JUNE 11, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A27
Celts come up short against West Salem
LEFT: McNary 170-pounder Hunter Ruberto puts his opponent in an armbar. RIGHT: Josh Friesen takes his opponent to the mat in the 160-pound bout. Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Despite winning five matches via for-
feit, the McNary wrestling team fell just
short of the dual victory on Friday, June
4 as they lost to West Salem 40-39.
Josh Friesen (160 pounds) and
Hunter Ruberto (170) were McNary's
lone victors on the night.
“It definitely wasn't the prettiest dual
I have ever seen but we will bounce
back,” McNary coach Sam Martin said.
Although he was unhappy with the
final result, Martin said that he appreci-
ates that his crew can fill a full lineup in
most duals.
“I think in years past, we have taken
full lineup numbers for granted. This
year, with lower roster numbers across
the state, a full lineup is not a given.
Being able to fill 14 weight-classes is
a blessing and, a lot of times, it means
guaranteed points on the board,” Martin
said.
After falling behind 22-0, McNary got
their next 18 points thanks to three for-
feits. West Salem's Austin Hamby was
victorious in the 152-pound bout, but
Friesen earned McNary's first win of the
night by pinning Samuel Garcia 41 sec-
onds into the second round.
“This dual didn't start the way we
wanted it to, but that got me fired up
for my match. I was ready to go out and
win and I was really happy with my out-
come,” Friesen said. “Wrestling is an
aggressive sport, and one thing I really
focused on was competing with a chip
on my shoulder.
Friesen got out to a 7-0 lead in the
first round before pinning his opponent
in the second round.
“Dictating the pace and setting up
what he wants is Josh's strength. He
went after it,” Martin said. “He pushed
the pace and got to where he wanted.”
In the following match, Ruberto fell
behind early to Corbyn Taylor after
surrendering a two-point reversal, but
fought back to take the lead late in the
first round after a takedown.
“I have wrestled him before, he is a
strong guy that is going to fight hard
until the very end of the match. I knew
that I was going to have to outwork
him,” Ruberto said.
After Taylor came back to tie the
match at 6-6, Ruberto scored on an
escape and then a two-point takedown
to win the decision 9-6.
“Hunter is a smart wrestler. He is
really undersized for 170, but he under-
stands situations,” Martin said. “He
knew he made a mistake on the edge,
but after that he was very measured and
calculated.”
While he was pleased with the victory,
Ruberto admitted that he was mildly dis-
appointed in not getting the pin.
“I wanted the pin. I wanted to help the
team out. Getting the win was good, but
I really wanted that pin,” Ruberto said.
“When you're battling the size differ-
ence, it becomes more difficult to get the
pin,” Martin added.
Ruberto's win cut the lead to one, but
West Salem got pins in the 182 and 195-
pound matches to secure the win.
McNary competes in their final meet
of the season on Saturday, June 12 in a
meet with Crater, Century and Bend.
Damian Hernandez attempts to escape the grasp of his opponent.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
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