Huron wrestlers win home debut against Bobcats

Posted

HURON — With five wrestlers winning by pin-fall and three more earning forfeit wins, the Huron Tigers dominated the Brookings Bobcats 55-24 in their home opener at Huron Arena Thursday night.
“The kids wrestled really well tonight,” said Huron wrestling coach Dan McCarty after the quick match. “We had a good weekend in Rapid City and good practices so it was good to have a solid meet like this in front of the home crowd.”
Daynon Huber at 132 pounds, Chip Shillingstad at 145, 152-pounder Tahjae Jenkins Harris, Wyatt Larsen at 182 and Gabe Rieger at 195 pounds all won by pin, while Star Sun, Marbel Lopez Bartolon and Devyn Balster each won by forfeit for the Tigers.
“It’s really fun when the kids get those early pins,” McCarty noted. “It gets the crowd charged up and the other guys on the team as well. It was good to see Daynon wrestle more aggressively as he did last year and we moved Chipper up a weight class, just so he could have a match tonight.”
Of the remaining matches, Brookings’ Connor Klinkhammer won by forfeit, while Jacob Schoon, Jackson Bowes and Tucker Christie each won by pin-fall.
Huron’s Jallele Jenkins Harris, a seventh-grader, wrestled his first varsity match under the Arena lights. Jenkins Harris’ 106-pound match against Brookings’ Nolan Archer started slowly, as neither wrestler scored in the opening period. Starting from the down position in the second period, however, Jenkins Harris quickly earned an escape and turned around for a quick takedown and a 3-0 lead. He maintained his advantage through the second period, but Archer got an escape in the third and then promptly scored the takedown of Harris Jenkins to tie the match at 5-5. A quick move by Archer earned back points and the seventh-grader was facing an 8-5 deficit with 30 seconds left in the match.
But Jenkins Harris rallied, getting a reversal and cinching Archer up for back points and a hold-your-breath, come-from-behind 10-8 win in his varsity debut.
“Jallele made a mistake - seventh-graders sometimes make mistakes - but he recovered nicely to get the back points and the win,” McCarty said.
The other match that went the distance, at 160 pounds, featured two evenly matched wrestlers, as Huron’s Matt Katz took on Justin Devine.
Katz scored the first take down and continued to control the Brookings’ wrestler throughout the match, earning the 9-0 win and the major decision win.
“Matt took control early and found a way to get the cradle hooked up,” McCarty said. “He wrestled well on top - there are some things he can work on on the bottom - but he did a good job controlling his guy and getting the win.”
The Tigers are back in action next Thursday, traveling down Highway 37 to take on Mitchell, before taking a break for the holidays.
“The guys were anxious to get on the mats in front of the home crowd,” McCarty said. “We had a fantastic match tonight, with lots of pins.

Varsity match
Huron 55, Brookings 24
106 - Jallele Jenkins Harris (H), dec. Nolan Archer (B) 10-8.
113 - Connor Klinkhammer (B), won by forfeit.

119 - Jackson Bowes, (B), pinned Aung Win (H), 3:41
126 - Star Sun (H), won by forfeit.
132 - Daynon Huber, (H), pinned Jacob Montis, 2:53.
138 - Marbel Lopez Bartolon, (H), won by forfeit.
145 - Chipper Shillingstad, (H), pinned Caden Wright, (B), 1:28
152 - Tahjae Jenkins Harris, (H), pinned Cole Loiseau (B), 3:14.
160 - Matt Katz, (H), major dec. Justin Devine (B), 9-0.
170 - Jacob Schoon, (B), pinned Travis Kleinsasser, (H), 3:38
182 - Wyatt Larsen (H), pinned Logan Bowes, (B), 1:31.
195 - Gabe Rieger, (H), pinned Aaron Smidt (B), 1:14.
220 - Devyn Balster (H), won by forfeit.
285 - Tucker Christie (B), pinned Sebastian Cardona, 2:26

JV match
Huron (H) 18,  Brookings (B) 6
106: Gavin Klinkhammer (B) over Cole Wolff (H) (Fall 0:46)
113: Double Forfeit
120: Double Forfeit
126: Double Forfeit
132: Spencer Lord (H) over Jake Teal (B) (Fall 3:52)
145: Joe Gonzalez (H) over Cherish Stern (B) (Fall 3:49)
152: Double Forfeit
160: Blake Larsen (H) over Heath Bullington (B) (Fall 1:27)
170: Double Forfeit
182: Double Forfeit
195: Double Forfeit
220: Double Forfeit
285: Double Forfeit

PHOTOS BY MIKE CARROLL OF THE PLAINSMAN
Huron’s Jallele Jenkins Harris works to pin Nolan Archer of Brookings during their 106-pound match on Thursday at Huron Arena. Huron’s Chipper Shillingstad performs a takedown against Caden Wright of Brookings during their 145-pound match Thursday at Huron Arena.Above: Huron’s Wyatt Larsen works to turn Logan Bowes of Brookings to his back during their 182-pound match on Thursday at Huron Arena.
Huron’s Matthew Katz collects back points with a cradle on Justin Devine of Brookings during their 160-pound match on Thursday at Huron Arena.