Injuries mount for Mustang wrestlers

ALTAMONT — Iola’s wrestling team added to its ranks of walking wounded this week.
The Mustangs, already without two seniors who were injured in matches last week in Fort Scott, wound up without the services of sophomore Trey Colborn Thursday because of a back injury.
His replacement, junior Dacoda Hunt, injured his knee in his 285-pound match against Chanute’s William Divine, who wound up pinning Hunt 30 seconds into the third period.
The defeat capped a 0-7 performance in contested matches for the Mustangs against the powerful Chanute squad.
Earlier in the night, Iola was edged 36-33 by host Labette County, although the score was a bit misleading, coach Brad Carson pointed out, because Iola won three of the four contested matches.
Schools earn team points if they can offer up a wrestler in specific weight classes if their opponents cannot.
Iola did not have wrestlers in the bottom five weight classes Thursday.
“As far as I’m concerned, we won the dual against Labette,” Carson said. “I saw some good things, and the kids continued to give 100 percent.”
In the most hotly contested match of the night against Chanute, Iola’s Bryce Misenhelter lost 4-1???? to Josh Smeed of Chanute in a 182-pound match.
Misenhelter got a second-period point by escaping Smeed’s grasp, but could get no closer in the third period.
“Once again, Bryce just battled his heart out tonight,” Carson said. “That’s all we ask is for the guys to give a full six minutes and never quit.”
Chase Roettgen (195 pounds) lost a 3-1 decision to Chanute’s Cody Howell. He trailed 3-0 after two periods, then got an escape to earn a point midway through the final period. He was unable to get the upper hand, however, before time ran out.
Cody Conner lost by a pin to Chanute’s Jared Fiscus, one of the top 145-pound wrestlers in the state at 1:41.
Brice Aiello lost by pin at 2:49 to Chanute’s Jodie Murphy at 152 pounds. Tris Rieske lost to Chanute’s Ethin Van Anne via pin at 1:30. Likewise, Andrew Garber lost by pin to Chanute’s Alex Son at 170 pounds in 56 seconds.
Hunt hurt his knee late in the second period against Divine, then continued wrestling until being pinned 32 seconds into round three.
The match was the first of the year for Hunt, who earned a victory against Labette County because the Grizzlies did not have a 285-pound wrestler.
“We thought it would be OK to send him out against Chanute,” Carson said. “There’s no way I thought that would happen.”
Chanute won by forfeit at 113, 120, 126, 132, 138 and 220 pounds.
Counting the forfeits, Chanute won 72-0.

AGAINST LABETTE County, Conner won by fall at 3:15 over Trent Walker. Aiello won a 7-4 decision over Labette’s Martin Woldum. Rieske was pinned by Dalton Wiley at 1:37.
In his match, Roettgen trailed the Grizzlies’ Cole Reazin 2-0 when he got the upper hand and a pin at 1:31 of the second period.
Labette County won by forfeit at 120, 126, 132 and 220 pounds. Iola won by forfeit at 182 and 285 pounds.
The Mustangs remain without the services of Stephen McDonald at 220 pounds and Zeph Larney at 152 pounds because of injury. Carson said McDonald may return in the next week or two from his shoulder injury. He was unsure Larney would be sidelined with a knee injury.
Carson announced junior Tristan Sigfusson was leaving the program because of personal reasons and sophomore Kaleb Mock has been dismissed from the team.
“It’s been a tough week,” Carson said.

JUNIOR VARSITY wrestlers Raymond Branstetter and Jordan Long both split a pair of exhibition matches Thursday.
Branstetter defeated Chanute’s Alex Cotton at 145 pounds by pin in 1:32. He lost by pin to Labette County’s Brandon Reasoner in 1:21.
Long wrestled at 160 pounds, downing Aaron McCoach of Labette County 4-2 and losing 6-2 to Kyle Welch of Chanute.
The varsity returns to action next Saturday at the Eureka Invitational. Meanwhile Branstetter and Long will return to Labette County today to take part in a JV invitational tournament.