Tribune photo by John Byrne - Todd Pearson (on top) captured a first-round pin in his 119-pound match.
“That's pretty neat,” Spanish Springs coach Joe Imelli said on the three-peat. “I'm just excited. It's been six years with these seniors. From middle school up to the high school. In six years, fours years of high school, they've won league three times and won regionals once. That is something that I don't think anybody else has done at Spanish Springs ... That's a great feat for these kids.”
The meet kicked off with the 135-pound weight class where Reno's Joe Smith got a 6-1 decision over Anthony Acosta that saw a 3-0 lead for the Huskies. Jes Sylvester evened things up with a 5-1 decision for the Cougars in the 140s.
After Reno took a decision in the 145's, Blake Myers grabbed an 18-2 decision for Spanish Springs that gave the Cougars their first lead of the meet, 8-6. Reno got right back in the driver's seat with a 9-2 decision in the 160-pound match. The Sam Gill win forged the Huskies into a 9-8 lead.
Clay Coleman was given a forfeit in the 171-pound match and Spanish Springs went ahead 14-9. The Cougars got the first pin of the night at 189s as freshman Nikk Audenned pinned his Reno foe in the first round for a 20-9 Spanish Springs lead.
“That shifted the whole meet right there,” Imelli said of the 189's. “A freshman 189 pounder shifted our meet by getting off his back and pinning the other kid.”
A 15-0 decision for Reno's Tarren Madison saw the Huskies close the gap to 20-14.
“They definitely outsmarted us on a couple,” Imelli said
However, the Huskies gave up two more forfeits — in the heavyweight and 103-pound classes. That allowed Billy Dean and Austin Lee to earn 12 points for the host squad and give it a 32-14 lead.
In the 112-pound battle, Reno's Bo Bettinson got the best of Spanish Springs' Curtis Lampert via the pin with 36 seconds to go in the second round.
“In the end, our kids did what they needed to and we absolutely took care of business. It didn't matter how it got done,” Imelli said.
In the 119-pound match, Todd Pearson secured Spanish Springs' title just 52 seconds into the first round with a pin over Reno's Nick Lighthouse. That gave the Cougars a 38-20 lead with only two classes left.
“I think I about jumped up to Michael Jordan level there,” Imelli said, recalling his reaction after Pearson's pin. “I turned to the crowd to get excited with them. That's a great moment there when somebody finally seals it and takes off all that pressure.”
Joey Lavallee got one last pin on the day for Reno at 125s, 12 seconds into the second round. Lastly, the 130s closed out the meet with Reno's Drake Monticelli earning a tough 5-4 decision over Zach Perez for the 38-29 final team score.
“We still have regionals and state. This is only goal No. 1,” Imelli said. “We've got to finish off our next two goals.”
•The Reed wrestling team hosted McQueen Wednesday night, however results from the meet were unavailable by press time.
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