PRATT, Kan.- Beaver fans came out in droves in hope of seeing Coach Kepley's group orchestrate an upset over the 18th-ranked Neosho County Panthers. Their faith was rewarded on Wednesday night.
Winning the dual 24-21, Pratt benefitted heavily by falls from 149-pounder Jake Beeson and 165-pounder Luke Culbertson. The Beavers also picked up decision wins from 197-pounder Bryce Westmoreland (6-1) and Darius Wilkins (8-3), with 125-pounder Michael Spangler winning by forfiet, as the Panthers left the class open due to injury.
The night started with Pratt's Bobby Williams squaring up against Neosho's Ryan Murphy. Murphy scored a pair of takedowns before jumping out to a 6-2 lead. Murphy then locked up Williams, pinning him at the 2:57 mark of the first period, giving the Panthers a quick 6-0 lead. Back-to-back decision wins by Westmoreland and Wilkins tied the dual at 6-6, before a Panthers forfeit at 125 pounds doubled the Beavers lead 12-6. Neosho's 133-pounder Kolton Smith didn't allow Pratt's Max Bazan much room to maneuver, winning a 7-1 decision. The Panthers maintained their wave of momentum at 141 pounds, as Ethan Ewing's 17-2 technical fall scored Neosho five points just before the intermission, as the team score sat at 14-12 at the break.
Coming out of the timeout with a matchup at 149 pounds, Pratt's Beeson wore down Mason Jameson before scoring a third period fall. At 157 pounds, Pratt's Juan Urbina was unable to find a consistent dominant position, losing a majority decision to Dallas Boone. The tide turned in the Beavers favor however, when Culbertson, down 4-1 at the start of the second period, reversed his opponent Cole Denny, and pinned him seconds later.
With the Beavers then leading 24-18 before the final match of the night, Misael Monarrez drew #2 Tyson Villalpando. Monarrez wrestled aggressively and offensively, not allowing Villalpando a chance to tie the dual score. Villalpando eventually won a 13-8 decision, but his work allowed for Pratt to win where it mattered most: the scoreboard.
The Beavers next dual will take place on Tuesday, January 21 when they travel to Labette Community College. The dual is scheduled to start at 7 PM.