Layden Basset works to pin his opponent from Luverne during a match on Jan. 8. BEA hosted a triangular with Luverne and St. James/Madelia that evening and the results will be in next week’s edition of the Faribault County Register.

The Blue Earth Area wrestling team got in some action on the mat on Jan. 2 when they traveled to New Richland for three meets. In addition to battling the host New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers, the Bucs also faced the Westfield Razorbacks and the West Central Area/Ashby/Branden-Evansville Knights.

NRHEG 36, BEA 35

It doesn’t get any closer than it did when the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers squared off against the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers in wrestling on Jan. 2.

NRHEG slipped by BEA by one point, 36-35.

The Panthers won the first three matches at 107, 114 and 121 pounds by falls to take an 18-0 lead.

BEA’s Drake Engelby needed only 47 seconds to put Bo Holland’s shoulders to the mat at 127 pounds to give the Bucs their first six points of the contest.

The Bucs forfeited the match at 133 pounds which put the Panthers in front 24-6.

Timmy Nagel, wrestling at 139 pounds, won by a 15-0 technical fall over Chase Johannsen to make the score 24-11 in favor of NRHEG.

BEA’s Layden Basset duplicated Nagel’s win by defeating Braxton Arnold 15-0 at 145 pounds to cut NRHEG’s lead to 24-16.

The Bucs edged even closer when Collin Alfson won by an 11-6 decision over Eli Hendrickson at 152 pounds to make the score 24-19 with the Panthers still in the lead.

BEA pulled to within one point of NRHEG when the 160-pound match was won by Colton Tolzmann by an 11-1 major decision making the score 24-23 with the Panthers still on top.

The Bucs’ Will Weerts gave his team their first lead of the night at 29-24 when he pinned Noah Weller in 18 seconds in the 172-pound match.

NRHEG regained the lead at 30-29 lead with a pin at 189 pounds and then guaranteed their victory when they won by a fall at 215 pounds to take a 36-29 lead.

BEA’s Chase Gambell won by a forfeit at 285 pounds which left the Bucs one point short and the Panthers ended up winning 36-35.

Westfield 45, BEA 27

The Razorbacks won the first five matches by falls to jump out to a 30-0 lead.

The Bucs’ Timmy Nagel put BEA on the board when he pinned Derek Miner in 5:11 in the 139-pound match.

After Westfield restored their lead to 30 points with a win by a fall at 145 pounds, Collin Alfson earned four team points for the Bucs with a 13-2 major decision over Isaac Fort at 152 pounds to make the score 36-10 in the Razorbacks’ favor.

Westfield picked up a win by a decision at 160 pounds before BEA’s William Weerts won by a 16-1 technical fall over Jens Tidemann in the 172-pound match to make the score 39-15 with the Razorbacks in control.

Westfield added another six points to their team total when they won by a fall at 189 pounds.

BEA won the last two matches of the contest when Jacob Gambell received a forfeit at 215 pounds and Chase Gambell pinned Braxton Lee in 2:39 at 285 pounds.

WCAA 57, BEA 13

The West Central Area/Ashby/Branden-Evansville Knights won all but three matches against the Bucs.

Timmy Nagel was the first BEA wrestler to pick up a victory in the contest when he won by a fall over Caden Wevley in 3:07 at 139 pounds.

Collin Alfson added three more points to the Bucs’ score with a 7-0 decision over Cody Krafthefer at 152 pounds.

BEA’s final four points came courtesy of a 14-3 major decision by William Weerts over Eli Domeier in the 172-pound match.