A resurgent wrestling season came to an end in Pilot Point, with Bearcats team captain Eli Knoblet being eliminated at the 5A Region II Tournament on Feb. 7.
Eli, who was the Bearcats’ lone representative at the event hosted in the Alfred J. Loos Sports Complex in Addison, fought valiantly but suffered back-to-back losses in the opening round.
“I’m really proud of him,” head wrestling coach Reed Eichenberger said. “There are over 60 schools in our region, so it’s pretty special to be one of 16 people to be there in that bracket. He battled into the third period in both matches, [and] even though it didn’t turn out exactly the way he wanted, he worked and represented Pilot Point well.”
Eli opened the tournament with a match against Dallas Woodrow Wilson and survived into the final period with Eli losing 12-1.
His second and final match was against Frisco Emerson, which he lost by pinfall in the third and final period.
Despite the losses, Eichenberger said Eli, who was already one of the Bearcats’ more experienced wrestlers, made major strides on the mat and as a leader in his sophomore season.
“He’s put in a lot of [time] in the weight room and on the mat, and he leads by example,” he said. 'You can always count on him to do the right thing, and it’s paid off over the course of the season.”
Eli shared his appreciation for the growth he experienced this year and said he hopes it continues into the next.
“It was a major improvement from last year,” he said. '… Hopefully, I can take what I learned from this year and go into next year and qualify for state.”
Eli’s father, Ben Knoblet, who was one of his biggest supporters, said he was overjoyed watching his son leave it all on the mat and thanked the Bearcats’ coaching staff for their hard work.
“Eli has come a long way,” he said. “There’s no comparing last season to this season, and I’m very thankful for the coaches and the staff at [Pilot Point] that have given him these opportunities.”
Eichenberger also spoke highly of the remaining members of the Bearcats’ wrestling team and made sure to thank the Pilot Point community for supporting his team.
“I’m really proud of how much better [our team] got each week since we started in December,” he said. 'We’re also [grateful] for everyone in Pilot Point and at Pilot Point High School for all the support they’ve shown these guys.”
