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STC matmen go 3-1 at home duals invite

STC 195-pounder Marcus Bear, top, worked his way to a pin against Des Moines East’s Victor Flores, bottom, at Saturday’s tournament. Photo by Robert Maharry.
South Tama 285-pounder Nathaniel Palmarez, left, fought hard against Des Moines East’s Issac Lara Marquez, right, before ultimately losing the match 6-5 in overtime. Photo by Robert Maharry.
South Tama’s Damion Castellanos, right, locks up with Nicholas Stanley of Pella in a 182-pound match on Saturday. Stanley won by fall at 2:56. Photo by Robert Maharry.
South Tama 220-pounder Gavin Bridgewater, left, jockeys for hand position with Pella’s Kieran Van Voorst during a match Bridgewater won by a 9-6 decision at Saturday’s home duals tournament. Photo by Robert Maharry.
STC 138-pounder Drayton White plots his next move against Pella’s Rex Rhamy during Saturday’s home duals tournament. White defeated Rhamy in a 9-4 decision. Photo by Robert Maharry.

The South Tama boys wrestling team hosted a home duals tournament at the Roundhouse on Saturday and finished the day 3-1, defeating Iowa City Regina, Des Moines East and Pella handily but falling to Independence.

The Trojans kicked it off with a decisive 53-18 victory over Pella in a dual that included a 16-1 technical fall for Cyrus Mathes over Jacon De Ruiter at 152 and pins for Amare Chavez at 126, Cale Graff at 106, and Nathaniel Palmarez at 285. Gavin Bridgewater also won a tough 9-6 decision over Pella’s Kieran Van Voorst in the 220-pound weight class.

STC kept it rolling in the next round against Des Moines East, winning 60-21 thanks to a slew of pins from Graff, Eligh Branan at 120, Chavez, Drayton White at 138, Jacob Youngbear at 145, Marcus Bear at 195 and Bridgewater. Palmarez and East’s Isacc Lara Marquez duked it out in a thrilling heavyweight match that went to overtime before Marquez prevailed 6-5, and the two grapplers showed each other mutual respect and admiration as the official lifted his hand to signify the win.

The Trojans had an even easier time against Regina, prevailing 66-15 on the strength of 10 forfeits and a third period Branan pin on the Regals’ Holden Berg at 5:47 in the 120-pound weight class.

Unfortunately for STC, they met their toughest opponent of the day in the final dual against Independence, falling 49-21 to the Mustangs. It wasn’t all bad news, however, as 182-pounder Damion Castellanos, Bear and Bridgewater all notched pins for the Trojans, and Chavez won a 5-2 decision over Keyten Jacobsen.

Independence finished the day a perfect 4-0 in duals, winning all of them relatively easily. The Trojan boys were back in action at Vinton-Shellsburg on Thursday night and will head to an eight-team tournament in Pella on Saturday.