By Cort Reynolds
Competing at home, the Ada High School boys wrestling team swept a three-team match with McComb and Bath Tuesday evening, December 20.
Ada beat McComb 54-12 and edged Bath 43-42 in a tiebreaker after Landon Simon won a clutch bout by pin in the final match to tie it up, 36-36.
After the Simon comeback win, the last two bouts were forfeited, with one win for each team. Ada won the dual team outcome via the tiebreaker criterion for having forfeited fewer matches.
"It is always fun to wrestle at home and have more family and friends able to attend," said Ada coach Eric Perkins. "It really does change the energy level.
Simon rallied to win by pin in the last contested match vs. Bath with strong encouragement from the team and crowd.
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"Being the last guy to wrestle is a tough job, even tougher when you're down six in a dual," said Perkins. "Landon is a kid who does a great job of giving his best effort and not worrying too much about any of that stuff.
"His match was a rollercoaster; there was really bad, really good and everything in between. He got the job done for us," he added.
Bulldog sophomore Liam Vieira won over his Bath opponent with a pin at 1:34 at 126 lbs.
Bulldog Josh Arnett won over McComb by pin at 157 lbs. in 2:15. Owen Arnett won by pin over the Panthers at 165 lbs. in 1:50. Ada also won seven matches by forfeit.
"Josh Arnett wrestled one and a half really good periods and then made one poor choice," said Perkins. "He missed some time due to illness so it was really good to have him back in the lineup and wrestling reasonably well.
"Having the junior high and high school wrestlers together in the same gym was a nice change as well," Perkins noted. "Those guys are working hard and getting a lot better.
"Our junior high team has a lot of kids who are trying wrestling for the first time, which is a tough thing to do," Perkins added. "They have really embraced that struggle."
PHOTOS by Cort Reynolds
TOP The Ada grapplers defeated McComb 54-12 and edged Bath 43-42
Tuesday night at home.
BOTTOM Ada wrestler Clayton McClain battles McComb wrestler.
