Cyclones boys grapplers sweep triangular

The HCHS Cyclones boys wrestling team defeated Clarinda and Shenandoah in a triangular, beating Clarinda 60-18 and Shenandoah 39-37 to close out the first half of the season.

“I think everybody did really well,” said Cyclone Head Coach Adam Bendorf. “We’ve been practicing for about six or seven weeks now, and we’ve got about five or six weeks left, and I think the first half is going pretty well.”

During their Clarinda match, Nick Gubbels, Spencer Fink, Chayton Snethen, Shane Cooper, Sawyer Hudson, Benjamin Gray, and Edgardo Quintanilla were able to come away with victories.

Gubbels defeated Brayden Tillman with a fall at 2:48, Fink pinned Hayden Hash at 2:47, Snethen finished off Jayden Valdez at 3:07, Cooper quickly pinned Griffin Phillips at 33 seconds, and Hudson, Gray, and Quintanilla all rounded out that match with pins over their opponents.

“Wrestling is a tough sport and every match is on you,” Bendorf said. “If you’re not winning as much as you want, it’s very frustrating, so those victories from time-to-time can be very motivating.”

In the match with Shenandoah, some Cyclone victories came from Nathan Sandquist, Coy Obrecht, Gubbels, and Jaden Stephens. Sandquist pinned Lane Riggins at 3:08, Obrecht defeated Davin Holste at 2:59 with a pin, Gubbels beat Landon Fuller in a 8-4 decision, and Stephens pinned Ben Glasgo at 1:21.

“Coy Obrecht is a tough kid and a freshman,” Bendorf added. “He’s had some good experience on the mat. It’s exciting to see him step in there, putting in the effort and working hard. Jaden Stephens is a great wrestler. He’s gotten a lot better. He’s not able to get a varsity spot all the time.”

The Cyclones return to the mat Jan. 9 for a home triangular at 5:30 p.m. that will feature Denison and Atlantic.

“I don’t really look too much at the competition,” Bendorf said. “I’m a little bit more focused on how we can get better and optimizing our offense and let the opponent react to what we’re doing. We’ll let them adjust to us.”

It will also be Senior Night as Fink, Jesse Jens, Brody McKinley, Austin Spray will be honored before the match.

“This senior class is just awesome,” Bendorf added. “It’s a class that I’ve kind of seen coming up over the years. I remember Jesse Jens back when Zane [Bendorf] was still around. Spencer Fink, I saw him as a kid too, and it’s been exciting watching him come up through the ranks. These are kids I have a great connection with.”