WESTERVILLE — It was a night for the Mount Vernon High School wrestling team to show off some of its depth. The Yellow Jackets called up the reserves to whip Westerville South on the strength of four pins and a major decision.
The Jackets did it while giving regulars Brent Kramp, Charlie Hill, and J.J. Maglot the night off.
“We had to rest a few guys,” Mount Vernon coach John Brown said. “We have a two-day tournament starting (today) and I didn’t want everybody wearing themselves out.”
The Wildcats got off to a fast start and it looked like it would be a long night for the Jackets.
“We got off to a sluggish start,” said Brown, “I think that we started in strength of their lineup in an area where I wanted to give some young kids some experience, so we had some mismatches that put us down at the start.
Devin Allnut, Mount Vernon’s 171 pounder, gave his team a lift, pinning Colin Smith of the Wildcats at 1:49 of the first period. After Mount Vernon’s Rex Little lost a close match with Earl Davis at 189 pounds, 215-pounder Dane Cullen defeated Westerville’s state qualifier from last year, Austin Park. Cullen chalked up a pin midway through the second period while his teammate, heavyweight Ian Mizer, pinned Westerville’s Prince Evans at 1:49 of the first period.
“Ian did a nice job,” said Brown. “It was a complete reversal from what happened against Dublin Jerome. He came out and attacked. He stayed in a great position and ended up pinning the young man in the first period.”
Mount Vernon’s 103-pound freshman Dylan Pauley looked like he was on his way to a win, until the Wildcats’ Ryan Ouzts turned the tables on him and pinned him with time running out in the second period.
“He made a freshman mistake,” said Brown. “He stepped the wrong way and it cost him the match.”
The Jackets answered right back when Matt Belcher, who wrestles at 112, scored a major decision against Chris Lawson. Mount Vernon’s 119-pounder, Mason Smith, followed with a pin of Ryan Myers at 1:24 of the first.
Kenny Henault, Mount Vernon’s 125-pounder who was wrestling up, nearly pinned Adam Holbein of the Wildcats. Henault wound up winning a 10-2 decision.
Henault was more than a little excited after the match, saying, “I felt like I could beat him, so I came out, gave it everything, and got the win. I just got it in my head that I could beat him. I have been pumped up all day.”
“It’s nice to have someone like Kenny, sitting in the hole, waiting in the wings to fill our holes and give guys a night off,” said Brown.
Hunter Kharl, who wrestles at 130 for the Jackets, defeated Mitchell Arthur by a 5-1 decision in a match that Kharl physically dominated from the start.
“Hunter stays in pretty good position most of the time,” said Brown. “It’s great to have guys like that, who are willing to step in and do a good job.”