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Aggressive Golden Eagles roll past Huron for girls’ dual win

Aberdeen Central's Rakyrah Wallace battles against her opponent from Huron at Golden Eagles Arena Tuesday night. Wallace fought off a pin before winning by fall in Central's dual victory. Photo by Kevin Foss

Aberdeen Central came out on the attack and stuck a lopsided girls’ wrestling victory on Huron Tuesday night.

The Golden Eagles recorded six pins, four in the first period, on the way to a 54-18 Eastern South Dakota Conference girls’ win.

“They went out and took it,” said Central coach Jake Flakus of his wrestlers. “We just went out and scored our shots, took our throws, kind of as simple as that.”

While most of the pins were quick and to the point, one was particularly exciting.

Rakyrah Wallace trailed 10-2 and actually spent some time on her back before turning the match around.

“I thought I was out of the match after I looked at the scoreboard a couple of times,” Wallace said. “I was like oh shoot, I got to pull one out of me.”

Flakus said that Wallace has shown an ability to get out of trouble in matches before.

“She’s just got those long flexible arms. She can really defend the half nelson,” Flakus said. “It looks like she’s going on her back and then she just kind of weasels out of it.”

Interestingly enough, Wallace chose to go on top to start the final period, but that was the plan all along, according to Flakus.

“That was kind of our game plan. We knew if we could get on top, we could turn that girl, because we’ve done that before,” Flakus said. “We just had to survive til that period, and once we chose top, it was game over from there.”

Wallace executed her game plan to perfection, turning her foe and pinning her just 34 seconds into the third period.

“I just wanted to start on top,” Wallace said. “I got a butcher and did pretty good. I tried to make her run out of energy.”

Wallace’s dramatic win played a role in the next match as Lin Paw Jone also pinned her opponent. Jone said watching Wallace motivated her.

“That got me really excited, got my adrenaline pumping,” Jone said, “so that probably helped me a lot to get my win today.”

Jone scored an early takedown and then waited for the right opportunity to put a move on her foe.

“Her head was a little away too far up on me,” Jone said, “and I just took advantage of that, and I threw it over.”

Jone said watching her teammates go out and win by fall, gives her the confidence that can do that as well.

Aberdeen Central’s Lin Paw Jone, right, tries to turn Pierre’s Abigail Lewis, left, during their 152 pound match last week at the Golden Eagles Arena. Jone had one of Central’s six pins in a dual win over Huron on Tuesday night. Photo by John Davis taken 12/12/2023

“It gives me more confidence, knowing that we will have a chance to win the dual,” Jone said, “and it gives me confidence knowing that I might also have a chance, but you have to stay humble.”

The Golden Eagles also received pins from Avery Bendewald, Madyson Gillen, Jasmine Maas, and Lily Nelson.

“I’m really proud of way they wrestled,” Flakus said of his members. “They all wrestled hard and they wrestled like they wanted to win.”

Central is now off for Christmas before returning to action on Dec. 28 in a dual at Mitchell.

100: Sep Gay (HURO) over (ABCE) (For.) 107: Avery Bendewald (ABCE) over Naw Htoo Ywe (HURO) (Fall 2:46) 114: Madyson Gillen (ABCE) over Gylvanna Esmurria (HURO) (Fall 0:39) 120: Aleshka Oyola-Rodriquez (HURO) over (ABCE) (For.)

126: Allison Neitzel (ABCE) over (HURO) (For.) 132: jasmine Maas (ABCE) over Kmui Paw (HURO) (Fall 0:24) 138: Rakyrah Wallace (ABCE) over Say Glay (HURO) (Fall 4:26) 145: Lin Paw Jone (ABCE) over Kayeleigh Bowden (HURO) (Fall 1:54)

152: Grace Reszler (ABCE) over (HURO) (For.) 165: Katrina Gibson (ABCE) over (HURO) (For.) 185: Lilly Nelson (ABCE) over Paola Fernandez (HURO) (Fall 1:09) 250: Kaitlyn  Florey (HURO) over Nina Howard (ABCE) (Fall 1:26).

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