The Fort Calhoun wrestling team got back to its road grind Saturday, but made a rare home appearance Thursday in duals against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Tekamah-Herman.
Competing on their orange and black mats for the first time since a junior varsity tournament on Dec. 11, the Pioneers went 1-1 in front of the FCHS faithful. In addition to wrestling, coach Drew Welchert's team celebrated the community's youth grapplers and its Parents Night — the last such night for seniors Grant Nixon, Ethan Shaner and Jesse Hartline.
“They're great guys. They're all unique,” the coach said. “They love to joke and have a good time, but they also love to work.”
The Fort Calhoun seniors combined to go 3-2 in contested matches against the Raiders and Tigers, too.
“They have a lot of fight,” Welchert added.
To start, the Pioneers lost a 41-24 dual to Logan View, going 4-5 in matches not won or lost by forfeit. Nixon earned won of the wins.
The FCHS senior beat Raiders 170-pounder Braydon Wobken by 7-2 decision, keeping his opponent from scoring until the third period. Ahead 4-0 through two, Welchert reminded Nixon he was in control, which the senior remained.
The win at 170 put the Pioneers ahead 9-8. Junior Lance Olberding and 145-pounder Peyton Lincoln earned their own decision victories before Nixon ever stepped on the mat.
While Olberding led throughout and won 7-1 at 138, Lincoln fell behind 4-1 against Logan View's Chance Foust. He'd even the score with a second-period escape and takedown, though, building an advantage in the third and holding onto it in the final seconds.
While all three of those Fort Calhoun matches against the Raiders went the distance, Mason Touring's took no time at all. The 220-pounder pinned Garrett Gahner in 16 seconds.
While those efforts still resulted in a dual loss, the Pioneers did best Tekamah-Herman 50-24 with three more victories earned on the mat. Nixon improved to 2-0 on the night with a 17-1 technical fall, while his little brother, Gage Nixon, earned a 7-6 decision at 106 pounds.
Shaner, meanwhile, pinned the Tigers' Tristan Tobin in 3:02 to cap his final Parents Night with a win. Hartline had his hand raised by forfeit, too.
“We're coming towards the end of their careers where we're really making the push for districts this year, and trying to get them finished up with a qualification to state,” Welchert said of his eldest Pioneers. “All three of them have a good chance to qualify at districts, so we're really focused on that.”
FCHS finishes 5th in Raymond
Fort Calhoun's wrestlers earned fifth Saturday during the Raymond Central Invite. The Pioneers scored 122 team points, while first-place Cozad notched 211.
Ely Olberding was FCHS' top performer, running his season record to 43-1 with a 126-pound bracket title. He bested Beatrice's Bryce Karlin 8-4 during the first first-place match.
In addition, Lance Olberding and Hartline were second in their brackets. Both wrestlers were 2-1 on the day.
Shaner, meanwhile, was third at 182 pounds with a 3-1 record. The senior handed Cozad's Juan Rodriguez just his second loss of the season in the third-place match, according to TrackWrestling.com results.
Grant Nixon added a fourth-place finish, too, while Levi Lasher and Lincoln were both fifth, respectively.
