EARL WATT

    • Leader & Times

 

With matches coming down to the final seconds and scores being razor thin, the Lady Redskins battled the Hays Lady Indians on the mat in The Big House Tuesday and came up one point short, 40-39.

With the score so close, near falls became crucial, and weight match-ups also changed throughout the dual as each side had to balance their open classes.

Keirsie Carlile started the Lady Redskins off with a win, and the Lady Redskins started to build a lead in the lower weight classes.

But the middle weights started to fall to Hays and in the end, Liberal was one point short, 40-39.

Liberal had wins from Carlile (100 lbs.), Genesis Orrantia (105 lbs.), Isabela Gutierrez (110 lbs.), Alexa Valenzuela (130 lbs.), Lucia Soto (155 lbs.), Hayleen Martinez (190 lbs.), and Aileen Figuero (235 lbs.)

The Redskins have been investing in the future with several younger wrestlers on the mat and suffered a 59-12 loss. Some of the more competitive matches, including Wyatt Mannel, still came up short in narrow losses.

The boys had wins with Julian Orrantia (120 lbs.) and AC Gomez (138 lbs.)

“I was impressed with how competitive the girls were,” Liberal coach Mike Fowler said. “They never gave up. We were open in one weight class and also had to get a few other people in other weight spots because of sickness and injury. It’s a tough sport, but I was proud of how they did.”

This was the first dual loss of the season for the Lady Redskins against one of the top Class 5A teams in Kansas.

“We talked afterwards, and we are not done with this season,” Fowler said. “All the fun stuff is coming up. So it will be a test to see how we can rebound this weekend. The girls are going to Wichita Friday, and the boys are headed to Scott City Saturday.”

For the boys, the youth is showing up, but Fowler also believed the team’s approach in practice can improve as well.

“The boys need to get a little more confidence,” he said. “They need to figure out what practice is all about. They are sometimes just going through the motions instead of being locked in and focused. A lot of that comes with maturity. We just have to grow up, get a little older, get a little experience and never give up.”

And Fowler hasn’t given up yet, either.

“We will have practice at 5 a.m. and get after it,” he said. “We need to work in some more conditioning. I always say the best conditioning is wrestling. We still have to do some more conditioning.”

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18th February, 2025 - 18:39
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