Senior Rookie Gains Key Pin For Lake City

The more inexperienced the wrestler, the more likely the pin.

And a pin by first-year heavyweight Ben Spink nosed Lake City past Coeur d’Alene in a wild 39-33 dual on Wednesday night.

Spink, a senior who hadn’t wrestled since the seventh grade, broke down Vikings senior Jason Glynn with the half-Nelson midway into the third period. Twenty seconds later, the victory was timed at 4:50.

“I love our crowd, I love our team,” Spink said. “I just remember our coach saying the half(-Nelson) is going to do it for you. I put it on and hoped to God (Glynn) wouldn’t move.”

Spink’s victory capped an emotional Alumni Night before an estimated 400 fans at Viking Gym.

The celebration featured 13 alumni who served as honorary coaches, as well as the introduction of former Coeur d’Alene coach Ron TerHark, who founded the city’s high school program in 1966.

Later, TerHark awarded the Timberwolves possession of the TerHark Traveling Trophy, to be presented annually to the winner of the last crosstown dual.

“We’ve put (Spink) in some awful positions (this year),” Lake City coach Pat Whitcomb said. “He’s kept his head and keeps trying.

“He’s just real emotional. I just said to stay in position,” Whitcomb added. “He listens real well. He’s a smart kid.”

A pin by Spink’s teammate John Conner at 189 snapped a string of four consecutive pins by the Vikings and drew the teams even at 33-33.

“It came down to pretty much how we figured it’d come down to the heavyweight match,” Vikings coach Pat Corbett said. “Both teams made mistakes as far as putting each other on each other’s back. As young as both teams are, the pin is more the rule than the exception.”

The Vikings spotted the visitors 12 points at the start, forfeiting the first two weights.

Lake City stretched the advantage to 21-0 behind a decision from Sean Haller at 119 and a pin from Mike Mallrie at 125.

Troy Hughes gave Coeur d’Alene its first win, rallying from a 5-0 first-period deficit in an 8-5 decision over Nick Geren at 130. The Vikings continued to roll, winning five of the next six matches via pins.

Coeur d’Alene overtook the lead at 33-27 after Nick Primmer pinned Dustin Baker in 58 seconds.

“All the kids all the way through, you just can’t point at (Spink), won the dual,” Whitcomb said. “They wrestled as a team, win or lose that dual. We can see we’re finally together as a team, and that’s the way it should be.”

The Vikings and Timberwolves travel to Lewiston for the Clearwater Classic on Friday and Saturday.

Lake City 39, Coeur d’Alene 33

103 pounds-Goodwin (LC) won by forfeit. 112-Crawford (LC) won by forfeit. 119-Haller (LC) d. Schauble 5-4. 125-Mallrie (LC) p. Ramirez 4:25. 130-Hughes (CdA) d. Geren 8-5. 135-Beamis (CdA) p. Jost 3:47. 140-Persling (LC) p. Thomson 3:12. 145-Weseman (CdA) p. Brandenburg 2:56. 152-Smith (CdA) p. Orsua 2:23. 160-Gatten (CdA) p. Knaack 1:52. 171-Primmer (CdA) p. Baker :58. 189-Conner (LC) p. Daly 3:22. Heavyweight-Spink (LC) p. Glynn 4:50.

, DataTimes