The Fairfield boys wrestling team opened their season with a successful home quadrangular on Thursday, December 4th, defeating both Davis County 54-24 and Centerville 42-36. The Trojans hosted Centerville, Davis County, and Keokuk but did not face Keokuk as they are a conference opponent.
Fairfield 54, Davis County 24
The Trojans dominated their first dual of the evening, winning eight of twelve matches. Noah Patel (106), Jacob Crew (126), Jasper Carpenter (132), Aiden Holthus (157), Dain Burkhart (175), and Calvin McClain (190) all recorded victories on the mat, while Aaron Wellnitz (138) and Sebastian Ftwi (285) earned forfeit wins.
Quinn Settles (120), River Fulton (144), Parker Freeman (150), and Alex Hudson (215) dropped their matches in the dual.
Fairfield 42, Centerville 36
The second dual proved much closer, with Fairfield needing a dramatic finish to secure the victory. With the teams tied 36-36, Noah Patel stepped onto the mat in the final match at 106 pounds and delivered a pin to clinch the six points needed for the 42-36 win.
Quinn Settles (120) got Fairfield started with a forfeit win. Jasper Carpenter (132), Aiden Holthus (157), Dain Burkhart (175), and Sebastian Ftwi (285) all won their matches, while Alex Hudson (215) added a forfeit victory.
Kodha Higdon (126), Aaron Wellnitz (138), River Fulton (144), Parker Freeman (150), Dusty Haynes (165), and Calvin McClain (190) fell in their respective bouts.
Coach Kool’s Perspective
Fairfield coach Dane Kool was pleased with his team’s effort in their season debut.
“For the most part, the boys showed up ready to wrestle. We established our baseline and can expect to build off of that going forward,” Kool said. “They had great energy and were determined to get a couple of wins in front of a home crowd.”
Kool singled out junior Noah Patel for his exceptional performance.
“Noah Patel started the night out with the first match pin in the first dual, then in the final match of the second dual, he pinned his opponent to take the lead and seal the victory,” Kool said. “He had great energy and confidence. We are excited about what he’s bringing to the team this year.”
While satisfied with the victories, Kool acknowledged there’s room for improvement.
“There are a few things to address as we evaluate the total team effort. It’s great to get the team victories in front of our home crowd, but some of our leaders weren’t entirely ready to perform,” Kool said. “The sport is made up of individual performances totaled up to achieve the team victory. We need our best performers ready to go at all times. We are happy to win, but we’re always looking to improve.”
Looking Ahead
The Trojan boys will be back in action on Saturday, December 6th, at the Bob Murphy Invitational hosted by West Delaware. First matches begin at 11:00 a.m.
