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With duals against both Lovell and highly rated Glenrock Thursday and Friday, the Bobcats faced a sizable challenge; especially with the effect of the local flu-bug and injury. It was not unexpected that the Bobcats would not be at their best but there were bright spots in both duals though the 'Cats were on the short end of 39-30 and 59-21 scores.
Against Lovell, Michael Harvey (170 lbs.) started the Bobcats off with a narrow one point victory, 8-7, while giving up three takedowns. Harvey countered with two reversals and a near fall. Both wrestlers scored an escape for the final score.
Austin Ireland (106 lbs.) scored on three takedowns to extend his match to overtime where he promptly scored his fourth for the victory, 8-6.
Jon Hagen (120 lbs.) tied the team score at that point with a fall at 4:47, but the Bobcats were unable to maintain the momentum losing the next four matches (15 team points) for a 39-24 total.
Cullen Becher (160 lbs.) raised the Bobcat total with a quick dispatching of his Lovell opponent in a first period pin at :53.
Others wrestling in Lovell were Chase White, Hunter Mounts, Jon Harvey, Riley Shaffer, and Tyson Tobar.
Glenrock took no chances against the young Bobcats. They brought their A team and their A game. Thermopolis showed only three victories and one forfeit for their Senior Night effort.
Jon Hagen (120 lbs.) won for the Bobcats in impressive fashion with a :52 pin after a quick takedown.
Cullen Becher's match was against a wrestler who had bested him by one point a week earlier at the Ron Thon. Becher (160 lbs.) left no doubt in anyone's mind as to whether that result was going to be repeated as he scored the initial takedown, and continued to show dominance in a 7-3 victory.
Appropriately enough in the night's finale, the Bobcat's lone senior, Michael Harvey (170 lbs.), scored the first takedown, and then spent little time in turning his Herder opponent to his back for the pin at the beginning of the second period (2:14).
Other Bobcats wrestling Friday were Blake Williams, Chase White, Jeffery VanAntwerp, Jon Harvey, Riley Shaffer and Tyson Tobar.
Coach CJ Scholl noted that the lineup at Lovell was missing a couple of stalwarts, but the real problem for some seemed to be that they were not feeling well and lacked the energy needed to be competitive.
"Glenrock will be competitive for the state championship if they get a little help from some of the other teams like Cokeville in dealing with Moorcroft, so we were somewhat overwhelmed given the status of some of our wrestlers. I think, given some time to get healthy, we'll be competitive in several weights. We should have seven to nine state qualifiers coming out of the regional tournament," said Scholl
The Bobcats will journey to Wheatland this weekend for the regional tournament where eight wrestlers in each weight class will qualify for the state tournament in Casper the following week.
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