And at 155 pounds, they got exactly what they were hoping for.

Spartan Caroline Hicks pulled an upset right in the middle of the strength of the Red Raider lineup to clinch the dual meet en route to a 36-33 Hughesville win. 

After riding out opponent Georgia Leet for the entirety of the second period but still trailing 3-2, Leet and Hughesville coach Royce Eyer decided to choose top to start the third period. Leet had taken down Hicks with ease in the first period, but Hicks had come close to scoring from the top position just as the buzzer sounded to end the second period. 

“We showed that we could turn her at the end of the second, and we wanted to keep the pressure on her, wear her down more, and hopefully get a turn there eventually,” Eyer said.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Emmalia Poust wrestles Montgomery's Adelyn Rine at 235 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

With 40 seconds remaining in the match, Hicks was able to sink in a half deep enough to turn Leet for a crucial four nearfall points and then rode out the remainder of the period to clinch the match, and dual meet, for the Spartans.

“I was struggling to get my half in during the second period, and all through the third I was really trying to dig it in and pull the wrist tight,” Hicks said. “I just wanted to get her onto her back for a couple of seconds to score some back points, which I did. I was obviously looking for the pin to score more, but I was happy with the back points I got to secure the win.”

That was a weight class that Montgomery scored six team points from in the first matchup, and that nine-point swing made the difference. 

“We bumped them around there to get that match up, and Caroline did an excellent job and came up with the win,” Eyer said.

Hughesville got off to a quick start thanks to an Isabella Olshefeskie pin over Brooke Knoebel midway through the second period at 100 followed by a Montgomery forfeit to Julia Ritter to give the Spartans a 12-3. They nearly expanded on that lead at 112 as Bella Young nearly upset returning state bronze medalist Jenna Houseknecht, with Houseknecht scoring a late third-period upset to avoid the upset and win 9-8.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Emmalia Poust wrestles Montgomery's Adelyn Rine at 235 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

Another forfeit win for Hughesville at 118 with Jaysa Kiess as the recipient put Hughesville up 18-3. 

At 124, Leah Lehman used an overtime takedown to beat Makenna Hakes, 4-1, to expand the Spartan lead to 21-3. The lead grew to 24 when Hughesville’s Arianah Moore received a forfeit at 130 at 27-3.

But the Red Raiders started to storm back.

Briella Walk notched a pin at 136 over Madoka Charles midway through the second period and returning state runner-up Zoe Furman needed just 16 seconds to pin Aria Myers to make it 27-15 before Montgomery forfeited to Avery Earnes to make it 33-15. 

In the previous meeting at the Boiling Springs Duals earlier in the season on Dec. 6, Montgomery ran the table with four pins from 155-235; a margin that, if repeated, would have been plenty enough to erase the 33-15 deficit. But Hicks’ win clinched the dual for the Spartans to stop any hope of a comeback. 

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Emma Statts wrestles Montgomery's Malayna Beattie at 190 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

Montgomery finished out the final three weight classes with pins by Addison Gregor, Malayna Beattie, and Adelyn Rine.

Hughesville 36, Montgomery 33

100: Isabella Olshefskie (H) pinned Brooke Knoebel, 3:05. 106: Julia Ritter (H) by forfeit. 112: Jenna Houseknecht (M) dec. Bella Young, 9-8. 118: Jaysa Kiess (H) by forfeit. 124: Leah Lehman (H) dec. Makenna Hakes, 4-1 SV. 130: Ariahna Moore (H) by forfeit. 136: Briella Walk (M) pinned Madoka Charles, 3:08. 142: Zoe Furman (M) pinned Aria Myers, 0:16. 148: Avery Earnest (H) by forfeit. 155: Caroline Hicks (H) dec. Georgia Leet, 6-3. 170: Addison Gregor (M) pinned Michayla Applegate, 1:13. 190: Malayna Beattie (M) pinned Emma Statts, 2:11. 235: Adelyn Rine (M) pinned Emmalina Poust, 1:55.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Emma Statts wrestles Montgomery's Malayna Beattie at 190 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Michayla Applegate wrestles Montgomery's Addison Greger at 170 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Leah Lehman wrestles Montgomery's McKenna Hakes at 124 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Leah Lehman wrestles Montgomery's McKenna Hakes at 124 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Bella Young wrestles Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht at 112 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Bella Young wrestles Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht at 112 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Bella Young wrestles Montgomery's Jenna Houseknecht at 112 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Isabella Olshefskie wrestles Montgomery's Brooke Knoebel at 100 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Isabella Olshefskie wrestles Montgomery's Brooke Knoebel at 100 in a high school girls wrestling match at Hughesville on Wednesday. Hughesville won 36-33.