Nation Ford wrestlers win 4 straight

After dropping their first two meets of the year, the Nation Ford Falcons wrestling team won four matches last week.

With four dual wins, the Falcons improved to 4-2 on the season. Nation Ford swept a four dual meet against Irmo, Vance and Indian Land. The Falcons won by forfeit over Irmo, and beat Indian Land 63-16 and Vance 60-24.

The next night, Nation Ford beat Weddington 50-19.

“We came out flat,” said head coach Leon Boulware, after the Weddington victory. “But it could be fatigue. We are going to try and rest a while. But the effort was there.”

Against Weddington, Nation Ford got wins from its lower weights as the match started at 106 pounds. Dylan Tindall started the match for the Falcons with an 8-2 win. His victory was followed by the first pin of the match from the Falcons’ Jeremy Kishbaugh to put Nation Ford up 9-0.

Joshua Paxtor (120) won 12-2 by major decision and TJ Giarratana got a first period pin at 126 pounds to make it 19-0 in favor of the Falcons.

After dropping at match at 132 pounds, Nation Ford had victories from Christian Trimble (138) and Dylan Curtsinger (145).

Another loss at 152 pounds put the match at 29-7, but the Falcons won two more: at 160 with a pin from Juan Salazar and at 170 with a 5-2 win from Jake Gravely, which secured the match win for Nation Ford.

The Falcons won two of the next four matches with both Greg Izzo getting a first period win at 195 pounds and Trevor Hathcock getting a forfeit win at 220.

Against Vance, winning for the Falcons were: Kishbaugh (113), Paxtor (120), Giarratana (120), Trimble (138), Curtsinger (145), Finn Gleason (152), Wesley Johnson (160), Gravely (170), John Abraham (182) and Izzo (195).

Nation Ford now has another week of wrestling before a little break. The team takes on South Pointe and Vance at home Wednesday and then travels to the War Eagle Classic tournament at Woodward Academy in Georgia Dec. 18-19. Afterward, the team will have about a 10-day break before competing in the Seahawk Duals in Hilton Head Dec. 30-31.

Boulware said that senior wrestler Dalen Byerley should be medically cleared this week but won’t be in competition until the Seahawk Duals.

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Nation Ford wrestlers win 4 straight."