Wrestlers heading to regionals

Thursday and Friday Bobcat wrestlers proved the sports adage that the scoreboard doesn’t always tell the whole story of any contest. Visiting Worland on Thursday, the Bobcats spotted the Warriors 18 points in forfeits and the scoreboard said Worland 40, Thermopolis 30. Friday saw a similar result against the Glenrock Herders. After spotting the Herders a 12-point advantage, the Bobcats were unable to cut into that lead and finished 12 points down at 48-36.

Winning Bobcats against Worland were Wyatt McDermott (6-4), Jeff VanAntwerp (10-8), Jon Hagen (pin in1:56), Riley Shaffer (6-3), Chance Watt (pin in 1:33), Logan Cole (pin in 3:41), and Remington Ferree (4-2).

Against Glenrock, Cole led off the Bobcat scoring with a pin in 1:00. VanAntwerp ( 3:52), Hunter Mounts (2:27), Jon Harvey (3:59), and Shaffer (:40) all followed with falls, and Ferree received a forfeit to account for the Bobcats’ 36 points.

This weekend at regionals in Kemmerer will likely see Cole Christianson return to action hoping to help the Bobcats plug a hole at 182. Bobcat Austen Ireland will be trying for a high seed at state where he placed 6th in 2018, and highly rated Logan Cole will seek to prove that rating is valid. The likelihood is however, that this team could qualify as many as ten for action at state. Most observers are picking Kemmerer to compete with Moorcroft for the class 2A championship since both are likely to fill the brackets with challengers with two entrants in several weights.

Head coach Travis McDermott has told his team, “We’re in the mix,” but he knows that from this point on every match by every individual is important if the team is to truly be in the mix, but those who take the Bobcats lightly are in for a shock. The regional has been shortened to a one day affair. Thermopolis wrestlers will travel to Kemmerer on Friday, and return after the tournament on Saturday night knowing how they will be represented at the state tournament starting on Friday, Feb. 22.