Blinking wasn’t a good idea Monday in Polk Middle’s gymnasium.
A quick wink here and there meant missing a handful of Wolverine wrestling wins. Gabe Nelon needed just 12.3 seconds to win his match. James Logan only took 9.6 seconds. Michael Jenkinson closed his in 7.3 seconds and wondered what took the others so long.
In all, eight Polk Middle wrestlers claimed first-period victories as the Wolverines opened their Blue Ridge Conference East Division schedule with an 81-24 victory over Hendersonville Middle.
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The setback was the first for the Bearcats (2-1) while Polk Middle improved to 5-0. It’s been a good start for a Polk squad filled with new faces – many who have learned the sport locally with Wolverine Wrestling Club – and looking to maintain the run of excellence for the three-time defending conference champions.
“They’re fitting in and stepping up,” said Polk Middle head coach Jerry Cox. “That just goes to show what the club’s been doing. The past few years, we haven’t had a whole lot of club kids. But now, we have club kids sitting on the bench.
“Kash Mitchell has won in prelims. He would be a great starter. Malachi Amorelli, he would be a great starter. And then we have sixth graders like Evan (Taylor), (Tiernan Hanna), Thiesen (Gerst). They’re stepping up and winning matches, they’re 3-1 and 4-0, 5-0. It’s really nice to have sixth graders win immediately.”
Ellis Searcy kicked off Monday’s match with a pin just before the buzzer at the end of the first period of his 76-pound match and the Wolverines were off and running. Polk reeled off seven straight victories, including Coalden Cehen’s decision in overtime, where he scored four points in the first 30-second session to take control of the match.
Up 39-6, the Wolverines got consecutive victories from Jax Gosnell, Oakley McDowell and Trenholm McMinn to build an insurmountable 57-6 lead. Hendersonville pulled within 63-24 late before Jenkinson, Nelon and Landon Plylar closed the match with wins.
It’s still early in the season, but Cox is already seeing much to like about his current squad, including its background.
“We have some football players, we have a few soccer players, Noah (Hammond) is a cross country kid,” Cox said. “They’re kind of all different walks of life a bit, but they come here and bond and make a team.”
Polk Middle will travel Tuesday to Apple Valley for its next conference match.
