The Douglas High wrestling team knew coming in that it was going to have a battle on its hands in every Sierra League match this season.
Galena surely lived up the that billing Wednesday night, taking six of 11 contested matches from the Tigers in the season-opener for both schools. Douglas, however, held on for the 45-34 win powered by a late stretch of three consecutive pins and three forfeits.
"Galena is one of the toughest teams in the league right there," Douglas coach Lamont McCann said. "We felt coming in that the winner of this match has the inside track to end up with the league title. Galena is a tough, tough program. They have a three-time state champ (Doug DelPorto) and four solid wrestlers that will place in every tournament we see them in this year.
"We did really well to come away with a win tonight."
What was perhaps one of the biggest positives for the Tigers in the season-opener, aside from the win, was their ability to battle back.
A Grizzlies' pin in the 135-pound match cut Douglas' lead and DelPorto's pin in the 140-pound bracket put Galena up 24-21 with six matches remaining.
Senior Nico Barker was initially slated to match up with DelPorto in the 140s but McCann made a last-minute change.
"With DelPorto, either way, that would have been a pin," McCann said. "Nico has been real sick, he didn't wrestle at all last week and lost seven pounds."
Barker took the mat in the 145 match against Luke Riley and was visibly winded after the first period.
"He was really struggling, he just wasn't all the way back yet," McCann said. "He held is own though and didn't get pinned, which was important in this dual."
Riley took an 11-2 major decision to put Galena up 28-21, setting up Douglas' comeback.
Senior Eddie Kollar control early against Galena's Kevin Kristoferson in the 152s and translated that into a second-period pin to cut Galena's lead to one at 28-27.
Senior Justin Freeman followed with a pin in 1:40 against Galena's Steven Highcastle to give Douglas a 33-28 lead.
Tyler Cook stepped up with one of the more impressive performances of the night in the 171 bout, building a 7-0 lead before pinning Galena's Chris Harvey to give Douglas a devastating 18-point stretch that essentially sealed the win at 39-28 with two matches left.
"Some guys stepped up in the upper weights that needed to step up," McCann said. "If they didn't we were going to be in trouble."
Galena recorded a pin in the 189 bout to cut the score to 39-34, but Zach Falanga gained a forfeit win in the 215 bout to push the score to 45-34 in favor of Douglas.
Earlier in the match Wes Peterson earned a 7-1 decision in the 125-pound bout and Michael Sepulveda earned a pin in 1:36 in the 130-pound bout.
Nate Verella (103) and Dillon Spates (112) earned forfeit wins to round out Douglas' scoring.
Douglas' next match is Wednesday at home against defending regional and league champion Damonte Ranch. It will begin around 6 p.m.
