Hamilton Southeastern High School

Varsity vs Avon High School (42 - 14) Loss The Royals started their dual slate at home against #4 ranked Avon and battled hard in a match that was closer than the score appeared, but in wrestling, you don't score any points for close losses so really tough matches can look lopsided despite their competitive nature. The dual began at 132 where the Royals struck first with Parker Culp scoring the only bonus points of the night with a Tech Fall to put the Royals in the lead 5-0. At 138, The Orioles followed suit with a tech of their own with highly touted Quinten Schoeff beating Matthew Billet. The first of several close matches and perhaps the match of the night, certainly most controversial was at 144 between Royal Senior Chris Casler and top 20 ranked Chase Kline of Avon. Kline scored a quick takedown to lead 3-0 before Casler scored an escape and got a takedown with nearfall immediately after to take an 8-3 lead headed into the 2nd. Kline chose down and escaped to make it 8-4 but Casler scored another takedown to lead 11-4 before another escape made it 11-5. In the 3rd, Casler scored an easy escape to take a 7 point lead with about 90 seconds remaining. Then came the stall calls. The match official deemed Casler wasn't working to score and proceeded to hit him with 4 stall calls within 40 seconds of each other to give Kline 4 penalty points. Kline then scored a very late takedown to tie the match at 12 and send it to overtime where he was able to win it in Double OT. Exciting and controversial stuff. Both boys will certainly be alive deep into the tourney, if not at the state finals. With Starter Aiden Blackmore out with illness, Back-up Jett Sottong entered at 150, but took a fall to put the Orioles up 14-5. The Royals would strike back with Senior Landon Hicks winning another low-scoring match at 157 to bring it to 14-8. Another dog fight between two good grapplers at 165 saw the Royals come up just short again with Cohen Davis losing to Larson of Avon on a late score before HSE struck back with a late score win themselves at 175 by Freshman Grady Wafford to bring the team score to 17-11. At 190, Reid Snider kept it close, but couldn't muster many points in a loss before Evan Lawhead squeaked out a close win at 215 to bring it 20-14 with just 5 matches remaining. The Royals wouldn't score again. Avon won in the Ultimate Tie Breaker over Freshman AW Vankirk in a very low scoring bout that could easily have gone either way. Avon had studs at 106, 120, and 126 and they all collected bonus points to make the close fought dual look much wider than it was. At 113, another dog fight occurred between Avon's Blanco and Will Lakes for HSE. It came down to 1 point and several scrambles that could have gone either way. It was a well contested bout by both athletes. The loss has HSE opening the season 0-1 for the 2nd straight year dropping a bout to the always tough #4 Orioles. The Royals will get 5 more this weekend at Westfield starting with Mt. Vernon, Norwell, and Roncalli and 2 cross-over duals.