The Trojans defeated NB-C, 53-30, but couldn’t win enough toss-ups with a tough Ballard team in a 44-28 win for the Bombers to end the night.

West Marshall only had one open spot on the lineup but Trojan head coach Stephen Adams said it wasn’t quite full strength with some missing varsity regulars from the lineup, perhaps most notably top-ranked 106 pounder Urijah Courter.

“I’m happy with our guys that stepped in tonight and did a nice job,” Adams added. “We had two quality teams tonight and we knew the second one would be a battle. We got a couple of those toss-up matches, they [Ballard] got a couple, and that ended up good for them.”

The Ballard dual started with a showdown between two ranked wrestlers as Ballard’s Easton Enyeart clipped Jon Gonzalez in sudden victory, 10-7, coming from behind after Gonzalez scored the first two takedowns in the 120-pound opener.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - West Marshall’s Kinnick Geers, top, puts the finishing touches on his 50-second victory by pinfall over North Butler-Clarksville’s Jack Bartels during their 144-pound match on Monday night.

“He’s had some losses, but they’re coming against high-quality kids,” Adams said of Gonzalez. “He’s right in those matches, taking a little something from each one and using them moving forward.”

Jack Decker rode out a 3-0 decision at 126 pounds, but Ballard won the next two matches with a fall and tech fall. West Marshall’s best stretch came at the middle weights, as Kinnick Geers pinned his opponent in the first period; Shane Hanford received a forfeit at 150 pounds and Wade Weuve notched a 10-2 major decision at 157.

Adams noted he expects Geers to bounce down to 138 for Friday’s Heart of Iowa Conference Tournament at Roland-Story High School.

“Shame to not see Shane get a match on Senior Night,” Adams added of Hanford, who also received a forfeit against NB-C. “He’s looking so smooth right now, had another very nice weekend last weekend. I keep thinking there’s a guy who will challenge him and he just keeps looking like Shane.”

Ballard’s Tucker Vitzthum won another meeting of two ranked wrestlers with a fall over West Marshall’s Ben Gonzalez in the third period. Gonzalez handled his NB-C opponent with a first-period fall on Monday.

“I always love that our guys have been doing a great job of just never being afraid of anybody that’s out there,” Adams said. “No matter where they’re ranked, they go out there and attack.”

After a hard-fought decision for Dawson Goodman at 175, Ballard took over the dual with four consecutive wins by fall before James Decker was able to end on a high note with a pin at 113 pounds.

In the dual with NB-C, Jack Decker, Kinnick Geers, Wade Weuve, Ben Gonzalez and Bryce Crawford all won by fall, with a tech fall for Jon Gonzalez.

The Trojans were third at last year’s HOIAC tournament behind Roland-Story and Greene County, led by champions Jon Gonzalez and Shane Hanford and no doubt several more Trojans will be looking to climb the podium again later this week.

“We’ve done very well in our conference duals this year, but that guarantees nothing for tournaments,” Adams said. “We’re a little banged up right now, too, but I honestly just believe if we go out and do our job, it should be our night. We’ve just got to go out and do it.”

Conference meet action begins at 5 p.m. on Friday.

West Marshall 53, North Butler-Clarksville 30

106–Aiden Doty (NBC) pinned Garrett Bear, 2:00; 113–James Decker (WM) won by forfeit; 120–Jon Gonzalez (WM) tech. falled Carl Shew, 17-2; 126–Jack Decker (WM) pinned Weston Miller, 2:12; 132–Maddox Morrison (NBC) pinned Maddox Cooling, :58; 138–Jaxson Miller (NBC) pinned Dutch Hillers, 5:26; 144–Kinnick Geers (WM) pinned Jack Bartels, :50; 150–Shane Hanford (WM) won by forfeit; 157–Wade Weuve (WM) pinned Evan McCormick, 3:43; 165–Ben Gonzalez (WM) pinned Ryland Pitzenberger, 1:03; 175–Dawson Goodman (WM) won by forfeit; 190–Bryce Crawford (WM) pinned Dylan Thorn, 2:32; 215–McCabe Gansen (NBC) pinned Jacob Dare, 5:51; 285–Brayden Harms (NBC) pinned Skylar Hanford, 3:06.

Ballard 44, West Marshall 28

120–Easton Enyeart (B) dec. Jon Gonzalez, 10-7 SV-1; 126–Jack Decker (WM) dec. Grayson Hedrick, 3-0; 132–Tony Horness (B) pinned Maddox Cooling, 1:26; 138–Jacob Harrison (B) tech. falled Dutch Hillers, 16-0; 144–Kinnick Geers (WM) pinned Carter Jeffs, 1:02; 150–Shane Hanford (WM) won by forfeit; 157–Wade Weuve (WM) major dec. Jace Cory, 10-2; 165–Tucker Vitzthum (B) pinned Ben Gonzalez, 4:38; 175–Dawson Goodman (WM) dec. Jaxon Shafer, 9-5; 190–Rhett Hedrick (B) pinned Bryce Crawford, 2:31; 215–Jackson Wacha (B) pinned Evan Meester, 5:17; 285–Daniel Campbell (B) pinned Skylar Hanford, 4:24; 106–Nolan Adams (B) pinned Garrett Bear, 2:52; 113–James Decker (WM) pinned Owen Davidson, 1:40.