The Hinton boys wrestling team has advanced to the state dual tournament for the second year in a row defeating Shenandoah in the regional tournament 51-25 on Tuesday night.
Hinton head coach Casey Crawford says this team is special considering all the adversity they have gone through this season.
Guys like Nicholas Lindley and Ethan Sachau were two of the guys who have not been fully healthy this season. Lindley won his bout in a 7-3 decision and Sachau beat his opponent by pin in the second period. Coach Crawford says he was not sure how they would do, but he knew he could not keep them off the mat.
The Blackhawks got off to a blazing start with the first four matches ending in pins. Only one of those pins occurred in the second period, two finished in under 30 seconds, and one finished in just nine seconds. It was 24-0 before Shenandoah could realize what happened, and Coach Crawford says his team looks to strike early and often.
The Blackhawks were not without some struggles in the dual. Hinton was up 39-9 with five bouts left and gave up back-to-back pins that kept Shenandoah in it. Coach Crawford says his team rode the highs and lows of the dual well to come out on top.
Hinton heads to Coralville for the second year in a row with the dual tournament on Saturday, February 3rd. Coach Crawford says the guys need to improve in certain situations heading into a tournament that will feature some of the state’s best.
The 2024 Class 1A dual state tournament begins at 9:00 AM on Saturday.
