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In their lone home appearance this season, the Sidney High School wrestling team didn't disappoint hometown fans, taking a big 60-18 dual win over Sedgwick County, Colo.
The big boys shined bright in the dual, with the noise level raising with each successive win from wrestlers in the upper weights.
KC Higer and Derek Robb got Sidney off on the right foot with back-to-back pins to open mat action, Higer winning in just less than a minute and half, Robb 30 seconds into the second period.
But it was the Hofrock brothers who really got the crowd going as they also scored pins.
Nathan Hofrock pinned his 195-pound opponent in a minute, then brother Hayden took the crowd on an emotional roller coaster ride in the 220-pound match.
Evenly-matched against Sedgwick County's Andrew Davis, the pair scored back and forth through the first two periods with a nearly even score. The crowd gasped when Davis rolled Hayden onto his back in the final period, but then erupted with deafening cheers when, by sheer determination, Hayden rolled out of his predicament and put Davis on his back for good.
The dual was a good warm up for the team's Saturday trip to Lexington, where Sidney finished second at the John Higgins Invite. The Higgins meet had both varsity and junior varsity competition and Sidney wrestlers excelled in both.
Kaden Vowers, Trey Arellano, Higer and Robb all won their divisions on the varsity side, while Deekun Cerenil, Tristan Ahrendt. Devan Schilz went to the top of the podium for the JVs.
Higer, wrestling at 145 pounds, reached the milestone of 100 career wins in his semifinal match, a pin over Arturo Navarrete of Lexington.
Sidney Coach John Ganser said he was happy with the aggressiveness the team showed at Lexington, a meet he says is a good indicator for how wrestlers are doing as district competition, just two weeks away, approaches.
"The kids worked real hard for pins and bonus points," Ganser said, adding he like what he saw from his charges.
Two more tough matches are in line for this week, with the team traveling to a dual with a tough Valentine team Friday, followed by a tournament where they will face Valentine again, along with a powerful Burke/Gregory, South Dakota team.
Sidney 60, Sedgwick County, CO 18
138 - Brody Raines (Sidney) win by forfeit
145 - KC Higer (Sidney) over Nate Lawson (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 1:28)
152 - Double Forfeit
160 - Derek Robb (Sidney) over Wyatt Buccelli (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 2:27)
170 - Brady Robb (Sidney) win by forfeit
182 - Fabian Lopez (Sedgwick County/Fleming) over Hunter Ahrendt (Sidney) (Fall 1:43)
195 - Nathan Hofrock (Sidney) over Jacob Houhton (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 0:59)
220 - Hayden Hofrock (Sidney) over Andrew Davis (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 5:06)
285 - Lane Hughes (Sidney) over Shawn Bailey (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 4:48)
106 - Marco Martinez (Sedgwick County/Fleming) over Deekun Cerenil (Sidney) (Fall 4:28)
113 - Robert Walraven (Sedgwick County/Fleming) win by forfeit
120 - Tristan Ahrendt (Sidney) over Dakota Ferguson (Sedgwick County/Fleming) (Fall 2:40)
126 - Kaden Vowers (Sidney) win by forfeit
132 - Devan Schilz (Sidney) win by forfeit
John Higgins Invite Lexington
1. Hastings 187.0
2. Sidney 167.5
3. Lexington 151.0
4. Lincoln Southwest 136.5
5. Holdrege 116.0
6. Beatrice 115.5
7. Bennington 107.5
8. North Platte 96.5
9. Cozad 79.5
10. Scott Community 67.5
11. McCook 63.0
12. Bellevue West 55.0
13. Adams Central 52.0
14. Gothenburg 40.0
15. Holyoke 20.0
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