Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – After watching last year’s dual with West High come down to the final match City High senior Lance Bormann was prepared for a similar scenario on Thursday.   

Thanks to junior heavyweight Jacob Murry by the time Bormann got his chance to close out the annual cross-town showdown the outcome had long been decided.

Murry upset fourth-ranked Guy Snow with a second-period pin as 285 pounds as 3A No. 8 City High rolled to its third consecutive win over tenth-ranked West High 63-16 in front of close to packed gym at City High.  

“Our heavyweight wrestled a really nice match, he looked really good today and that was good to see because the last couple of years we were really close and tight with them,” Bormann said. “To turn a match that we were favored to lose in and take six from that it really changes the score and gets everyone up and energized.”

City High followed up its first win over West High since 2002 two seasons ago with a thrilling 33-31 win last year at West High that wasn’t decided until the final match.

Murry and the Little Hawks took the drama out of Thursday’s meeting much earlier.

Following a scoreless first period Murry recorded an escape to start the second and less than a minute later recorded the takedown that turned into a fall.

“I wanted the two under hooks but I didn’t expect him to try to throw me, all I did was keep my hips back so I didn’t go over,” Murry said. “I just told myself don’t get flipped over, that’s all I told myself. I just kept my hips back and that was it.”

The win by Murry gave City High a commanding 36-16 lead in the dual with five matches remaining and improved the junior to 10-4 on the season.

Murry was 0-3 against Snow last season, including an 8-1 loss to the West High senior in the dual meet at West High.

“We got a huge win at heavyweight,” City High coach Cory Connell said. “That’s a kid that beat him three times last year, he got almost majored last year and he closed the gap and closed the gap and to go out and wrestle like that, good for him.”

City High won 11 of 14 matches on Thursday taking advantage of five forfeits and recording five pins while improving to 4-0 in Mississippi Valley Conference duals.

West High got pins from top-ranked Nelson Brands (17-0) at 160 and Enutifa Gamia at 220 but dropped to 2-2 in MVC duals with a lineup without several regulars.

“We were hoping they had their full lineup, we were hoping it would be a dog fight, the last couple of years it was really close, I wish they were healthy,” Connell said. “It’s good for the sport to have a great dual meet but we went out and a few of the matches we weren’t expected to win we still won.”

Wilfred Kadohou (13-1) ranked seventh at 160 bumped up to 170 and record a third-period pin after collecting five takedowns.

Kadohou joined Murry as Little Hawks that took losses a year ago against West High but reversed that on Thursday.

“We keep working on the little things, we still have a lot to work on but we have built from what we learned last year,’ Kadohou said. “Last year the little things hurt us but we are working on them and trying to make it a good year for us.”

City High led 18-0 thanks to forfeits at 138 and 152 and a first-period pin by senor Jack Anson at 145.

West High won three of the next five matches, as eighth-ranked Ashton Stumpf (13-7) added a major decision at 182 to go with pins by Brands and Gamia to keep the Trojans within striking distance at 30-16.

City High wouldn’t lose again.

Murry started a string of six straight City High wins with his pin of Snow in 3:07.

“I just thought I would go all out and try my hardest,” Murry said. “I prepared with Jacob Dykes, he helped me prepare so I could defend against his offense and I just worked my moves and hoped for the best.”

Sophomores Matt Rew and Reece Caven record back-to-back pins for City High at 120 and 126 pounds and Bormann won the match of the night 5-4 over Graham Gambrall in the finale at 132.

Seventh-ranked Bormann (12-2) trailed 4-3 with under 30 seconds remaining but scored points on a locked hands violation and an escape and held off a Gambrall takedown attempt as time expired.

“That wasn’t my best match, I would have liked to do better, I’ve got some things to touch up but I ended up getting the win,” Bormann said. “I just kept battling and had a few mistakes and that was enough to keep me in it and get a win.”

City High 63, West High 16

106 – Ethan Wood-Finley (ICH) won by forfeit

113 – Garrett Bormann (ICH) won by forfeit

120 – Matt Rew (ICH) pinned Elijah Bruss :59

126 – Reece Caven (ICH) pinned Keaton Speicher 2:58

132 – Lance Bormann (ICH) dec. Graham Gambrall 5-4

138 – Joey Harney (ICH) won by forfeit

145 – Jack Anson (ICH) pinned Collin Leavy 1:05

152 – Kyle Hefley (ICH) won by forfeit

160 – Nelson Brands (ICW) pinned Dominic Waikel 1:40

170 – Wilfried Kadohou (ICH) pinned Jo Dixon 5:19

182 – Ashton Stumpf (ICW) major dec. Brandon Lalla 15-4

195 – Jacob Dykes (ICH) won by forfeit

220 – Enutifa Gamia (ICW) pinned Jason Lemus 3:47

285 – Jacob Murry (ICH) pinned Guy Snow 3:07