Williamsburg's Weston Drahos, top, wrestles Grinnell's Ronan Betts in a match Thursday, Dec. 18 in Van Horne. (Ben Lamparek/Hometown Current)

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VAN HORNE — Both Williamsburg wrestling teams competed in a WaMaC triangular Thursday at Benton Community High School.

The boys ended the night with an exclamation point.

Three straight wins by fall gave Benton Community a 30-28 lead, with four matches to go. Williamsburg responded, winning the final four by fall for a 52-30 dual victory.

Brady Grier started it off for the Raiders at 175 pounds.

Within the first minute, Brady secured the pin and six points for the team.

“I hadn’t practiced that move,” Brady Grier said on the pin. “It felt right, and it worked out in the end.”

What also has worked out for the sophomore is the move back down to 175, after starting the season at 190.

“It feels way better,” Brady Grier said. “At 190 I was not able to keep up with the strength. It feels more like home at 175, and I can't wait to see what I do.”

Following Brady, Elias Schanz at 190, Wes Stoner at 215 and Brady Grier at heavyweight pinned their opponents.

“We need a dual like that where it was tight,” Williamsburg coach Grant Eckenrod said. “It was good to see our kids cheering for each other and showing some emotions. We’ve been lacking in that a little bit so far this season.”

Williamsburg's Charlie Foster pins Grinnell's Joe Sokol in a match Thursday, Dec. 18 in Van Horne. (Ben Lamparek/Hometown Current)

Although the end result was a loss, another noteworthy performance for the Raiders in the dual came from Peyton Thede at 150.

Thede took Class 2A seventh-ranked Brady Patterson to the final seconds.

“He showed he can wrestle with anyone,” Eckenrod said. “He’s come on big time, and a lot of it has been his mentality. He’s super talented and now he knows he can compete.”

Thede held control of most of the match, leading 6-3 late in the third period, but Patterson got a late takedown and a pin in the final 10 seconds.

In Williamsburg’s first dual of the night, the Raiders defeated Grinnell 48-22, winning nine of the 14 matches. The team is 9-3 in team duals.

“We’ve battled a lot of sickness and we haven’t been able to get consistent,” Eckenrod said. “ We need this upcoming break and hopefully we can get everyone healthy and back on the mat in January.”

Williamsburg's Kimora Owens wrestles Benton Community's Izzy Schoettmer in a match Thursday, Dec. 18 in Van Horne. (Ben Lamparek/Hometown Current)

The Williamsburg girls went 1-1 on the evening, starting with a dominating 63-6 win over Grinnell. The Raiders had seven wins by fall.

Benton Community defeated the Raiders 41-30. The Bobcats closed the dual winning four of the final five matches.

Two matches in the dual were battles of ranked wrestlers.

Hayden Wade, ranked 11th in 1A at 120, wrestled down a class to face 2A No. 5 Paige Eastman at 115.

Wade kept things close before Eastman pulled away in the third for a 10-1 major decision.

Williamsburg's Hayden Wade locks the head of Benton Community's Paige Eastman in a match Thursday, Dec. 18 in Van Horne. (Ben Lamparek/Hometown Current)

In the other ranked head-to-head bout, 2A No. 3 Lizzy Wolf at 155 defeated Williamsburg’s Lilly Ness, ranked 12th in 1A, 12-0.

At 145, Valerie Altenhofen also put up a good effort against the Bobcats’ third-ranked Layna DeMoss, who secured two takedowns in the final period for a 13-4 major decision.

The Raiders had four wins by fall in the dual from Ryleigh Jones (105), Anya Rivera (110), Keston Spratt (125) and Cecelia Gryp (135).

Dual Results

Boys

Williamsburg 52, Benton Community 30

Williamsburg 48, Grinnell 22

Girls

Benton Community 41, Williamsburg 30

Williamsburg 63, Grinnell 6