Smith-Cotton Vs. Fulton Wrestling

Five straight wins helped the Smith-Cotton wrestling team earn a dual match victory.

The Tigers won the final five matches Tuesday night to snare a 43-35 win against Fulton at the Smith-Cotton gym.

The Tigers, who started the match trailing 18-0 because of three open weight classes, closed the gap to 35-30 heading into the final three matches.

Ben Frederickson earned an 18-4 major decision in the 189-pound weight class to cut the deficit to 35-34.

Lucas Ficken followed with a win in the 215 class. Ficken scored a quick takedown and translated it into a pin just 42 seconds into the match.

“We had some young guys step up, and they knew they were going to have to step up,” Smith-Cotton coach Tim Washington said. “We knew we were going to have to rally at the end. We knew we couldn’t lose any matches and if we did, we certainly couldn’t take any pins.”

Ficken’s win gave S-C a 40-35 cushion heading into the final match, which meant heavyweight Trey Taber just needed to avoid a pin or technical fall for the Tigers to beat the Hornets.

Taber went up against Fulton’s Greg Phelps, who had a clear weight advantage. Taber said Phelps weighed about 40 pounds heavier, but the S-C grappler said he felt he had the advantage by the second period.

“I knew I had him when I was circling around him in the second period, because he was gassed,” Taber said. “I knew from that point on, I had him.”

Taber scored an escape in the second period and held a 2-0 lead to start the third. He opened the period with an escape, but Phelps earned a takedown late to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Phelps let Taber escape so he could have another shot for a takedown, but Taber held on for the 4-2 decision.

The night began with the Tigers avoiding a near disastrous start.

After the three opens at the 103, 112 and 119 weight classes, 125-pounder Josh Brust avoided a hold that could have led to a pin at the end of his first period match against Josh Kurtis.

Brust fell behind 4-0 early in the second, but used a nice move to pin Kurtis with 38 seconds left in the second period.

Tommy Squires followed with an impressive win for the Tigers. Squires avoided two near falls and fell behind as much as 10-0 before reversing Brandon Hammerstone for a defensive pin.

“I got to the point where I just about thought it was over, but I wanted to keep fighting so I didn’t get pinned for my team,” Squires said.

Zach Dake followed with a pin before Fulton reeled off three straight wins to take a 35-18 lead.

Darren Heaton pinned Scott Revak in 1:21, and Daniel Wheeler followed with a pin in 1:56, setting the Tigers up for their thrilling win.

“I’m just really proud of my guys, all of them,” Washington said. “They all went out there and did the job.”

On Saturday, Smith-Cotton had 10 wrestlers place in the Camdenton tournament. Dake and Brust earned second-place finishes while Squires and Frederickson finished fourth.

Heaton and Josh Schull placed fifth for the Tigers, who finished seventh out of 14 teams.

Jon Wright, Adam Archibeque, Taber and Ficken each placed sixth for Smith-Cotton.