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  • Muskogee's Dawaylon Barnes tries to turn Stillwater High's Kyle Rogers on Thursday night at Muskogee High School.

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February 2, 2012

Stillwater wrestlers pin Muskogee 42-33

By Kenton Brooks CNHI News Service

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — As the dual portion of its schedule comes to end, Muskogee knows all about disappointment.

The Roughers were pinned in three straight matches as part of four wins by Stillwater in their regular season home finale as the Pioneers rallied for the 42-33 victory on Senior Night at Ron Milam Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday.

With Muskogee leading 33-30, pins by Paul Wilson at 220 pounds and Travis Morgan (285) helped the Pioneers come back to pull out the victory.

Wilson, ranked No. 1 by Okwrestle.com in his weight, pinned Muskogee’s Nigel Harris at 58 seconds of the first period, while No. 2-ranked Morgan pinned Kevin Reed at 1:32 of the third and final period.

“We knew they were really tough at the heavier weights,” MHS coach Bobby Jefferson said.

Harris came in ranked No. 10 and Reed at No. 5.

The other Stillwater wins came when Will Pendleton took a major decision (17-6) against John Webster at 182 and Kilynn Norris pinned Cori Andrews at 2.2 seconds left in the second period at 195.

Stillwater’s win overshadows Muskogee’s performance in which they won four straight matches and six of seven during one stretch.

The Roughers’ run began with defending state champion Lukas Etchison taking a 7-1 decision against Benny Teegarden at 126. Etchison is No. 4 and Teegarden at No. 9.

No. 8 Dawaylon Barnes (132), No. 4 Jacobe Smith (138), No. 5 Matt Vieira (145), Chetan Munsell (160) and No. 7 J.T. Andrews (170) won their matches by pin. Smith’s pin at 1.6 seconds in the second period put Muskogee ahead in the match for the first time at 15-14.

“We fought all of the way through the whole match, but it just didn’t go our way,” Munsell, one of five seniors who wrestled, said.

The Roughers build their lead to 33-20 with back-to-back pins by Munsell and J.T. Andrews before Stillwater rallied for the victory.

As a team, Muskogee came into the match ranked seventh, while the Pioneers were fifth.

Muskogee also won’t be competing in dual state for the first time since 2008 after the Roughers lost to Sand Springs in a dual on Jan. 24.

“We lost our last match by a pin and the rest is history,” Jefferson said.

The Roughers have one more dual match and that will be at Bartlesville on Tuesday. In the meantime, Jefferson’s wrestlers get ready for regionals on Feb. 17-18 and state tournament on Feb. 24-25.

“We have those to look forward to and we’re going to try to end this season right,” Munsell said.

– Brooks is a writer for the Muskogee Phoenix

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