Tiger wrestling falls to Grandview

EPHRATA — Both the Tiger boys and girls wrestling teams fell in their duals against Grandview on Thursday night, with the Greyhounds defeating the Ephrata girls 39-29 before the boys falling 38-28 later in the night. 

“We had a few starters gone and missing, but they felt confident,” Ephrata girls wrestling Head Coach Raul Tejeda said. “We had some mistakes — we knew it was going to be a close match, but it wasn’t the outcome we wanted.” 

Grandview opened the dual with a 10-9 decision in the 140-pound bout between Grandview’s Geselle Razo and Ephrata sophomore Meraly Carrillo Cazarez to take a 3-0 lead, to which the Tigers immediately responded to with a technical fall in favor of Ephrata junior Rayn Castillo in the 145-pound match. The Tigers took an 11-3 lead following the 155-pound match, where junior Adylene Sanchez pinned her opponent in the first round. 

Grandview won all three of the 170, 190 and 235-pound bouts at Thursday’s dual to retake the lead. The 190-pound match between Grandview’s Sofia Tovar and Ephrata junior Tessa Hausken was decided in the third round, where a late takedown sealed the match in Tovar’s favor. Both the 170 and 235-pound matches were decided by pins, which came in the first round; both Tigers in those bouts wrestled out of their rostered weight classes. 

“(Tovar), she beat her before, so we knew that one was going to be a close one,” Tejeda said. “We didn’t have our starting heavyweight, so that kind of hurt there a little bit.” 

Ephrata got back on the scoreboard with a first-round pin by freshman Ellissia Powers in the 100-pound match, which cut the Greyhound lead to 18-17; however, a Tiger forfeit in the 110-pound match combined with three-straight Grandview wins allowed the Greyhounds to win the dual 39-29.  

The final match of the night was won by the Tigers when junior Kashlynn Cobb pinned Grandview’s Yiselle Vaquera in the first round of the 135-pound bout. 

“Overall, I’m pleased with how the girls wrestled, but I think it could have been a different outcome,” Tejeda said.  

Tejeda said one of the takeaways from Thursday’s dual will be capitalizing on opportunities when they present themself on the mat. 

“We gained some positions that we should have finished,” he said. “We’re still a new team, but overall, the girls are still coming together. But, the energy’s there.” 

Following the girls dual, the Ephrata boys wrestling took the mat for their dual against the Greyhounds; wrestling began with the heavyweights, as Grandview was able to win four of the first six matches to take a 19-7 lead early in the dual. Ephrata’s two wins over that stretch were by junior Carter Garcia (165) in a 12-10 decision and junior Payton Woods (215) in an 18-8 major decision. 

Aided by three Greyhound forfeits in the lightweight bouts, Ephrata still had a chance to win the dual heading into the final two matches with the score resting at 32-25; however, a Grandview major decision at 144 pounds sealed the win for the Greyhounds, who went on to win 36-28.  

Ephrata won the final match of the dual, with junior Jacob Reyes earning an 8-1 decision at 150 pounds. 

Both teams return to league competition with road duals against Othello on Jan. 2. 

    Ephrata junior Carter Garcia, right, won his bout against Grandview’s Gabriel Luna in a 12-10 decision.
  

    Ephrata junior Rayn Castillo, left, aims to take down Grandview’s Keyla Hernandez. Castillo won the match in the second round via technical fall.
  

    Ephrata junior Tavone Mantese, left, kicked off Thursday’s dual by wrestling against Grandview’s Dutch Graf.