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If you have to face off on the wrestling mat against your best pal, you might as well make it the best match of the evening.

Last Thursday as the Blue Hawk wrestling team hosted Plains-Hot Springs and Superior for a mixer, Blue Hawk Brock Ryan and Savage-Horseman Beau Crabb (best friends off the mat) put on an exciting show. It was a scramble for the two wrestlers as they traded control in the match. Crabb was up just two points, 12-10, after two periods, and neither wrestler was letting his best friend off easy as the intensity continued into the third period. Crabb would win by pin in the third.

It was senior night for the Blue Hawks, who honored Jonah Sorraco, Max Hannum, Diego Long and Desani Bewick before the wrestling began.

Ryan's other match Thursday was against Wade Calloway of Superior. The Blue Hawk pinned Calloway with just three seconds remaining in the first period.

The first match of the evening brought Blue Hawk Rowan Ackley and Savage-Horseman David Chapman to the mat. Chapman led throughout the first period and finished the match with a pin with just 46 seconds left in the second.

Long had two matches Thursday evening. In the first match he went up against Cody West of Plains. While West won 8-0, the score didn't reflect the intensity on the mat the entire six minutes of the match. Long grappled in the last match of the evening against Savage-Horseman Gavin Schrenk. With Schrenk up 2-0 after the first period, Long was put in a sticky situation in the second and the match was paused for an injury timeout. The crowd let out a collective gasp as Long stayed still on the match with what looked like a dislocated shoulder, but he was able to unwind from the position and recover to finish the match. Schrenk would go on to beat Long 6-2.

Blue Hawk Weston Block had an exciting match against Matthew Thurston. Block normally wrestles at 103 but went up a weight class for the exhibition match against the Plains wrestler. The two were well matched. Block led most of the match and when the final buzzer sounded took the win with a 12-9 decision.

Thurston also wrestled Carson Kenney of Thompson Falls last Thursday. The two were tied at 2 points apiece after the first period. In the final two periods, Kenney used his skills to gain on Thurston and won 8-2.

Brenden Vanderwall of Plains got a quick pin on Thursday. Ackley of Thompson Falls had the first takedown of the match to take an early lead, but Vanderwall got a quick reversal and pinned Ackley before the first period was up.

Annie Wooden

Diego Long of Thompson Falls (bottom) and Cody West of Plains wrestle at Thompson Falls High School.

Hawk senior Max Hannum had one match Thursday evening, against Gabe Rasmussen of Plains. It was a near rematch of when the two met in the semifinal round of the Ted Kato Memorial tournament in Thompson Falls the weekend prior as Hannum pinned Rasmussen in the second period.

Alex Albano of Thompson Falls had two matches at the mixer but did not get a win. Will Tatum of Plains won by pin over Albano in the first period. Tatum went on to face Jaxson Green of Superior, but lost by pin in the first period.

Jonah Soracco of Thompson Falls had one match Thursday, facing off against Savage-Horseman Andrew Waterbury. The Blue Hawk ended his senior regular season with a 15-5 major decision win in front of the home crowd.

Chris Schwab of Thompson Falls fought hard in his match against Lucas Kovalsky of Superior but lost by fall in the final seconds of the first period. Devin Barnes of Plains faced off against Turner Milender of Superior, falling in the first period.