Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – Ethan Barber has wrestled hundreds of matches during his four-year high school career.

He’s spent countless hours in the Liberty High wrestling room alongside his teammates.

Before taking the mat for the final home dual of his career Barber took a moment to himself.

“I took a break halfway through the dual and I went and say by myself in the wrestling room,” Barber said. “I’ve put four years into this and tonight is for the seniors, this night is for us. I wanted to go out and do my thing.”

Barber did his thing one final time on his home mat on Thursday.

The Liberty High senior 190-pounder closed senior night with a second-period pin of Steel Morgan of Linn-Mar and earned a rousing ovation from the home crowd.

“It’s an amazing feeling to have this on senior night,” Barber said. “All night I was telling myself it’s senior night just defend my home mat.”

A starter on the Liberty High semifinal football team, Barber started his senior night circuit in the fall.

As soon as the football schedule was set Barber noticed the opponent for the final home game, Ankeny, a team that had beaten the Lightning 40-21 the previous season.

Liberty High earned a 28-20 win over the Hawks on football senior night.

Barber got that same feeling again on Thursday.

“In football we knew right off the bat it was against Ankeny and they were legit and we went out and took care of business and it was an amazing feeling,” Barber said. “Coming out tonight and getting a win was just as amazing of a feeling.”

Class 3A No. 11 Linn-Mar won 10 matches on Thursday, including six by pin on its way to a 56-18 over Liberty High.

The highlight of the night for the Lightning came from Barber in the night’s final match.

Barber put Morgan on his back early in the second period and patiently got the pin at the 2:52 mark.

“I saw his leg was there and so I went for a cradle and I locked it up and I thought his shoulder was down but he wasn’t calling it,” Barber said. “I knew if I held tight long enough it was going to get called or he was going to give out because I’ve been on the receiving end of that and it’s not fun.”

The senior-night win continued a strong start to the season for Barber who improved to 14-10 on the season.

“He’s a leader in the locker room, in the classroom in the hallways, he’s a leader everywhere,” Liberty High coach Fred Lima said. “We are thrilled to have him and he will be missed next year.”
Freshman Rex Edmonds won a 7-1 decision over Evan Pulis at 132 pounds and sophomore Connor McGonegle earned a second-period pin of Ashton Landherr at 106 pounds for Liberty High.

Sophomore Konstantinos Panos won a 10-9 decision over Aiden Kiesey at 113 pounds.

“We’ve had freshman coming in that can wrestle,” Lima said. “They are leaders with their behavior they stay after practice and work hard and they do everything you can ask.”

Linn-Mar 56, Liberty High 18

106 – Connor McGonegle (ICL) pinned Ashton Landherr 3:37

113 – Konstantinos Panos (ICL) dec. Aiden Kiesey 10-9

120 – Will Smith (L-M) pinned Benjamin Rosen 5:44

126 – Malik DeBow (L-M) tech. fall Brock Bell 19-4

132 – Rex Edmonds (ICL) dec. Evan Pulis 7-1

138 – Indiana Christensen (L-M) dec. Christos Panos 6-2

144 – Hud Turner (L-M) pinned Brody Bell 1:53

150 – Noah Howk-Erwin (L-M) pinned Finn O’Toole 1:52

157 – Brayden Fish (L-M) pinned Charles Nicknish 1:04

165 – Barrett Mieras (L-M) pinned Teagan Sestak :35

175 – Philip Jacobs (L-M) pinned Landon Bell 5:01

190 – Ethan Barber (ICL) pinned Steel Morgan 2:52

215 – Holden Heideman (L-M) won by forfeit

285 – Jareth Navarro (L-M) won by forfeit

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