Soldotna coach Neldon Gardner looked at the four forfeits his team would be giving up Tuesday night in a dual meet at Nikiski and had some news for his assistant coaches.

“Coach, if we don’t wrestle really well tonight, we’re going to get beat,” Gardner said he told his assistants before the match.

The Stars proceeded to wrestle really well and top the Bulldogs 45-34 on a night when Nikiski honored seniors Aaron Hack, Dustin Mullins, Justin Cox and Malcolm Yerkes.

For Gardner, it was a good-news, bad-news situation. The reason the Stars had to deal with so many forfeits is because about eight wrestlers were ineligible based on grades. The wrestlers have through this week to get those grades up or their season is over.

“We’re hoping to get all of them back, or at least most of them back, going into regions and state,” Gardner said.

The coach said that Blaine Hayes came through in a big way, starting the night off with a 9-4 decision over Simon Grenier at 140. With the energy of senior night, the lights off and a lone spotlight on the wrestlers, the Stars could have been in trouble if the Bulldogs got the momentum.

“Hayes hasn’t won a lot, but he put a real effort out,” Gardner said. “Things could have went the other way, but he got the ball rolling in the right direction.”

After that, Gardner pinpointed a pair of matches where the wrestlers had already beaten and lost to each other this season. At 171, Soldotna’s Sean Babitt pinned Caileb Payne, and at 112, Soldotna’s Logan Craig pinned Jaryn Zoda.

“The kids that wrestled tonight were top notch,” Gardner said.

Soldotna also received pins from Brayde Wolfe at 145, Brennan Werner at 215, Aaron Faletoi at 285 and Gideon Hutchison at 130.

Nikiski coach Adam Anders gave credit to Soldotna for coming in and wrestling well.

“I’m always proud of my guys,” Anders said. “We had certain opportunities tonight, but they wrestled great.”

Anders liked the way Koleman McCaughey (160) looked in recording a pin and the way Chase Olsen (130) wrestled in notching a major decision.

As for the seniors, Cox and Yerkes received forfeits, Hack did not wrestle and Mullins took a loss.

“It’s been so much fun and an honor coaching them over the years,” Anders said. “It’s been great seeing them come up through the program and I’m excited to see what the future holds for them.”

Tuesday

Soldotna 45, Nikiski 34

140 — Blaine Hayes, Sol, dec. Simon Grenier, 9-4; 145 — Brayde Wolfe, Sol, p. Mason Payne, 3:32; 152 — Brian Kuhr, Sol, won by forfeit; 160 — Koleman McCaughey, Nik, p. Aiden Willets, 1:01; 171 — Sean Babitt, Sol, p. Caileb Payne, 3:12; 189 — Malcolm Yerkes, Nik, won by forfeit; 215 — Brennan Werner, Sol, p. Dustin Mullins, 0:37; 285 — Aaron Faletoi, Sol, p. Ethan Hack, 0:45; 103 — Griffin Gray, Nik, won by forfeit; 112 — Logan Craig, Sol, p. Jaryn Zoda, 1:09; 119 — Joey Yourkoski, Nik, won by forfeit; 125 — Chase Olsen, Nik, m.d. Saiyan Baker, 10-2; 130 — Gideon Hutchison, Sol, p. Jordan Fleming, 3:57; 135 — Justin Cox, Nik, won by forfeit.

Soldotna’s Brayde Wolfe controls Nikiski’s Mason Payne at 145 pounds on the way to a pin Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, at Nikiski High School. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)