Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – As Eli Cash waited for an opportunity to break into the lineup the Solon senior just kept working.

Whether it was wrestling junior varsity matches to open the season or cutting down a couple of weight classes to chase a varsity spot Cash never let himself stop focusing on the work.

“I just had to keep working,” Cash explained. “I was just really looking for a varsity spot and the mentality was ‘you never know when you are going to be the guy so you just have to be ready at all times’.”

When the opportunity to crack the varsity lineup finally arrived this month Cash was ready.

Cash continued his strong start to 2026 with a 1-1 performance at a WAMAC triangular on Thursday in Solon.

“I am tickled for that kid because he’s put in the time and he works his butt off,” Hadenfeldt said. “He doesn’t question our decisions, he asks the right questions, he keeps his head down and just works. I’m happy for him.”

Cash opened the season around 165 pounds but with seniors Teague Williams and Carson Kidwell occupying the 165 and 157 spots he wasn’t in the varsity lineup regularly.

After the holiday break senior Jadyn Bevans dropped from 150 pounds to 144 points opening the door for Cash at 150 pounds.

Cash was ready for his opportunity.

“He is the kind of kid that is the glue to good teams,” Hadenfeldt said. “You have to have those kids that are willing to sacrifice and do whatever they have to do to get in the lineup and we have a few of them in our group this year.”

Since settling into the varsity 150-pound spot Cash has gone 6-2 in January after splitting a pair of matches on Thursday.

Cash won a 7-4 decision over Beckett Sexton to help Solon to a 42-24 win over Benton Community as the Spartans added a 53-27 win over Marion to finish 2-0 at the triangular.

“I’ve just been taking a lot more shots and going for more opportunities and finishing harder,” Cash said. “I’ve just work on going all out effort.”

Just as he has all season Cash kept working while waiting for his opportunity in his win over Sexton.

Sexton took an early 3-0 lead with a first-period takedown and Cash never led until the final 10 seconds.

“That’s Eli Cash to a T,” Hadenfeldt said. “If he can keep a match close and get to the third period I like our chances.”

Cash broke a 4-4 tie with a takedown with eight seconds remaining to secure the win.

“I always feel really good when I’m neutral in close matches, that’s where I score a lot of my points,” Cash said. “I knew if I could get it tied in the third period I was going to come away with it just because of the work I’ve put in.”

Solon impressed in both dual wins on Thursday improving to 4-3 on the season in WAMAC dual meets.

Second-ranked sophomore Anderson Osgood went 2-0 at 106 pounds Grayson Waddell was 2-0 at 120 pounds and Jayden Steapp went 2-0 at 126 pounds recording the 100^th win of his career with a first-period pin of Bruce Willis of Marion.

“I love where we are at,” Hadenfeldt said. “I really like where we are at, I know our staff likes where we are at and if we can continue to push that message to the boys we will be where we want at the end.”

Kidwell went 2-0 at 157 pounds including a 1-0 win over Elias Bieschke of Benton Community.

The win avenged a 4-3 loss to Bieschke in the semifinals of the Fort Madison Invitational last month.

“That’s a guy that I will see at the WAMAC tournament and at districts and I lost to him previously at the Fort Madison tournament,” Kidwell said. “That loss was tough on me so it felt really great to get that win.”

Williams went 2-0 at 165 pounds for Solon, Connor Dunn had a pair of pins at 175 pounds and Kyler Jensen and Lucas Feuerbach both went 2-0 at 215 and 285 pounds for Solon.

Solon 42, Benton Community 24

106 – Anderson Osgood (SOL) pinned Aaron George 1:18

113 – Memphis Bishop (BC) pinned Evan Gleason 3:12

120 – Grayson Waddell (SOL) pinned Elias George 1:00

126 – Jayden Steapp (SOL) dec. Jason Eastman 9-8

132 – Garrett Kuch (BC) major dec. Justin Moore 15-3

138 – Jaxson Mehlert (BC) pinned Michael Bigelow 1:18

144 – Brady Patterson (BC) tech. fall Jadyn Bevans 19-3

150 – Eli Cash (SOL) dec. Beckett Sexton 7-4

157 – Carson Kidwell (SOL) dec. Elias Bieschke 1-0

165 – Teague Williams (SOL) dec. Kaden Mitchell 19-12

175 – Connor Dunn (SOL) pinned Trey Sharp 1:28

190 – Derek Roos (BC) dec. Tripp Johnson 8-6

215 – Kyler Jensen (SOL) pinned Keason Louis 2:21

285 – Lucas Feuerbach (SOL) won by forfeit

Solon 53, Marion 27

106 – Anderson Osgood (SOL) pinned Dallas Bayler 1:25

113 – Ari Groothuis (MAR) tech. fall Evan Gleason 21-3

120 – Grayson Waddell (SOL) won by forfeit

126 – Jayden Steapp (SOL) pinned Bruce Willis :35

132 – AJ Dietz (MAR) pinned Justin Moore 1:13

138 – Kaehl Gassman (MAR) pinned Michael Bigelow 2:58

144 – Jadyn Bevans (SOL) tech. fall Kavin Marble 17-1

150 – Lucas Stearns (SOL) pinned Eli Cash 1:13

157 – Carson Kidwell (SOL) pinned Devin Hendricks 1:10

165 – Teague Williams (SOL) pinned Raiden Harbaugh 1:07

175 – Connor Dunn (SOL) pinned Drake Milner :43

190 – Brandon Hatfield (MAR) major dec. Tripp Johnson 10-0

215 – Kyler Jensen (SOL) won by forfeit

285 – Lucas Feuerbach (SOL) won by forfeit

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