Thursday Wrestling: Elder vs Moeller

Another night of top programs battling it out on the wrestling mat. Elder and Moeller are mega rivals in about every sport imaginable. A couple years ago this was the most intense and the most difficult match that I had officiated to date.

I arrived at Moeller a little before 4:30 p.m. since I had to officiate the freshman first. Wrestling started at 5:00 p.m. sharp. There was some decent matches and it got me loose for the Varsity to come.


Now I mentioned before that I did this match a couple years ago. Last year Dan Kuhlman (pictured above) officiated it. This year we got to do it together and he was there to assist me. It truly helps a ton when you have an official of his caliber that joins you to have your back. Dan has officiated in the State Tournament the past couple of years and is one of the top officials in our association. We've officiated together a few times for the GMC tournament. So I was very glad to have him with me.

With that said, it was time to wrestle!

We started off at 145 lbs and the Moeller kid ended up on top with a technical fall. A couple matches later there was a barn burner of a match at 160 lbs. One of those back and forth matches. There were some great scrambles in this match and I had to be patient before awarding points. During the match Dan tells me great job several times in getting the tough calls right. I let him know he is pumping me up. In the end Elder came out on top 6-5. I'm already sweating.

The 215 lb match featured the number one wrestler in the country in Elder's Orlando Scales. No disrespect intended but he made quick work of his opponent with a pin in the first period. He's such a good kid.

You gotta love the heavyweights. This made for an exciting match. The Elder kid hit a headlock near the endline to score a quick two. But it didn't hold as the Moeller kid ended up winning with a pin. At this point Moeller is ahead 26-9 in the team score.


Now we're back around to the little guys and Moeller has increased their lead. At 135 lbs Elder comes on top with a Decision.

The final dual score was 48-12 and both teams, wrestlers and coaches were total class as usual. Coach McCoy of Elder said they were young but I'm sure he will have them improving over the course of the year.

For the most part the match went smooth, think I only got booed once, and no injuries. That's what I call a good night.

I may see Moeller again possibly against St. Paris Graham. I'll be reffing with Dan again at the Fairfield Invitational in January.

It was an intense couple of days of wrestling and it's only the beginning.