The worst predicament facing the Warrenton wrestling team right now might be the lack of mat time it will see over the two weeks leading up to the Class 3 District 2 Tournament. The Warriors were …
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Warrenton Wrestling in Need of Mat Time
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
The worst predicament facing the Warrenton wrestling team right now might be the lack of mat time it will see over the two weeks leading up to the Class 3 District 2 Tournament.The Warriors were scheduled to compete at the Blue Springs Tournament last Friday and Saturday, but icy road conditions prevented them from traveling to Kansas City.Warrenton was also set to host Hannibal and Westminster in a home meet on Wednesday, but current weather conditions placed that event in jeopardy. So, Coach Kevin Fowler’s team may go 16days between matches outside of practice before hosting the district tournament on Feb. 14 and 15.The Warriors’ last action was a GAC North quad this past Wednesday, when they hosted St. Charles, St. Charles West and Winfield.Warrenton defeated St. Charles 43-35 and topped Winfield 42-29, while falling to St. Charles West 57-13.“Overall, I was pleased with our guys’ performances,” said Fowler. “It was good competition heading into the district meet.”The quad followed a solid showing at Liberty High School the previous night.“Our guys competed hard,” said Fowler. “Those were probably our best two meets as far as duals are concerned.”Two Warrenton grapplers swept the competition, winning GAC North titles.Senior Dakota Werner claimed the 120-pound division. He won by an 11-2 major decision over Chad Hachtel of St. Charles West, while pinning Sam Miller of Winfield.“Werner had a good night and took care of his opponents without any trouble,” said Fowler.Dylan Wade also finished undefeated, beating his lone competitor by a 9-3 decision at 145 pounds.Freshman Brendon Cotner also had a successful night for the Warriors, pinning both of his heavyweight opponents in 1:03 or less.“He stepped in and got a varsity win against St. Charles and that definitely helped,” said Fowler. “He doesn’t give himself enough credit, but a lot of times he’s going against upperclassmen.”While he has been the Warriors’ most decorated competitor this season, sophomore Dan Filipek split his matches at 152 pounds. He bumped up a weight class, pinning his Winfield opponent before losing to state-ranked Steven Biondo of St. Charles West by a 6-3 decision.“He’s always looking for the best competition,” said Fowler. “He chases people, and that will benefit him in the long run.”Filipek gave up all six points during the second period.“He got taken down once off our shot,” said Fowler. “It was an even match, except for that one move.”Drake Meine also wrestled for the Warriors, going 1-1 at 132 pounds.“Meine wrestled tough, even in his loss,” said Fowler. “We’re pleased with him as a freshman stepping at middle weight.”He pinned one opponent, while losing by fall to another.At 138 pounds, James Biship was unable to collect a win, losing by both decision and pin. Fowler expects he will find his way back into the winners’ circle over the next week.“He’ll come on strong in districts,” said Fowler. “We’ve got to get him wrestling well heading into the last couple weeks.”Additionally for Warrenton, Dominic Kennedy went 1-2 at 106 pounds, while Seth Brierly finished with the same record at 126 pounds. Meanwhile, Jacob Manion went 1-1 in the 182-pound field.“We need to do a lot of fine-tuning individual people now,” said Fowler. “We’ll focus on perfecting our technique and figure out what best moves are.”
