BonnerSprings.com / Braves split opening duals

Archive for Thursday, December 4, 2008

Bonner Springs wrestler Tanner McCleary prepares to put Piper's DeAngelo Bradley on his back during their match Tuesday. McCleary won the match with a pin in the first period.

By Chris Wristen

December 4, 2008

Tanner McCleary wins a match

Bonner Springs wrestler Tanner McCleary pins his opponent from Piper during a dual meet on Tuesday. Enlarge video

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Kansas City, Kan. — Ninth-year Bonner Springs High School wrestling coach Dan Burns describes his youth-laden team as a work in progress, and the Braves’ season-opener Tuesday night lived up to that billing.

Competing in duals with Piper and Basehor-Linwood at Piper High School, the Braves showed their budding depth in a 39-33 victory over Piper before falling to Basehor, 60-24.

“They did some of the things that we’ve been working on in practice,” he said. “They kept their heads up, they battled back and they came from behind. When a kid needed a big win, he got it. Honestly, it went maybe a little bit better than I expected.”

That’s because more than half of the BSHS squad is inexperienced. Performances like the one against Piper should help his athletes’ confidence.

Junior varsity wrestler Austin Travis stepped up to the varsity mat and accepted a forfeit victory at 112 pounds. Then 112-pounder Caleb Seaton bumped up to 119 and edged Piper’s Nick Coffman, 3-2. A third-period pin by Brooks Ballou at 125 pounds padded the Braves’ lead at 15-6. Three straight Piper victories put the Pirates ahead, however.

A pin by 140-pounder Robert Moore, an 8-3 decision by Brian Callahan at 152 and a pin by Anthony Ellingsworth at 171 put the Braves back on top. Trai Forshey won a 16-11 decision at 189, but a Piper pin at 215 tied the score at 33-33. That set the stage for Tanner McCleary whose second-period pin at 285 gave the Braves the victory.

McCleary provided another highlight for the Braves when he closed out the dual with Basehor-Linwood with a pin with just 2.9 seconds left in the first period of his match with Zach Wilson.

Other winners for BSHS against BLHS included Seaton by pin at 112, Adam Shirley by forfeit at 145 and Ellingsworth by pin at 171.

It was McCleary, however, who stole the show with his exclamation point pins to close out both matches.

“He’s a hard worker. He’s worked hard and it shows,” Burns said of McCleary.

McCleary said he hopes to continue his success at 9 a.m. Saturday when the Braves compete in the Kaw Valley League Dual Tournament at Perry.

“I’m hoping I can (do well),” he said. “I don’t want to go walking in there with too big of a head. I’m just hoping for the best.”