Tiger Cubs' grapplers trip up Vikings

WEST TERRE HAUTE -- Greencastle's wrestling squad made the long trek to West Vigo Thursday night and returned home 52-21 victors over the Vikings.

Starting at the 152 pounds weight class, James Brown got the first victory of the night for the Tiger Cubs with a 14-7 win over West Vigo's Harold Cooper.

Aaron Langdon scored a 9-0 decision over the host's Kevin Stewart before 170 pounds No. 15 Carter Lewis secured Greencastle's first pin against Casey Noblitt.

"We have to keep working as a team to keep putting points on the board and prevent them from going on the other side," GHS head coach Matt McComish said. "Every day we step on the mat, we get a little bit better. Our young guys are making huge strides. When it comes time for county, conference and the sectional, it's going to be up to these guys to score points."

West Vigo's first points came at 182 pounds as Hunter Smith was pinned by Sam McClain. Nathan Tesmer got the Tiger Cubs back in the score column after eeking out a close 3-2 decision over Dakota Short.

Blaine Fenwick and Jordan Froderman secured back-to-back pinfalls and Troy Wardlow and Ryley Cook took forfeits, nailing down a team win for Greencastle.

After the outcome was decided, Cameron Hinton was edged at 120 pounds by West Vigo's Gage Lynch by a 3-2 margin, while Kaleb Flemming and Jordan Sanders both lost by pinfall.

Nick Pingleton and Riley Boswell rounded out the scoring by scoring pinfalls and finished off a meet that ran Greencastle's season record to 3-1.

McComish said after that the squad expected a tight meet and delivered throughout the night.

"We always wrestle really close matches with West Vigo," McComish said. "Ever since I have been here, it has always been very tight between the two schools and I think we came away with some really close wins."

McComish said several wrestlers stood out in the team win.

"Jordan Froderman came through with a big win for us at heavyweight. Blaine Fenwick got a nice pin to get points for us. Aaron Langdon won again to stay undefeated," he said. "Nick Pingleton, Riley Boswell, Carter Lewis and everyone else chipped in because it was a total team effort."

Greencastle hosts North Vermillion next Wednesday before traveling to Castle High School for a six-way meet that includes Castle, Evansville Mater Dei, Bloomington South, Jeffersonville and Jasper.

McComish said the squad would need to be wrestling at a high level to be competitive against some of the best teams in the state of Indiana.

"Our next meet is senior night and the guys are excited about that." McComish said. "(Castle) is a tough meet. We know we need to keep wrestling at a high level and we have to keep getting better in order to compete with those teams. Hopefully, we can take this win and build on it."

At West Vigo

106 lbs. -- Wardlow (G) by forfeit
113 lbs. -- Cook (G) by forfeit
120 lbs. -- Lynch (WV) dec. Hinton (G) 3-2
126 lbs. -- Wilkins (WV) fall Flemming (G) 1:07
132 lbs. -- Bowden (WV) fall Sanders (G) 0:53
138 lbs. -- Pingleton (G) fall Otte (WV) 3:12
145 lbs. -- Boswell (G) fall Herrington (WV) 2:47
152 lbs. -- Brown (G) dec. Cooper (WV) 14-7
160 lbs. -- Langdon (G) maj. dec. Stewart (WV) 9-0
170 lbs. -- Lewis (G) fall Noblitt (WV) 1:48
182 lbs. -- McClain (WV) fall Smith (G) 2:46
195 lbs. -- Tesmer (G) dec. Short (WV) 3-2
225 lbs. -- Fenwick (G) fall Bell (WV) 0:52
285 lbs. -- Froderman (G) fall Riley (WV) 3:50