Hounds roll MP on eve of FM Invite

COMPETITION

That’s what we’re looking for. We need that competition at every weight. I don’t like that a kid gets a spot because he makes weight. I like that he has to beat at least one teammate to get the job.”

Ryan Smith, Fort Madison Head Coach

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison boys wrestling team is turning things around.
The Bloodhounds knocked off Mt. Pleasant 66-18 in a Southeast Conference dual on the eve of the annual Fort Madison Bloodhound Invitational which runs Friday and Saturday this week.
More than 20 teams will descend on Fort Madison’s Hound Dome for the two-day event.
The Hounds will likely be without senior Ike Thacher who was ranked in the top 10 in Class 3A at 190 lbs. Thacher took to the mat for the first time in an official match since he finished fourth at the IHSAA State Tournament in February.
Thacher downed the Panthers’ Payton Walker with a pin at the 1:41 mark for his first win of the year after tweaking his elbow in a preseason practice.
Smith said the holiday break will give Thacher an opportunity to get back to full strength.
“He got the green light from the doctor,” Head Coach Smith said. “But I didn’t want him to wrestle this weekend, but now I would like to see him get two more weeks of some therapy and getting it stronger,” Smith said.
Thacher said the elbow felt good and he was happy to get back on the mat.
“It felt really good to get out there. I missed the competition and it felt good today,” Thacher said.
"There’s always nerves and that’s not a bad thing, but when I get out there it’s flushed and it’s just a match.”
Smith said things are clicking better with the Hounds and they are moving in the right direction.
Thursday’s match started at the lightest weight with Cole Quittem taking a loss out of the gate for the Hounds with a fall just two seconds prior to the end of the third period.  Smith said Quittem was given up about 15 pounds in the match, but put up a good effort.
“The effort was there, he was giving up 10 or 15 pounds and he was giving him a good battle, but got caught in a tough situation, but can’t fault that effort,” he said.
Brody Bolander scored a quick pin over the Panthers' Sawyer Fulton in just :26. Noah Swigart suffered a pin at 126, but then the Hounds ripped off three straight wins sparked by Logan Pennock’s at 132. Nolan Riddle scored a pin at 157 after medaling at last weekend’s Liberty Invitational in Wentzville, Mo.
Riddle is ranked at 157 lbs. in 3A and fell short of the podium in last season’s state wrestling tournament.
Riddle said this year he trained harder in the offseason to build on last season’s run.
“This is my senior year, my last ride, so I’m just going in to have fun and dominate and try to score some points,” Riddle said after the win.
“Training-wise, I have a better diet and I got in better shape before the season. I’ve just tried to put in more work.”
One of the more impressive wins of the night was junior Cade Goodrich’s win at 144 lbs. Goodrich and Mt. Pleasant’s Keegan Birdsell exchanged takedowns and escapes through the first two periods, racking up 7 points each, and were tied going into the third period. Goodrich was able to wear down Birdsell in the first minute of the third period and was able to wrench the Panther over for a pin in his first varsity match.
“He wrestled as a youth. I asked last week who wanted to wrestle for a varsity spot and he stepped up, won his match, and then beat this kid. That’s what we’re looking for. We need that competition at every weight. I don’t like that a kid gets a spot because he makes weight. I like that he has to beat at least one teammate to get the job.”
Gavin Callahan scored a pin at 175 and Aaron Warner got a late pin in a hard-fought match at 215 before Teague Smith won by forfeit at 285 in the final match.
The results of the girls dual match weren't available as of this posting.