Brookings won the first eight matches to take all the suspense out of a wrestling dual victory over Aberdeen Central Thursday night.

The Bobcats scored the first 40 points and while Central responded with wins in the final six matches it wasn’t enough in a 40-30 Eastern South Dakota Conference setback at Golden Eagles Arena.

“It was kind of the tale of two halves. The top half, that’s where they’re good. That’s where their finishers are at,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “They went out and found bonus points. That was the difference. They came out to attack and we didn’t. They did exactly what we wanted to do.”

The setback was difficult to swallow because it dealt a blow to Central’s hopes of getting a berth in the state dual tournament later this month.

“This is the position we wanted to be in. A team like Brookings is just like us,” Bowden said. “Everything was aligned and we had an opportunity to further ourselves and give us a chance to get into that state dual tournament conversation.”

Bowden praised the efforts of his team’s lower weights who won six straight matches to finish off the dual. Winners include Tate Huff, Rayden Zens, Jacob Bellefeuille, Mason Schremmp, Brock Martin and Elias Biegler.

“They found ways, even when the dual is mathematically lost, they still went out there and tried to stop the bleeding, so to speak,” Bowden said.

Despite the disappointing dual setback, Bowden said there is still plenty to work for down the stretch.

“All isn’t lost. We’re going to find some positives in it, we’re going to find a way to get better from here and that’s how it is,” Bowden said. “We just have to keep working towards the end. We have three weeks left. We have to find a way to finish strong.”

Central has the weekend off before hosting a triangular with Harrisburg and Watertown at the Aberdeen Civic Arena next Friday and then competing in a tourney on Huron the following day.

Bowden said the time off is a good thing at this point in the season.

“It seems to be a good, not only to rest the body, but to rest the minds. And that’s the biggest part here at the end, just getting right mentally,” Bowden said. “If you can believe in what you’re doing, you can accomplish all things.”

BOYS

Brookings 40, Aberdeen Central 30

152: Joey Fitzpatrick (BROO) over Logan Opitz (ABCE) (Fall 4:00); 160: Tyson Brandt (BROO) over Dylan Schaunaman (ABCE) (MD 14-1); 170: Jaxon Bowes (BROO) over Ayden Gisi (ABCE) (Fall 3:21); 182: Israel Caldron (BROO) over Ryker Meister (ABCE) (Dec 5-4);

195: Caleb Loehr (BROO) over Bryce Beitelspacher (ABCE) (Fall 3:08); 220: Luke Rasmussen (BROO) over Samson Flakus (ABCE) (Fall 2:39); 285: James Olson (BROO) over Jacob Krenz (ABCE) (Fall 0:29); 106: Tate Helmbolt (BROO) over Ridley Waldo (ABCE) (Dec 7-1); 113: Tate Huff (ABCE) over (BROO) (For.);

120: Rayden Zens (ABCE) over Spencer Christie (BROO) (Fall 3:47); 126: Jacob Bellefeuille (ABCE) over Luke DeRynck (BROO) (Dec 11-9); 132: Mason Schrempp (ABCE) over Mason Mathis (BROO) (Fall 3:19); 138: Brock Martin (ABCE) over Gabriel Stern (BROO) (Dec 5-1); 145: Elias Biegler (ABCE) over (BROO) (For.).

GIRLS

Brookings 24, Aberdeen Central 6

113: Ava Stanley (BROO) over Eva Hinkle (ABCE) (Fall 0:25); 120: Riley Weisbeck (BROO) over Madyson Gillen (ABCE) (Fall 1:53);

126: Ula Martin (ABCE) over Cierra Strand (BROO) (Fall 2:47); 170: Maya Erickson (BROO) over Katrina Gibson (ABCE) (Fall 5:54); 195: Maizy Mathis (BROO) over (ABCE) (For.).