It was more dramatics for the Durant High School wrestling team last week with a miraculous comeback to forge a 42-42 deadlock in dual action at Madill.
The Lions ended with a slight edge going to the fifth tiebreaker in criteria points in the process of evening their dual record at 2-2 against a rugged early season slate. That included a 68-12 loss to powerful Sulphur, which is ranked sixth in Class 4A, early last week.
Things did not start well for the Lions at all in the boys’ varsity action as six straight pin fall wins by Madill gave the Wildcats a commanding 36-0 advantage. Only two of those matches went past the opening round. Mason Cooper held a 6-5 scoring edge after one period at 106 pounds before dropping the fall verdict with 13 seconds left in the second frame. Shawn Humphrey got off to a good start at 132 as well but lost via pin 29 seconds into the second stanza.
The momentum finally began to shift at 144 pounds where junior Mac Barbush scored a fall victory just over a minute into his matchup to put Durant on the scoreboard for the first time. Aiden Polk followed in dominant fashion as well, grabbing a fall triumph in a minute and eight seconds.
It was a tight battle throughout at 157 with Braeden Emert pushing out to a 17-10 advantage after two periods of the back-and-forth struggle. The DHS grappler put it away midway through the third on another pin fall decision that narrowed the Madill team lead to 36-18.
Madill was on the brink of putting the dual away one match later at 165 pounds as youngster Aiden Makke suffered a first round fall loss, but the Lions refused to fold down the stretch.
Adam Haney jumped in front with early scoring at 175 pounds, taking a 6-0 lead until putting it away on a fall at two minutes, 25 seconds.
In a key matchup at 190 pounds, Joseph Sepulveda rolled to a 1:24 fall victory and Evan Smith did likewise at 215 with a pin at 1:42.
That once again set the stage for a decisive final match to determine the outcome and freshman Gaige Rocha was up to the task in securing another fall triumph just 42 seconds into the contest.
In girls’ matchups, Madill scored three wins in the five matches that all ended in pin fall decisions to win the showdown 18-12.
Olivia Crossland and Emma Davis were victorious for the Lady Lions in their respective weight divisions.
