An Oldschool Sweep
West Delaware’s wrestling team beats Decorah
January 9, 2020
West Delaware swept Decorah, 74-0, last Friday after a long, practice-filled winter break.
The atmosphere was intense as the teams settled down in the old gym. With a busy activities schedule, West Delaware hosted Decorah in the older gymnasium as the girls’ basketball teams hosted Maquoketa in the new gym. Being in the old gym gave the meet an old-school feeling as it was darker, with just a single spotlight on the mat, as the spectators packed the limited bleacher space.
“You could tell the atmosphere was serious because it was quieter than it is at a meet in the new gym,” spectator Sydney Morris (12) said. “It was pretty cool to see us have a throwback moment to how wrestling meets used to be.”
As matches carried through, some were easy; others were more intense, such as 132-pounder Alex Maury’s. Maury won with a major decision, 15-7, over Decorah’s Brady Stille.
Equally intense, Logan Peyton continued with his great freshman season by pinning Decorah’s Nils Holskevik at 138 in two minutes.
Senior 182-pounder Jack Neuhaus believes that the team’s win will benefit the team’s confidence. “Taking down Decorah the way we did just shows us that everything we’ve been working for is paying off. It just pushes us into the rest of the season with a confidence that you can’t fake.”
The Hawks move on to wrestle Marion and Maquoketa tonight in a double dual followed by the Benton tournament this Saturday.
“Our team is making steady progress throughout the season,” head coach Jeff Voss said. “They are challenging each other and holding each other accountable in the practice room, which allows them to be competitive against some of the best wrestlers in the state.”
