Herders edge out the Dogies

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
The combined Dogie/Bobcat wrestlers wrapped up their pre-Christmas schedule on Tuesday with a dual against the 2A Herders in Glenrock. 
The two teams were very evenly matched. However, Glenrock enjoyed a three-point edge over Newcastle to take the 39-36 win on the night.
Head coach Lee McCoy explained that, at this meet, he moved some wrestlers up from the weights at which they ordinarily compete in order to not only fill those slots, but also to provide them the opportunity to get a competitive match.
One who moved up was Kale Corley. Though he has been wrestling at 138 so far this season, Glenrock did not have anyone at that weight, so McCoy bumped him up to 145.
“That was a really good match between two pretty good, high-level kids,” McCoy nodded. “Kale gave away some weight, but he needs to be in those kinds of matches because we’re trying to make sure we know where he needs to improve and work on anything that needs fixing.”
Corley ended up running out of time and lost the match by a 5-6 decision, but McCoy noted that he saw some good things from the sophomore, and that he was very competitive despite being outsized.
“He got taken down a couple of times early in the match but as the match wore on, he got a little bit more confident on his feet and started taking more shots,” he explained. “He did a nice job on top and a fairly nice job on bottom, but the difference in the match was the early takedowns. He had to battle back, which he did, but in those kinds of matches any little mistake really gets magnified.”
Corley’s match was the first of the evening, and as it turned out was the pivotal one for both squads when it came to the final score. 
The Dogies and the Herders each forfeited at three weights, and each squad won three matches with a pin, which put the score at an even 36-36. The three points awarded for the win by decision tipped the scale.
Blake Durfee, Jory McFarland and Gavin Durfee were the three Dogies to stick their opponents on the night, and McCoy was pleased that both Durfees had competitive matches on the way to their wins.
“Gavin had to work pretty hard for his win,” McCoy admitted. “It came down to the last minute of the match and the kid did not just roll over, which is great for him.”
Durfee was bumped up to 152, so, like Corley, he was giving up some size in the match. However, with only 39 seconds remaining in the third and final period, he was able to get the better of his opponent for the six-point pin.
The younger Durfee also had a good match at his usual weight of 106 pounds, pinning his opponent at 2:56 into the first period, while McFarland made quick work of the Herder he was pitted against in just 50 seconds.
The Dogie wrestlers will get a couple of weeks off for the holidays, then will return to action with the Shane Shatto Tournament in Douglas on Jan. 4-5.