The West Platte wrestling team had its home opener with a tri-meet against Guadalupe Centers Charter and St. Joseph’s Lafayette on Dec. 8.
The Blue Jays dominated the Aztecs, not surrendering a single point and scoring 66. It helped that West Platte only competed in four matches, with all the other matches being forfeited due to Guadalupe Centers Charter not having a wrestler in the same weight class.
West Platte senior Lane Scott won by fall in both of his matches in the Blue Jays home opening triangular on Dec. 8.
Tristan Newkirk was the first Blue Jay to actually take the mat and compete, doing so in the 144-weight class. He pinned his opponent in 41 seconds.
Peyson Chandler (150) and Garrett Moritz (190) pinned a pair of Aztecs in 1:05 and 34 seconds. Lane Scott wrapped up the first of two competitions with a win by fall in 23 seconds.
The matchup with Lafayette wasn’t quite in the Blue Jays’ favor as the first one was as the home team lost 53-24. Including a pair of forfeits, the Fighting Irish scored the opening 27 points which included a pair of wins by fall over Matthew Haynes (285) and Canton Wilkins (120).
Colton DePetre put up a fight, but ultimately lost on a 5-4 decision to Dawson Hangartner in the 125-weight class. Jhett Chandler (132) put the Blue Jays on the board with a win by fall in 2:52.
The Fighting Irish responded with a pin over Aiden Hamilton (138) and a 5-0 decision over McKanan Reade (144). Newkirk and Peyson Chandler both won by fall to make the score 36-18 in Lafayette’s favor.
That was the closest the match would be as the Fighting Irish pinned Xavier Williams (165) and Moritz (190) while having a tech fall over David Brown (175). Scott took on one of the top 215-pound wrestlers in the state in Brandon Torres-Moya and the Blue Jay won by fall in 5:20.
While West Platte fell short against the Fighting Irish, it bounced back with a fifth-place finish at the Coffman Invitational at Truman High School on Dec. 10. Scott was one of five Blue Jays to medal, earning second place, Peyson Chandler and Brown both took third place, while DePetre and Newkirk both ended in fourth place.