Senators drill Miners

It took longer to set up the mats and chairs for Wednesday’s dual wrestling match than it did for Carson High to demolish the Miners.

Armed with seven forfeit wins, the Senators improved to 3-1 in Sierra League action with an easy 72-12 win on Senior Night at Morse Burley Gymnasium. The match lasted less than 30 minutes.

Carson goes to the Tim Brown Invitational this weekend in Sacramento before wrapping up it dual-meet season at Douglas next Wednesday.

“It’s always enjoyable to win,” said CHS coach Paul Carter, who honored Casey Stevens, Nolan Shine and Brady Rivera prior to the match. “Nobody complains about winning.”

Of the remaining seven matches, none lasted past the first round. Carson won five of the seven.

Brady O’Keefe, returning from a toe injury, posted the fastest pin of the night, 27 seconds, against Max Crow. The fall gave Carson the lead for good at 18-12.

Carter said O’Keefe, who will drop down to 138 for the tournament this week, isn’t 100 percent yet.

“I really don’t know where he’s at exactly,” Carter said. “We’re monitoring it on a day-by-day basis. We’re letting him dictate what he does and doesn’t do (at practice).”

Carson’s Jarod Butler (152) got off to a 2-0 lead against Bryce Atkins with a quick takedown, and he followed that up with a pin 52 seconds into the match to make it 24-12. After Shine won by walkover at 160 to make it 30-12, Abel Carter built up a 4-1 lead before pinning Michael Miller in 1-minute 29-seconds for a 36-12 lead. Kevin Rusler (182) and Connor Sievers (195) won by pins at 58 seconds and 1-minute 7-seconds, respectively for a 48-12 lead. Carson won the next four by forfeit to send the small crowd home early.

Manogue’s wins, as expected, came from Bailey Bright at 120 and Max McReynolds at 138. Both wrestlers have good shots to return to this year’s state meet in Winnemucca. Bright pinned Stevens early in the second round to start the night off, and McReynolds pinned John Rowe early in the first round.

Carter expects next week’s match to be much closer.

“I think they will have a full squad,” Carter said. “Rivera and Zach Singer should be a good match.”

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Carter said the weekend tournament is much like the Sierra Nevada Classic in terms of size of the tournament and the caliber of wrestlers.

“There are going to be some tough teams,” Carter said. “I think our big four (Brandon Basa (113), Shine (160), O’Keefe (138) and Rivera (220) all have a good chance to place high.”

Carter has already decided on his line-up for the weekend:

Terin Keller (106), Basa (113), Stevens (120), Spencer Rogers (126), Nathan Mersino (132), O’Keefe (138), Hector Perez (145), Butler (152), Shine (160), Abel Carter (170), Sievers (182), Corey Jasper (195), Rivera (220) and Sheldon Miller (heavyweight). Jasper has been sidelined with grade issues.