By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
It’s a little early in the high school wrestling season for a mea culpa, but Elkhorn Area High School wrestling coach Ken Reynolds recently offered as much.
“I was wrong about these kids,” Reynolds said. “Last year was so special. I didn’t think we’d be anywhere close to it coming into this year. These kids came out and showed us they are not going to let down.
“They just beat the 10th-ranked team in the state.”
Elkhorn opened its season with a 35-31 Southern Lakes Conference dual meet victory over Lake Geneva Dec. 5 at Elkhorn.
The Crossface, a state wrestling magazine, listed Lake Geneva as the 10th-ranked team in Division 1 in its preseason Coaches Poll.
Elkhorn trailed Badger by two points going into the final match – the 120-pound dual between Elkhorn’s Bryce Fitzgerald and Lake Geneva’s Sam Carmona.
Fitzgerald pinned Carmona in 1 minute, 11 seconds.
“Being down by two, all we needed to do was win that match, so Bryce didn’t need to pin him,” Reynolds said. Winning – that I felt confident of. I didn’t necessarily think we were going to get the pin.”
Against Lake Geneva, Ryan Nelson (126), Bryce Jacobson (132), Konnor Mohr (138), John Olsen (145), Brett Phillips (170), Jordan Barr (195), Dylan Linhart (220) and Fitzgerald each won.
Barr and Fitzgerald are a perfect 6-0 to open the season after finishing 5-0 in dual meets Dec. 7 in the Stoughton Invitational at Stoughton High School.
The meet was a dual meet invitational. The Elks finished 4-1 in dual meet competition.
Elkhorn defeated Riverdale 43-10 and Whitewater 49-30. The Elks beat Richland Center 51-15 and Evansville/Albany 36-31.
Elkhorn’s only defeat came against Stoughton – the hosts beat the Elks 35-27.
The Elks trailed Evansville/Albany by one point prior to the final match. At 113 pounds, Elkhorn’s Connor Leahy pinned Taylor Milz in 2:21 for the victory.
Reynolds said Elkhorn forfeited two weight classes, or six points, Saturday in each dual meet, and pointed out that the Elks lost by eight points to Stoughton, but spotted them 12 points.
“We’re winning more matches than we’re losing,” Reynolds said. “We just need to fill the holes.”
Elkhorn wrestles Westosha Central tonight in a Southern Lakes Conference dual meet at home. The Elks wrestle Saturday in the Waukesha West Invitational at Waukesha West High School.
