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Wrestlers open season with screaming success

Junior Casey Nelson

takes first place at

Hesston Invitational

Sports reporter

It was an interesting week for Marion High School wrestling.

On paper it seemed the Warriors struggled to be on the same level as their opponents.

In actuality it was the exact opposite.

Despite losing Thursday to both Hillsboro and Haven, Marion actually out-wrestled the two schools while putting four freshmen and three others with limited experience on the mat.

With nagging injuries causing four open weight classes, the Warriors began each match already behind.

Hillsboro had a full squad and gained 24 points on Marion.

"It's frustrating," coach Chad Adkins said. "But I'll tell you what, these kids just showed when we have everybody back we can do some good things."

After losing the 103-lb. match-up Marion had an open at 112, and fell in the 119-lb. weight class.

Trailing 15-0, senior Chelsea Arnhold stepped up and claimed the first victory of the season for Marion. She defeated Ric Johnson 4-2, and got the Warriors on the scoreboard, 15-3.

The first Warrior pin of the season belonged to freshman Justin Jacobson who dispatched Grady Shultz in 1:16 to close the gap to 15-9.

Marion would go on to win four of the next five matches, but it wasn't enough with the four open classes. The Trojans defeated the Warriors 45-30.

In matches actually wrestled, Marion outscored Hillsboro 30-21.

Junior Adam Depler had the fastest pin in the match, 30 seconds, during his 189-lb. match-up with Daniel Roble.

After the loss Marion faced the Haven Wildcats in the final dual of the night.

The Wildcats had one open weight class, which meant Marion would give up only 18 points instead of 24.

Once again the Warriors lost at 103 and 119 with an open at 112, to trail 15-0.

This time freshman Hank Collett wrestled in the 125-lb. class and got Marion on the board. He pined Collin Nussen in 2:18 to make the score 15-6.

The Warriors then reeled off three victories in a row.

Jacobson (3:01), freshman Charlie Holub (5:36), and sophomore John Barr (:39) all gained six points for Marion with pins.

In two matches on the night Barr had two pins and wrestled for a total of 1:27.

The Warriors now led 24-15, but had three more open weight classes against Haven's one.

After a Casey Nelson victory, and an open win for Marion at 171 pounds, it came down to the last match of the night.

Marion led 33-27 but was giving up 12 points at 215 pounds and 275 pounds. Depler had to pin Zach Towns to force a tie.

Towns looked like he would out-muscle Depler early, sending him to his back. Depler fought back, and for two periods he wore Towns down, and led by a few points heading into the third period.

While both wrestlers gasped for air, Depler clearly had the edge, even dragging Towns back into the ring several times by his foot when he tried to stall for a break.

With just more than a minute left, Depler had Towns on his back and the Marion crowd went wild.

But six minutes is a long time to wrestle, and the fatigued Depler couldn't hold his grip.

Towns maneuvered to his stomach and rode out the rest of the match without being pinned.

Depler won the match 14-9, and gained three points for his team. It wasn't quite enough with the open classes and Marion fell, 39-36.

"He knows his matches are all going to be pretty big," Adkins said. "At least until Drew [Looper] comes back."

That's because Looper is out with a shoulder injury until January and usually wrestles after Depler in the 215-lb. weight class.

Despite not getting the pin, Depler's match was the most exciting of the night.

"He's got to be our go-to man," Adkins said.

Even with the two team losses, Marion won 12 of the 19 individual matches it wrestled.

Hesston Invitational

Saturday Marion sent four wrestlers; Nelson, Arnhold, senior Chris Freeby, and Depler to the Hesston Invitational.

With that few of wrestlers, while some teams had the full 14 members present, Marion still finished seventh out of 16.

All four wrestlers pinned their opponents in the opening matches.

When the tournament was over, each wrestler had lost only one match except for Nelson who went 3-0.

He took home the first place trophy in the 152-lb. weight class.

"I knew he was capable," Adkins said. "It's just the first time he's actually gone out and done it."

Depler (2-1) and Arnhold (3-1) each took second place in their classes. Freeby (3-1) took third.

For Nelson it was his first tournament championship, and the four combined to go 11-3.

"I was very excited and pleasantly surprised," Adkins said. "They're doing a wonderful job."

Marion will wrestle Smoky Valley and Hesston Thursday in the Smoky Valley Double Dual. The dual begins at 6 p.m.

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