
By Ryan Bergeron, Advocate Managing Editor
The Annandale-Maple Lake Lightning wrestling team continued to work through the injury bug when it hosted a pair of teams, the Chaska-Chanhassen Stormhawks and the Norwood Young America Central Raiders in Annandale on Thursday, Jan. 23. The Cardinals dropped both duals, 34-35 to the Stormhawks and 24-43 to the Raiders.
Lightning Head Coach Ben Youngs said his team is missing starters due to injury and is focused on getting them all healthy for the nearing section tournament time.
Stormhawks
After Carter Courtright (189) earned a tight 4-3 decision, the Lightning pushed its lead to 34-23 with just two matches left.
Ezra Manuel (215) took the mat for the Lightning with a chance to secure the team dual win either by winning or getting beat by no more than a major decision. In a tied 3-3 match in the second period, Manuel took the Stormhawks’ Samuel Hanson to his back to take a 9-3 lead. Hanson then escaped, took Manuel to his back, and pinned him with 13 seconds left.
The Lightning would forfeit at 285 to fall by that one-point margin. Despite the end results of both duals, Coach Youngs saw some positive things.
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