PHS earns falls in six of eight wins in home victory

Kye Catlin finally got to join the Panthers’ pin party.

After missing the first five weeks of the season, Catlin, a Powell High School junior and two-time defending Class 3A state champion, made his return from shoulder surgery Tuesday in a dual against Laurel.

Catlin wasted no time getting reacclimated in the 152-pound slot of coach Nate Urbach’s lineup, picking up a pin in the first 1:15 of his return match, and PHS earned six pinfalls in eight of its victories in a 67-9 route of the Locomotives at the Panther Gym in Powell.

“It’s pretty good to be back. I just like wrestling,” Catlin said before adding that his strategy hasn’t changed, even with the long layoff. “I just went out there to wrestle, just do things like I always do. I’ve been wrestling full speed in the wrestling room for a couple of weeks so I felt comfortable. I was fine out there.”

Catlin was in complete control of LHS junior Kyle Cannon, who didn’t get much time to strategize before finding himself on his back.

“It was nice to see — we missed him throughout the year,” Urbach said of Catlin’s dominating performance. “Me and Kye and everybody had been really patient to make sure that when he came back he came back healthy and not to push it. I thought we waited long enough and he looked good tonight.”

Catlin’s promising result was just one highlight for PHS (8-2 in duals).

After Noah Wozney accepted a forfeit at 106 pounds, sophomore Chase Smith fell to Payten Batalden by fall in 1:30. One match later, however, Panther sophomore James Moore set the tone for his team.

Laurel junior Jordan Shover apparently gave Moore a quick opening, as Moore shot toward Shover’s legs for a double-leg takedown and got it. Seconds later, Moore had Shover on his back and pinned him with a cradle in 15 seconds for six points.

“I was just going to work my double the way I’m supposed to, but he stuck that leg out so I picked him and got that cradle in and it was over,” Moore said. “It felt great because my last few matches I haven’t been wrestling as well as I could so it just felt good to go out there and get a win.”

Urbach acknowledged that Moore has had ups and downs this season, but added that a performance like Tuesday’s provides plenty of reason to get behind him.

“Moore has been up and down, but he’s one of those kids who works hard,” Urbach said. “He comes to a lot of open mats and puts a lot of extra time in and I’m a big fan of James, so I really want him to do well.”

LHS earned its only other win of the night with Jared Woody’s 13-7 win over Marshal Wittick at 126 pounds. That brought the dual score to 12-9, but the Panthers posted wins in the final 10 matches to run away with the victory.

Junior and 132-pound defending state champion Chance Karst pinned Colter Craig in 1:40 before 138-pound senior Colter Parham fought past Connor Ludwig 5-1. Defending state champ Nic Urbach then used his go-to maneuver, the crossface cradle, to down Brett McBurney in a 145-pound match that lasted just 1:34.

After another Locomotive forfeit, two-time state runner-up and senior Jake Davis grabbed a pinfall at 170 pounds, finishing Jonathan Jares off in 1:30. Sophomore Ty Dearcorn rounded out PHS’ slew of pins with a late turnaround against Kyle Howe at 182 pounds.

The two were locked in a heated battle before Dearcorn brought Howe to one knee and muscled him to his back before pinning him with 55 seconds left in the match.

After two more LHS forfeits, last season’s 220-pound state champion and senior Riley Stringer collected a 10-1 major decision over Brandon Connolly.

“[Connolly] is a pretty big, fairly strong kid, and he weighs in at the full 285,” said Stringer, who is wrestling as a heavyweight this season. “He’s big and strong, but it actually helps me that I’m about 260. Being about 30 pounds lighter ... I’m pretty strong ... but I’m quite a bit faster too.”

Stringer exhibited some impressive speed during the bout, twice using a sudden burst of explosiveness to earn points. The first came while Stringer was in bottom position, where the heavyweight burst from his knees at the referee’s whistle and spun behind Connolly for a two-point reversal.

Near the end of the bout, Stringer was being instructed by the PHS coaching staff to go for a takedown to complete the major decision victory, and with two seconds left, he executed a takedown to elicit cheers from his sideline.

“It’s really impressive to see a kid of that size move the way he does,” coach Urbach said of Stringer. “I knew he was capable of it but it’s always fun to watch a heavyweight move like that.”

The Panthers continue to roll this season, and have yet to experience any real turbulence. It’s an impressive feat, even for a team returning several key components to a lineup that is working toward a fourth straight 3A state championship. Urbach expects the Laurel Valley Invite on Friday (1 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m.) to provide another tough test for his squad.

“We’ll see ... we’re going to go to Lander and we’re going to find out,” Urbach said. “We need to see how we stack up against Star Valley and Douglas because they have really good teams. And it’s important for us to see where we’re at as a team in that atmosphere so I’m excited to see it.”