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Lion Britton Trotter wrestles during a match last week with an Ardmore wrestler. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat -
Durant Lion Canan Walls wrestles with an Ardmore Tiger. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat -
Durant wrester Addison Polk wrestles in a match last week during the dual in Durant.
In the busiest stretch of the year, the Durant High School wrestling team posted three dual triumphs in five outings last week.
The Lions blasted Ardmore, 63-18, at home on Senior Night before splitting four outings in the Annual District Duals at McAlester. Coach Jim Taylor’s youthful club edged Shawnee, 35-32, and toppled Ada, 45-36. They dropped a 63-12 verdict to Grove and 54-27 decision against McAlester.
Durant is now 6-3 in dual competition going into the Annual Midwestern Conference Tournament beginning Friday at Firelake Arena in Shawnee.
The Lions began the week with a convincing win over rival Ardmore, notching seven forfeit victories to cruise to victory.
Justin Smith picked up a 7-3 decision over Ryder Ingram at 126 pounds ahead of an Aiden Polk 1:14 fall triumph against Kelvin Nguyen at 138. Bo St. Clair duplicated that effort with a 5:53 fall win against Charles Smith at 144 pounds with Britton Trotter adding a 2:57 fall victory against Bayden Lewis at 150.
Klayton Smith, Shawn Humphrey, Matt Frazer, Brodi Payne, Austin Stachowski, Asa Pierce and Caiden Pepperman were all awarded forfeits.
In the narrow win over Shawnee, Lady Lion senior stalwart Addison Polk got Durant off to a good start with a 6-4 decision over Booker Dahlmon at 106 pounds. Frazer then snapped a string of three straight setbacks with a fall win against Louis Maltos at 132.
St. Clair scored a 12-3 major decision over Trenton Mc-Cune at 144 and Mac Barbush was a 12-4 major decision victor against Chicago Herron at 150 pounds. Trotter bumped up to 157 with a fall win over Jaxon Shawnee before Payne edged Dawson McDaniel by a 6-4 decision at 165 pounds.
Pierce slipped past Jayson Hair by a 4-3 count at 175 and Caiden Pepperman scored a fall victory versus Elijah McGee at 190 to cap a string of six straight Lion victories which proved decisive.
In the loss to McAlester, Durant picked up fall wins by Frazer (132 pounds), Polk (138) and St. Clair (144) to dominate the middle weights. The Lions’ only other victories however came via a 9-5 decision from Payne over Mason Skimbo at 157 pounds and Aaron McKay’s forfeit triumph at heavyweight.
Victories were even tougher to come by against powerful Grove as Durant scored a St. Clair 10-5 decision against Gavin Handle at 144, Pierce’s 6-4 verdict over Kason Threet at 175 pounds and a McKay fall win facing Xavier Hernandez at heavyweight.
The Lions finished with a solid team win against Ada spurred by another dominant showing in the middle weight divisions starting at 132 pounds.
Addison Polk got Durant rolling with a 2-0 decision over EllaBabe Fisher at 106 but they did not pick up another victory until Frazer’s fall against Brayden McGilbray at 132.
Aiden Polk tallied a pin over Matthew Hutchins at 138, St. Clair dropped Lane Haines by fall at 144, Barbush was a fall victor versus Taylor Johnson at 150 and Trotter stopped Gavin Cloud with a pin at 157.
They added six points with Braeden Emert’s forfeit win at 165 with Hunter Romero finishing off the scoring with a fall decision against Ada’s Cord Coffee at 215 pounds.