By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
Piedmont wrestlers Kolten Luschen and Brady Roberts felt the momentum slipping away from their team.
Arch rival Deer Creek led by nine points midway through Thursday night’s dual, and unless the senior duo did something special, the Antlers had a chance to spoil the Wildcats’ senior night.
Luschen and Roberts weren’t about to let that happen. Luschen won a hard-fought decision then Roberts dominated his match with a first-period fall to ignite a string of four consecutive victories for No. 13 Piedmont as the Wildcats rallied for a 35-30 win over the 15th-ranked Antlers inside the Wildcat Athletic Center.
“It’s definitely exciting. We’ve been going back and forth with (Deer Creek) for a long time,” Luschen said.
Freshman Brody Heusel clinched the win for PHS at 106 pounds with a 10-7 decision over Deer Creek’s Nash Neeley. Heusel looked to have Neeley in big trouble, but Neeley flipped the script and nearly pinned Heusel before the Piedmont freshman scored three points in the final minute to pull out the victory.
“That kid, more than anyone else on this entire team, when he looks like he’s in trouble, he’s not,” Luschen said of Heusel. “He’s scrappy, he can scramble…that kid almost always pulls through.”
Roberts’ win at 175 pounds was all about speed, strength and overwhelming force, which was exactly the way the senior planned to close out his regular season home career.
“I just wanted to finish it in the least amount of time as possible and I did it the way I wanted to,” he said.
Luschen said he didn’t feel 100% physically going into his match, so he thought a quick start would be important. Luschen got the early lead he coveted then maneuvered his way out of trouble to hold onto a win Piedmont desperately needed at the time.
“He was wrestling a tough kid and it wasn’t going to be one of those where we go out and get a 30-second pin,” head coach Erik Ford said. “He found a way to get us a big win there.”
At 126, defending state champ Cash Donnell fights through a bloody lip and a cut above his eye for a 10-1 dec. over Deer Creek’s Garon Keiser. Wildcats lead the dual 8-0. #okpreps pic.twitter.com/Y2XgqRnzQQ
— Blake Colston (@CBlakeColston) February 2, 2023
Jackson Blackburn (190 pounds) and Brogan Hardy (215 pounds) each won by fall to extend Piedmont’s lead to 32-20. Blackburn was trailing in his match in the third period against Tucker Winkle, but worked some magic to earn six key points. Hardy needed only 0:23 to pin Sam Gold.
Defending state champion Cash Donnell worked through a busted lip and a cut above his right eye to win his match at 126 pounds. Jayden Fuston and Barrett Byers also picked up wins for the ‘Cats, who have won five duals in a row.
“Our team has come really, really far in the last couple weeks,” Luschen said.
Read the full report in next week’s print edition of The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette.
