Halls wins first home dual meet of 2023-24 season
By Ken Lay
The Halls High School wrestling team finally had a regular-season dual meet at home late last week. And the Red Devils didn’t disappoint their fan as they notched a 69-12 victory over Seymour before a packed house Thursday night.
It was the Red Devils’ first home meet since they hosted the preseason KWOA Jamboree on Nov. 4.
“It was great to finally have a dual at home,” Red Devils’ coach Shannon Sayne said. “It was great to wrestle in front of our crowd.
“We came out and shook off the rust and we took care of business. Our kids stepped up and wrestled.
That was perhaps the understatement of the season as the defending Class A traditional and dual meet state champion Red Devils lost just one match on the mat.
With Halls now reclassified to Class 2A, the Eagles are looking to be a factor on the state wrestling scene. But their only outright victory came in the second bout of the night when Samuel Comes scored a pin over Brady Moreland in the 113-pound weight class. Comes won by fall in 1 minute, 35 seconds.
Seymour’s Skyler Campbell won by forfeit in the 175 division.
The Red Devils opened the night with a pin as Tanner Kitts (106 pounds) stuck Jermaine Vazquez in just 44 seconds, giving Halls a 6-0 lead in the match.
Comes’ win tied the match at 6-6 before the Red Devils took control of the match.
Only one match went the three-round distance. Halls scored three team points as Rylan May claimed an 8-5 decision over Caden Zeitz.
Trey Griffin (120 pounds), Ty Davis (132), Jordan Sexton (138), Trevor Sexton (144), Harlan Hunley (150), Barrett Whaley (157), Gabe Freeman (165); Matt Cook (215) and Caleb Turner (289) all scored victories by fall.
The Red Devils’ Gavin Self won by forfeit in the 190-pound weight class.
Sayne said that his team was clicking on all cylinders against the Eagles.
“We just came out and took it to them a little bit,” he said. “I don’t think this was indicative of the Seymour program.
“We just had our night and they didn’t.”
Halls won’t have another home dual meet until it hosts geographic rival Gibbs in an in-school dual meet on Jan. 10.
