The White River High wrestling team chalked another match in the win column with a 45-35 victory over Franklin Pierce Jan. 14 that could have gone either way.
The Hornets, 3-1 in the South Puget Sound League 3A standings, are scheduled to host Lakes at 7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, and head to Peninsula for a 7 p.m. contest Thursday. The team will split forces Saturday, sending lineups to tournaments in Renton and Emerald Ridge in Puyallup.
Against the Cardinals, Richard Geddes kicked off the match with a 54-second pin at 103 pounds.
WRHS girls’ wrestling standout Sam Lovelace took the mat at 112 pounds and suffered a 12-2 defeat.
The Hornets dropped the next two weight classes, both by pin, before Robert Kautzman returned the favor. He pinned his 130-pound Cardinal opponent in 50 seconds.
At 135 pounds, Hornet Jeremy Gurule suffered a rare defeat, taking the fall at the 2:29 mark.
White River’s Alec Williams took care of business at 140 pounds, earning a pin in 1:07.
For the second-straight week, coach Joe Klein said 145-pounder Anthony Moore provided the “pivotal” win.
Earlier, Moore had won his Bonney Lake match with a one-point victory. Against the Cardinals, he pulled off a 4-3 double overtime victory to put the Hornets within striking distance of the Cardinals.
“He’s doing a good job,” Klein said.
The Hornets scored two more pins at 152 and 160 pounds to pull ahead. Caden Pugmire tallied his in the opening 51 seconds of the 152-pound match and 160-pounder Michael J. Madden earned his pin at 1:25.
Franklin Pierce surged back with falls at 171 and 189 pounds and handed White River 215-pounder Chase Myers a forfeit.
Hornet heavyweight David Meagher put the exclamation point on the night and sealed the victory with a 48-second pin.
Reach Brenda Sexton at bsexton@courierherald.com or 360-802-8206.