Panther wrestling paws Keokuk

MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant wrestling team made quick work of visiting Keokuk in a Southeast Conference dual on Thursday night. The Panthers raced away with a 57-24 win, their first SEC victory of the year.

Keokuk did have to forfeit a handful of matches, putting Mt. Pleasant in a good spot early, but head coach Anthony Blint says the Panthers did what they needed to do when they got on the mat.

“The matches we actually wrestled, the kids did a really good job, ”Blint said. “ Even the matches we lost, we were in the match.”

The night was highlighted by a couple of big pins, both by wrestlers who started their respective matches on the losing end.

First up was Bowen Davis, who fought back from an early deficit at 145 pounds. Even after a nasty takedown to start the match by Keokuk’s Ethan Rose, Davis scrapped back to earn a pinfall in the third period.

“We bumped him up a weight so he could get a match,” Blint said. “He came back and got a pin there and that was great.”

And then, at 285 pounds, Franklin Tousignant followed in Davis’ lead. He took the win over Keokuk’s Jordan Salyers, pinning him midway through the second period.

“Frank lost to that kid last year,” Blint said. “Depending on how the rest of the year goes, that could be a seed for sectionals. Great job from both those guys.”

The Panthers will have a quick turnaround before going to the Grinnell High School Invitational on Saturday.

Mt. Pleasant (MOPL) 57.0 Keokuk (KEOK) 24.0

132: Jaxson Stuecker (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 138: Carson Coleman (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 145: Bowen Davis (MOPL) over Ethan Rose (KEOK) (Fall 5:40) 152: Conrad Kirchner (KEOK) over Carson Andreasen (MOPL) (Fall 3:17) 160: Kevun Joy (KEOK) over Jahmal Dodson (MOPL) (Fall 1:15) 170: Chase Irving (MOPL) over Kolbe Barnes (KEOK) (Dec. 6-3) 182: Dakota Haage (KEOK) over William Birdsell (MOPL) (Fall 3:09) 195: Justin Steiner (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 220: Ethan Graber (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 285: Frank Tousignant (MOPL) over Jordan Salyers (KEOK) (Fall 3:01) 106: Ella McNamee (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 113: Rylee Moore (KEOK) over Abby Blint (MOPL) (Fall 2:33) 120: Alexia Wagner (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.) 126: Gannon McNamee (MOPL) over (KEOK) (For.)