With grappling season approaching the final whistle, the Pilot Point Bearcats wrestling team took part in a dual hosted by the Celina Bobcats on Jan. 17.
Four Bearcats were able to secure wins at the competition that consisted of Pilot Point, Celina and the Melissa Cardinals.
“I’m really proud of their effort,” head wrestling coach Reed Eichenberger said. “They guys are competing tremendously hard, and it’s really encouraging to see. A lot of things that we’re working on in practice are showing up here in competition.”
Pilot Point opened the dual facing off with Celina, and freshman Wade Eft took the Bearcats’ first win of the night, defeating his opponent from Celina in the 144-pound weight class.
Sophomore Tim Kopsian notched Pilot Point’s second win, with another victory over Celina in the 175-pound weight division.
Bearcats’ team captain Eli Knoblet secured Pilot Point’s final win against the Bobcats, successfully pinning his opponent in the 138-pound weight class.
Junior Augustus “Gus” Westbrook, who narrowly lost his first match against Celina, bounced back and handily defeated his opponent from Melissa in the 165-pound weight class, securing the first of the Bearcats’ two wins against the Cardinals.
“Gus did a great job,” Eichenberger said. 'He’s a guy that shows up every day, works hard and does some really good things for us.”
Westbrook cited the Bearcats’ conditioning program for helping he and his teammates outlast the opposition.
“Conditioning is the main thing we have over any other school,” he said. “In the first match, even though I lost, I noticed the person I went against was lying on the floor exhausted and gasping. Every time we compete, even if we don’t win, we’re still ready to go again.”
Knoblet earned the Bearcats’ second win, turning his opponent every way but loose and grabbing his second win of the night.
With the district tournament in Carrollton coming up Jan. 30 and 31, Eichenberger said he’s pleased with the progress the team has made as the season reaches its peak.
“We’ve improved in specific situations within matches,” he said. '… We’re learning and [improving] each week. I’m proud of how hard they’re working, and I’m even more proud of how they’re representing Pilot Point, and we’re going to keep building all the way up to our district tournament.”
The Bearcats were scheduled to participate in a dual at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Gunter. The results were not available at press time.
