Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Going for a big throw is always somewhat of a risky move for a wrestler.

For a wrestler like City High senior Joe Ring that isn’t an expert at upper body shots attempt a toss becomes even more dangerous.

When you have been specifically instructed by your coach to steer clear of potential upper body action the stakes at taking that type of shot get even higher.

Ring was aware of all of that on Thursday evening in his match with Dubuque Senior junior Deshawn Tigges.

None of it could stop Ring from taking his shot.

Ring made his throw more reward than risk tossing Tigges to his back for a pin just 21 seconds into the second period.

“Coach told me to stay away from upper body and to only attack the legs and the first couple of times I defended it but that time I was in there really tight and I was like ‘I know I need to get out of this but I just feel it’,” Ring said. “I was so thankful that I got the pin because coach would have been really mad if I didn’t.”

The second-period pin by Ring was one of five City High falls on Thursday in a resounding 59-18 win over Dubuque Senior in a Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division dual at City High.

City High seniors went 5-0 in the senior night win that improved the Little Hawks to 4-3 in MVC duals.

The pin by Ring was the eighth in 11 wins for the senior 170-pounder and was one of four falls for City High seniors on Thursday.

“I’m never an upper body guy, last weekend I tried to throw somebody and I landed on my back,” Ring said. “Generally, I always attack the legs but I felt like I was in a good position so I just took him over my knee and I got him.”

Ring and Tigges were even following a first quarter in which Tigges attempted to lock up several big throws of his own.

Tigges attempted one more time right off the second-period whistle but Ring locked up tight around his shoulders and threw him directly to his back.

I told him not to go there and he went there,” City High coach Cory Connell said. “I told him that’s all that kid wants to do and I told him if you are going to go there you have to go harder than he goes and he did. He felt pretty good about it so that’s good for him.”

Once the two hit the mat Ring needed just seconds to secure the pin.

“He was trying the whole match to try to go upper body and he got in a bad position I guess,” Ring said. “I took advantage.”

The pin by Ring was the capper on a dominant senior night performance.

Fellow seniors Ryan Ceynar, Kyle Hefley and Brandon Lalla all added pins for the Little Hawks which won 11 matches.

“Last night wrestling here it was emotional,” Lalla said. “I almost broke down, I don’t cry normally but it was hard in the wrestling room warming up. A lot of things were going through my head.”

Third-ranked junior Ethan Wood-Finley started the City High pin parade with a second-period pin of Sebastian Sorondo at 113 that put City High up 18-6.

A major decision from ninth-ranked Garrett Bormann at 120 and an 8-7 win by freshman Carter Newton at 126 gave City High a comfortable 25-6 cushion.

“I am very proud of him because we needed him tonight and he was sick yesterday and the day before so he was tired at the end but I’m very proud of that kid and how he competed,” Connell said of Newton. “I was telling everyone else look at how he competed.”

City High forfeited at 132 but then the Little Hawk seniors put the finishing touches on the win on their special night.

Ceynar needed just 1:51 to pin Ben Schmelzer at 138 and fifth-ranked Hefley was dominant in a pin of Paul Kass in 3:31.

Sixth-ranked Lalla added a second-period pin of Levi Ryan at 160.

“It was great tonight,” Lalla said. “I came out and showed people that I am here to make a statement.”

City High 59, Dubuque Senior 18

106 – Zane Ormsby (ICH) won by forfeit

113 – Ethan Wood-Finley (ICH) pinned Sebastian Sorondo 3:53

120 – Garrett Bormann (ICH) major dec. Isaac Cretsinger 9-0

126 – Carter Newton (ICH) dec. Luke Busch 8-7

132 – Carter Elliott (DS) won by forfeit

138 – Ryan Ceynar (ICH) pinned Ben Schmelzer 1:51

145 – Reece Caven (ICH) won by forfeit

152 – Kyle Hefley (ICH) pinned Paul Kass 3:31

160 – Brandon Lalla (ICH) pinned Levi Ryan 3:03

170 – Joe Ring (ICH) pinned DaShawn Tigges 2:21

182 – Jon Flanagan (DS) pinned Drake Patterson 4:25

195 – Jason Lemus (ICH) major dec. Neal Butler 12-4

220 – Declan Sisler (DS) pinned Davryn Stewart 5:58

285 – Jacob Murry (ICH) won by forfeit

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