Niceville wrestling downs FWB

By RANDY DICKSON

randyd@nwfdailynews.com

NICEVILLE — There was plenty to smile about on Senior Night for the Niceville wrestling team.

The Eagles continued another strong season in impressive fashion, beating county rival Fort Walton Beach 62-15 on Thursday.

“It was the kind of match where you wrestle your sister school and everybody’s tight,” Niceville coach Morrie Geselter said. “I told the kids you wanted to win, and you did win, so you did pretty good.”

Niceville won eight of the 11 contested matches and took three more by forfeit in dominating the Vikings. The Eagles took six matches by pin.

Fort Walton Beach coach Tobi Marez was quick to tip his hat to the Eagles.

“They have a youth program and it’s starting to pay off for them,” he said. “They wrestled good. They are a strong team and it’s all coming together for them at the end of the year and that’s what you want.

“We have a lot of young kids that we’ve had to plug in because of sickness and injuries, and I thought they performed well. They went out there and fought hard, but you can tell we are still young. We will get that.”

It didn’t take Niceville long to get untracked.

Garrett Fincke opened with a 19-4 decision at 130 pounds. After Hayden Meyer picked up the first of the forfeit wins, Lance Murray (140) pinned Alex Fuller to put the Eagles in front 17-0.

Things continued to go Niceville’s way when Will Jones pinned J.T. Kimerly in the 145-pound match.

But Fort Walton Beach wasn’t about to give up.

Andrew Fuller gave the Vikings their first win of the night when he decisioned Nathan Hartley 6-3 in the 152-pound match. Neither wrestler was willing to give up in one of the best matches of the night. For every move Fuller had, Hartley was able to counter, and vice versa.

If nothing else, the Vikings were strong in the upper divisions.

Trailing 41-3, Fort Walton Beach got pins from Johnny Robinson at 215 and heavyweight Ulysses Roof.

But the win by Roof would be the last.

The Eagles sealed the victory with two more pins and a forfeit before Niceville’s Nick Grim and Fort Walton Beach’s Matt Cabanas squared off in the match of the evening at 125.

The two state contenders were very much equals with Grim holding off Cabanas in a 7-4 decision to put the finishing touches on a near-perfect night for the Eagles.

“That match has been built up since last year when we didn’t get to wrestle,” Grim said. “That’s what I had been waiting for. I pretty much had it in my mind I was going to win. I didn’t see it any other way.”

Both teams will be competing in the third annual Panhandle Conference Championships in Crestview on Saturday.

Niceville 62, Fort Walton Beach 15

103: Tyler Dugas (N) p. Sam Ammons

112: Dan Dunwald (N) forfeit

119: Jacob Green (N) Alfred Seabrook

125: Nick Grim (N) def. Matt Cabanas; 7-4

130: Garrett Fincke (N) def. Sebastian Ehrenberg; 19-4

135: Hayden Myer (N) forfeit

140: Lance Murray (N) p. Alex Fuller

145: Will Jones (N) p. J.T. Kimerly

152: Anderw Fuller (F) def. Nathan Hartley; 6-3

160: Jeff Lamb (N) p. John Dillion

171: Josh Allen (N) forfeit

189: Ryan Myers (N) p. Jayce Holley

215: Johnny Robinson (F) p. Luke James

HW: Ulysses Roof (F) p. Will McCory