The match kicked off at 152 pounds, where Luke Price fell to Owen’s Paul Redmon by pinfall.
Following a Warhorse win by forfeit, AHS earned its first points of the match at 171 pounds when senior C.J. Vance won by a 5-3 decision in the third period of overtime. Vance won the match when he earned an escape and a penalty point for the final bout margin.
At 189 pounds, Logan Corrai continued the Viking momentum as he earned a 12-5 decision win over Taylor Early to narrow the point differential to 12-6. Senior Lucas Lecka captured another six points with a pinfall victory at 215 pounds over Owen’s Jake Stewart. Unsportsmanlike conduct by the Owen wrestler resulted in a deduction of one team point, which gave the Vikings the overall team lead at 12-11.
The deduction served to motivate the Warhorses, who seized control of the dual. Owen won consecutive bouts in the heavyweight (pin), 103-pound (pin), 112-pound (forfeit), 119-pound (major decision), 125-pound (decision) and 130-pound (pin) weight classes. The Vikings finally broke the string when senior Brock Yackey earned a 14-0 major decision victory over Owen’s Derrick Holt. The Warhorses captured the final two bouts by pin to provide for the final margin.
Two evenings later, the Vikings traveled to Rutherford County and earned a key momentum-building dual meet victory.
The match opened with a double forfeit at the 112-pound weight class. At 119 pounds, Viking grappler Harley Rash earned a first period pinfall to put the Big Red out in front. Justin Gragg made it two straight bout wins with a third period pin at 125 pounds, giving AHS a 12-0 lead.
TJCA bounced back to cut the lead in half with a pinfall win at 130 pounds, but a forfeit win by Yackey at 135 pounds gave the Big Red an 18-6 lead.
Avery surrendered a forfeit at 140 pounds, TJCA earned a victory by pinfall at 145 pounds and won the 152-pound bout by forfeit which gave the Gryphons the lead for the first time at 24-18.
Following a double forfeit at 160 pounds, Vance put the Vikings back in the win column with a first period pin at 171 pounds to tie the match.
Nathaniel Buchanan’s victory by pin at 1:26 in the 189-pound bout put the Vikings ahead in the dual for good. Lecka won the final contested match of the evening by pin at 1:07 for a 36-24 lead, and Greene (heavyweight) and Wesley Hobbs (103 pounds) each won by forfeit to provide for the final 48-24 winning margin.
The Big Red traveled to Hendersonville on Tuesday, Jan. 25, to take on the Bearcats, and return home this Friday, Jan. 28, to host the Polk County Wolverines.
