Cougars’ open matches prove costly falling to Pratt in final match of Cougar Duals

Twenty minutes after their opening shutout win in Tuesday's duals at the Barton Gym, the Barton Community College Wrestling team had its work cut out for them with fellow conference foe Pratt Community College.  In the first meeting of the two teams, the match count finished at four apiece with the Cougars outscoring Pratt by six but two forfeits proved to be too much as Barton dropped the 25-19 match.   The loss drops the Cougars to 5-4 on the season in duals with Barton outscoring opponents 254-155.   Barton will next head to Wichita for Sunday's Kansas Cup hosted by Newman University. 

As in the first dual of the night, the action began at the 165 weight class as the Beavers' Syed Rafay Ali was too much for Sean Taborsky staking Pratt out to a four point lead with an 18-7 major decision.  Devon Baker, who didn't wrestle in the earlier 174 match versus Northwest Kansas, jumped the Cougars out in front pinning Jose Cortez in 2:10.

Pratt regained the lead on the following 184 match as Michah Felton defeated Tim Johnson 8-2.  Jonathan Bowen was also denied a second victory of the night in the 197 getting outdueled by Travis Quarteman 9-6.    After picking up a forfeit victory in the night's first match, Justin Scarbro cut the Pratt lead to one with a 5-2 victory in the 285 over Tommy Vu.

Barton gave the first of its two free six points in the 125 class putting the Cougars in a 16-9 hole.  Caysen Smith would then cut the lead by four in the ensuing 133 class with an 11-3 major decision over Clay Bodenheimer.  After a high scoring match earlier in the evening, Jaden McRoberts had a much different type of 141 match in tangling with Zachary Schriddle as Schriddle came out on top 6-3 and push the lead back out to six.  

Holding Zach Vesta out of the 149 class as a precaution due to hard fall outside of the mat in the earlier match, the Cougars' second forfeit of the night sealed the match for the Beavers.  

Kade Sander took the mat for the final match of the night and after piling up major points, sealed the 157 victory with a 4:00 pin of Garrett Martin.