the team's defeat, several athletes performed well. Sergio Rodriguez at 132 pounds pinned his opponent at 4:57, adding 6 points to Niwot's side of the scoreboard. Ryder Evans also pinned his opponent at the 1:19 mark in the 144-pound category.

Helping stack points for the Cougars was a series of forfeits from Timnath. They included 106-pounder Cole Dudderar, 113-pounder Caden Corcoran-Schacht, and 175-pounder Gavin Burrage.

The outcome of the first dual was an opportunity for reflection. Niwot was pinned in seven matches. According to head coach Bobby Matthews, the losses were largely due to a lack of grit, and not because Timnath wrestled particularly better than the home team.

"I mean, let's put it bluntly," Matthews said. "I just don't think we wrestled very tough. We went to our back too easily. And you know, we broke it down to, "You've got to put a little bit more work into the wrestling room and work a little bit harder in practice in order to compete."

Cougar wrestlers participated in the Frank Palmeri/Wheat Ridge Invitational on Dec. 8 and made their mark.

Dudderar made it to the quarter-final match at the 106-pound weight class, and Jacobi Alton was the champion at the 126-pound weight class. They were joined by Evans, Lucas Menza, and Russell Ragland, all of whom won championships.

Hikaru Johnson, Graycn Henry, and Pavi Soni each fell to their opponent in the championship match.

Although the duals didn't yield the results the roster suggested, early season matches are about finding a groove and working toward wins.

Niwot fell to Silver Creek High School 44-33 on Dec. 8, but posted several individual triumphs and pinned five Raptors, each resulting in six points for the Cougars.

Alton, Johnson, Ragland, Burrage, Ibrahim Kabore, and Jose Lopez each contributed pins at the 120, 138, 165, 175, 190, and 285-pound weight classes, respectively.

Evans took his match in a 9-5 decision.

"The more you wrestle out there, the better you'll get," Evans said. "So, just go three rounds. Are you trying? You'll get better."