Portis reaches 100 wins at Rockford

PREP WRESTLING TRIANGULAR: WEST HANCOCK 45, RRMR 30 | NEWMAN CATHOLIC 45, RRMR 35

Portis reaches 100 wins at Rockford

Correspondent

In a night of close matches and fierce competition between RRMR, West Hancock and Newman Catholic, RRMR junior Will Portis took center stage as he recorded his 100th victory in his high school career amid the raucous atmosphere of parents’ night.

Portis generated the Warriors’ first success of the evening with a pin of his adversary, West Hancock freshman Nathan Cabrera, within the first thirty seconds of the first period of the match to bring the score to 30-12.

The next round was the 120-pound weight class, wherein RRMR sophomore Nick Goodrich was bested by freshman Dalton Subject, 9-6.

Hancock seized control of the duel with two pins in the next two matches, but 152-pound Senior Will Schmidt scored a pin of sophomore Jordi Rodriguez to end the duel on a positive note for the Warriors. West Hancock took the win, however, 45-30.

The Warriors’ second duel started off very positively. The duel began with the 182-pound weight class, which saw RRMR senior Wyatt Paulus square off against Newman Catholic Sophomore, Caden Kratz.

RRMR was forced to forfeit the final match of the night, resulting in a 40-35 win for Newman Catholic.

RRMR head coach Justin Heimer was disappointed by the loss, but was pleased overall with his team’s performance, chalking up the loss to several missed opportunities.

“There was some good and some bad,” Heimer said in regard to the outcome of the night. “We had a lot of opportunities to put guys away. When we get a guy on his back we have to put him away.”

Heimer also acknowledged Portis and the hard work the got him to his 100th win.

“(Portis) is a good role model. These things take a lot of hard work and time in the wrestling room. It’s an awesome place for him to be in only his junior year.”

The next meet will be 10 a.m. Saturday morning at Northwood Kensett against Belmond-Klemme, Turkey Valley, Byron Public Schools and Northwood-Kensett CSD.

By Andy Larson