Union Can’t Hold Off Wasps

Going into the last match down three points, Wasatch

guts out an exciting 34-33 duel win over their region foe

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Wave Sports Writer

In a must-win situation, Wasatch junior, Logan Huntington dominated his opponent in the final match of the night to lift his team to a one point victory over the visiting Union Cougars.

The duel with Union originally scheduled for last week, took place in The Nest on Thursday night, just one day after senior night, when the Wasp wrestlers dominated Juan Diego 76-0 and followed that up with a 74-0 smearing of Park City.  Polishing off two wrestling squads in one night would wear out a lot of teams, but not Wasatch, who were up to the tough challenge brought on by the visiting Cougars.

Wasatch started the meet with a 3-0 lead after sophmore Spencer Heywood’s  decision in the 152 lb class, but then the wheels started to come off  for the home team.  A tough loss by decision for Bryce Provost followed by two consecutive defeats by fall, left the Wasps down 15-3.  Freshman Ben Boss, wrestling in the 195 lb class made quick work of his opponent and pinned him giving Wasatch a six-point boost.  But the two heavyweights wrestling for the Wasps at 220 and 285 lbs found the going tough as they both lost by pin. 

195 lb. freshman Ben Bos won his match by fall over his Union opponent.  Bos has been coming into his own during his first season as a Wasp wrestler. 

At the halfway point, the grapplers from Heber City found themselves down 27-9, yet there was a feeling of hope in the gym.  That hope came in the 101 pound frame of ninth grader Braiden Parker, who as quick as the honey badger, trapped his man under his body and left him twisted on the mat for the fall.  112-pound Gage Bradley followed that win with a strong 8-2 decision over his opponent, closing the gap on the team score to 18-27.

Like something from the National Geographic channel, 106 lb freshman Braiden Parker attacks his man with relentless quickness and leaves him defeated in mere seconds.

Sterling Balliff had one of the night’s grittiest matches at 120 lbs.  After a scoreless 1^st period, the match was stopped repeatedly for the Union wrestler having a bloody nose.  He would continue to score however and twice had Balliff in compromising holds only to have the referee stop the fight for bloodshed.  The Wasp senior would regroup and fight his way back in, but ran out of time, losing the match 8-6.

Next up was senior Robby Miner in the 126 lb division.  Miner wasted little time attacking his opponent and won by fall in less than a minute.  The win gave Robby an incredible 34-3 individual record this season.  No sooner than that match was over, 132 lb Garrett Sweat matched his senior teammate’s performance with a “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” win by fall of his own.  Sweat’s victory at a minute in to the match knotted up the team scores at 30 and the Wasp faithful were on their feet.

Robby Miner's opponent is probably glad this match didn't last any longer than a minute.  The Wasp 126 lb. senior has been plowing through his competition this season en route to a 34-3 individual record.

Junior Albert Jepperson took the mat in the 138 lb class, but took the loss in a grueling match that went the distance.  Union was awarded the three points and set the stage for the last match of the evening.

Logan Huntington, wrestling at 145 lbs, had the dubious task of either pinning his opponent or outscoring him by more than eight points to give his team any chance to win the duel.  The junior was up for the challenge.  Huntington never relented in the match after recording several takedowns and fought for every point in route to a 19-5 major decision giving Wasatch a 34-33 victory. 

Afterward, the junior shrugged when asked if he felt any pressure going in to his match.  “Not really,” he said.  “Coach told me, ‘don’t worry about feeling any pressure here, but it’s down to you’… he was joking kind of so I just went with it,” Logan said with a wry smile.  “I always go for the pin – always,” he added, “but this was just as good, so I’ll take it.”

The Wasp grapplers earned a weekend of rest after this stretch, but will be back at it on Monday preparing hard for the upcoming Divisionals, which take place the following weekend.