Short-handed Bolts can’t find win column at road quadrangular

MONTEZUMA — Maddox Peters was the only Bolt in the Baxter wrestling team’s lineup who was not making their varsity debut on Thursday.

Five Bolts stepped on a varsity mat for the first time, and Peters showed them how it’s done as he went 3-0 with three first-period pins during a road quadrangular.

The Bolts lost all three duals but finished 7-4 in contested matches. They had just six wrestlers in the lineup for their season openers but managed to finish within six points of two of the three teams they faced.

Baxter lost 31-30 to Sigourney/Keota on criteria, fell 42-36 to Cardinal and dropped a 60-18 dual to host Montezuma.

Three Bolts had their hand raised in all three matches. Joining Peters at 3-0 were Kinnick Poage and Miles McCord, who is dual sporting with basketball this winter.

Peters’ longest match at 175 pounds was 1 minute, 7 seconds. Poage was 3-0 with two first-period pins at 113 and McCord accepted a forfeit in all three of his bouts at 190.

It was the varsity debuts for both Poage and McCord as well as Lincoln Russell, Samuel Wilhelm and Nyle Brown.

Russell (120) and Wilhelm (215) both were 2-1 at their weights. Each grappler won once by fall and once by forfeit. Brown (285) took a forfeit against Cardinal.

Baxter was 3-0 in contested matches against Cardinal but lost the dual after giving up seven forfeits.

The Bolts finished 2-1 in contested bouts against Sigourney/Keota. There were four double forfeits in the match, and the Cobras won on criteria thanks to a 4-3 advantage in forfeit wins.

Montezuma had a 3-2 surplus in contested wins and a 7-1 advantage in forfeits against the Bolts.

Poage, Russell and Peters all won by fall against Cardinal, Peters and Wilhelm won by pin against Sigourney/Keota and Poage and Peters scored wins by fall in the loss to Montezuma.