Whitnall Wrestlers Win Seventh in Row, Down New Berlin, 43-21

Despite a lineup depleted by illness and injury, wrestlers rolled to a 43-21 win Wednesday night over the combined team from New Berlin West and Eisenhower high schools. The Woodland Conference victory enabled the Falcons to keep pace with Wauwatosa in the race for runner-up in the league.

Whitnall and the combined Wauwatosa West-East team face off Friday night at 7 p.m. at Whitnall.

Wednesday, Whitnall took two matches by forfeit, and the remaining 12 matches were split between the two teams. But Whitnall's wins were worth 31 points, 10 more than the visitors'. The Falcons scored four pins and a major decision among their wins, while limiting New Berlin to a single pin and five decisions.

Senior co-captain Mason Howard won for the 32nd time this season with a first-period pin. Freshman Anthony Senthavisouk's pin was his 28th win of the season. John McGee kept pace with a pin for win number 27. Two other Falcons are also in the 20-win elite: Troy McGee (24-10), who was out of the lineup Wednesday, and co-captain Evan Olson, a default winner whose record now stands at 22-13.

The night's quickest pin was scored by a freshman, Whitnall's Blake Leslie. The 120-pounder took just 26 seconds to overpower his New Berlin opponent, Dan Zhong.

Alex Sterling posted a major decision at 285 pounds. Zach Barnhart, filling in for the injured Sam Howard at 182 pounds, scored a reversal in the final 20 seconds for a 4-2 decision over New Berlin's Tony Talatzko.

The five New Berlin decisions--over Whitnall's Joe Price, Ty Fischer, Dylan Kellner, Jeremy Brunner and Ethan Harycki--were each by three points or less, Brunner's in overtime.

"It's easier to win when you don't give up pins," said Coach John Quinlan after the meet. The overall effort, even by those who didn't win, impressed the coach. "We had a few starters out, and the kids who replaced them really stepped up," he said.

Harycki, a freshman making his first varsity start, nearly beat T.J. Stewart, one of New Berlin's better wrestlers. "He's continuing to learn, but we're really happy with Ethan's effort," Quinlan said.

The seven freshmen and sophomores who started against New Berlin, and their classmates, are a source of optimism for Quinlan and the rest of the coaching staff.

"Those two classes are putting in a real solid effort," he said. "We're really looking forward to how well they'll do a couple of years from now."

Seven of the current starters will graduate this year.

PinPoints:

• Four Falcons won matches in junior varisty action Wednesday. Dan Callies, Josh Rinka, Max Schwartz and Ryan Olson each won by decision.
• Pewaukee continues to dominate the Woodland Conference. The Pirates defeated Greenfield 65-6 Wednesday. Wauwatosa, currently in second place, beat Cudahy-St. Francis, 58-18.