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Hicks, Hughesville wrestlers beat Montgomery

Referee Mark Dawson raises Rylan Hicks’ hand after his 145-pound win Tuesday vs. Montgomery.

HUGHESVILLE — There’s a hill by Rylan Hicks’ house he likes to run. He’s not sure how long the road up the hill is, but he knows it’s long enough.

When asked how steep it is, his eyebrows rise, speaking volumes about the how tough the task of running the hill is. It’s the time Hicks has put in on that hill this year which has the Hughesville senior winning some tight matches this year. Tuesday night he could thank the hill for the fifth win of his season.

Hicks scored four third-period points in his 145-pound matchup against Montgomery to win, 9-2. He was one of four Spartans to pick up a win in the seven contested bouts as Hughesville defeated the Red Raiders, 45-25. The match featured six forfeits and one double forfeit.

“In the year 2016, if you leave this wrestling match and shower and go home, maybe do a little homework, then you put on your sweats and run the nearest hill until you can’t feel your legs, you will have done more than 95 percent of the wrestlers in the state of Pennsylvania,” Hughesville head coach Steve Budman said. “And how do I know he’s doing those things? He’s winning the close matches.”

Hicks was leading just 6-2 in the third period against Montgomery’s Jensen Drick last night before he closed out the win with an escape and a takedown to improve to 5-2 this year. It was his second consecutive tight win, as he beat Montoursville’s Charlie Steinbacher, 5-3, a week before.

When the senior gets into the third period, he looks fresh as can be. He knows he’s feeling tired, but he knows he’s not as tired as his opponent. And it allows him to make the moves necessary to close out the win. Last night, it meant scoring a takedown in the final 30 seconds to secure the victory.

And he has the hill by his house to thank.

“It shows he cares,” Budman said. “You give them the secrets and say this is how you win those 4-3 matches. But it’s about paying that price. After that match here, we’re talking and I say you have to have that killer instinct. You escape to go up five-nothing, now put it away.”

“I know I want it more in the third period,” Hicks said. “Everybody is really tired in the third period, and I’m tired, too. But I’m pushing myself past that tired point. The extra workouts are really helping me.”

Hicks didn’t get out of the sectional tournament a year ago, going 2-2 at 132 pounds and coming up one win short of reaching the District 4 tournament. That’s been the driving force behind Hicks working to improve this year.

He spent his summer lifting weights and working with Braden Stahlnecker to improve. He’s won five consecutive matches since joining the lineup this year and he’s become a key cog for a Hughesville team which is hoping to find its way back into the District 4 Duals tournament next month.

“It’s all part of the process. He’s a great kid and fun to be around. He asks questions and he wants to get better,” Budman said. “Every day in practice it’s really a classroom. He’s absorbing it and he’s seeing the fruits of it, too. You need success. I hope it continues to grow his confidence.”

Hughesville got a good push last night from a Montgomery team which is still struggling with injuries, although the Red Raiders are hoping for the return of regional qualifier Brandon Daldo in a few weeks. After the Spartans started the night with consecutive pins from Josh Dauberman, Luke Gorg and Ben Hein­rich, Montgomery’s Giosia Wenner used a pair of takedowns to win, 9-0, at 120 pounds. Lucas Drick followed with a forfeit win and Kade Showers earned a first-period fall to get Montgomery within 18-16.

“Giosia’s a scrappy kid. We kind of rolled the dice there because we weren’t sure who to put at 13 or 20,” Montgomery coach Kyle Mowrey said. “But we like Giosia and the way he goes out there. He’s aggressive, he’s physical and he takes a lot of shots.”

Montgomery won three of the final four contested bouts last night before the match ended with a run of five consecutive forfeits or double forfeits. The Red Raiders are coming off a solid performance at the Jim Thorpe Christmas Tournament where five of its nine wrestlers placed.

Mowrey said he likes the direction the Red Raiders are taking, and they’re hoping they can continue to tread water until some wrestlers get healthy and return to the lineup.

“We try to keep it in perspective as best we can. We want to be a .500 team, but we’re down right now,” Mowrey said. “But we’re going to go out there and wrestle as best we can. If we have nine matches, we want to go out and win those head-to-head matches. That’s looking at it as best we can right now. We have to put it all in perspective.”

285: Josh Dauberman, H, pinned Zecheriah Beachel, :58. 106: Luke Gorg, H, pinned Kai Felix, 1:37. 113: Ben Heinrich, H, pinned Colton Bower, 4:21. 120: Giosia Wenner, M, maj. dec. Tyler Liebersohn, 9-0. 126: Lucas Drick, M, won by forfeit. 132: Kade Showers, M, pinned Justin Whitmoyer, 1:39. 138: Braden Stahlnecker, H, won by forfeit. 145: Rylan Hicks, H, dec. Jensen Drick, 9-2. 152: Trevor Kennedy, M, dec. Kade Heckel, 10-3. 160: Double forfeit. 170: Braden Foresman, H, won by forfeit. 182: Evan Stutzman, H, won by forfeit. 195: Conner Kepner, H, won by forfeit. 220: Eithan Marino, M, won by forfeit.

Takedowns: Hughesville 7, Montgomery 5.

Official: Mark Dawson.

Records: Hughesville (5-3, 2-0 HAC-III); Montgomery (2-0, 2-1 HAC-III).

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