No matter the opponent, the boys varsity wrestling team always walks into the gym ready to prove itself on the mat and come out victorious. On Friday, despite being neck and neck with their competition, the boys fell 38-36 to Kenowa Hills. 

FHC and Kenowa went back and forth fighting for the upper hand in a dual at Central Middle School. Lightweights Luke Piotrowski, Blake Jacobs, Landon Cooke, Evan Elzinga, and Will Richardson all put wins on the board for FHC that brought the score to 36-28 going into the final two bouts. 

“Blake Jacobs and Evan Elzinga continue to improve and show mettle,” head coach Brad Anderson said. “Trevor Williams is a gamer and Luke Piotrowski is one heck of a tough young man.”

The match ended up coming down to Nathan Rushman, which ended sadly in a major decision victory for his Kenowa Hills opponent; this secured the win for the Knights with a final score of 38-36. 

“Even though we came up just a little short we had some definite bright spots and some very exciting matches,” coach Anderson said. 

Will Richardson also had some words to say about the match and his team’s grit against its opponents despite the loss. 

“I feel like we kept fighting and clawing back to try and win, but earlier losses haunted us and the night,” Will said. “We were down 0-9 after the first two matches”

As stated before, the dual came down to freshman Nathan Rushman. Although he didn’t win, he put up an outstanding fight that still deserves recognition. 

“Nathan fought his heart out. If everyone had done their job, Nathan’s match would have secured the victory. I’m really impressed with his grit and his heart,” coach Anderson said. 

Teammates junior Landon Cooke and senior Will Richardson are also now making big moves in their personal season records. Landon Cooke currently sits at 16 wins and 3 losses for the season, while Will Richardson is at 8-2. 

“Landon Cooke continues to be a dominant wrestler at 160 pounds,” coach Anderson said. “Will Richardson is going to be a handful for any heavyweight out there in West Michigan.”

The Rangers will be in action again this Friday night, January 21, at Cornerstone University for the OK-White Team Tournament. The following day, they will host the Rangerbrawl Duals.