Louisville Hammers Howland 51-21 – Wrestling
Louisville 51, Howland 21
<<< Medina Invitational | Wrestling Schedule | Next Bill Dies Invitational >>>
The Louisville Leopards continued their strong start to the season Thursday night, pulling away from the visiting Howland Tigers for a 51-21 dual-meet victory. After an early back-and-forth stretch, Louisville used bonus points throughout the middle and upper weights to seize control and move to 2-0 on the year.
Live Stream Courtesy of YSN Live
Leopards Rack Up Four Pins to Break Match Open
Louisville’s biggest separation came via the fall, as the Leopards collected four pins on the night to build a comfortable cushion on the scoreboard.
At 126, Xavier Pollard shifted momentum firmly in Louisville’s favor by sticking Robert Clark in just 1:34, giving the Leopards their first lead of the night. That lead grew quickly at 132, where Colton Rhoads needed only 32 seconds to pin Patrick Neff, igniting the home crowd and pushing Louisville out to an 18-9 advantage.
Louisville closed strong in the upper weights. Jake Beard (215) delivered a decisive 1:52 fall over Owen Dreher, and Zander McCrobie (285) sealed the dual in emphatic fashion, pinning Logan Adams in 1:10 to cap the 30-point victory.
Bonus Points Add Up: Tech Fall and Major Decision
The Leopards also made their mark with bonus-point wins beyond the fall.
At 138, Liam Montgomery dominated from the opening whistle, rolling to a 16-0 technical fall over Chase Webber to extend Louisville’s lead to 23-9.
At 165, Lucas Neff was in complete control, nearly securing a pin late in the second period before time expired. Neff led 10-0 after two periods and worked the third to finish off a 10-0 major decision over Cohen Rudesill.
Decision Wins Keep Louisville in Control
Several other Leopards chipped in key decision victories to keep the Tigers from gaining traction.
At 150, Aric Criss set the tone early by building a commanding 12-4 lead through two periods before closing out a 12–5 decision over Aidan O’Donnell. At 175, Braiden Elsass followed suit, striking first with a pair of first-period takedowns to jump out to a 6-1 advantage, then controlling the match the rest of the way to earn a 9-5 decision over Calvin Croft.
Louisville also picked up forfeit wins at 113 and 144, with Emilio Rodriguez and Kaden Barker each contributing six team points.
Howland Finds Success in Early and Upper Weights
Howland opened the dual with a forfeit win at 106, as Jacob Jones Darling put the Tigers on the board first. The Tigers added their lone contested decision victory at 120, where Brayden Cortese, wrestling up a weight class, edged Paxton Laughlin 5-4 on a last-second reversal in the third period.
At 157, Eddie Morrison earned a pin over Hunter Clark in 1:03, and at 190, Aidan Whittenberger closed Howland’s scoring with a 2:16 fall against Hunter Fetrow.
UP NEXT: The Leopards will next compete in the Bill Dies Invitational on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17. Friday action will begin at 5:00 PM at Akron Firestone High School.
Cover Photo By: Rick Everhart Photography
Donate to Leopard Nation
Don’t forget to Subscribe to Our Posts for Free
You can also Submit an Article
Howland at Louisville Wrestling Box Score
LEOPARDS 51, TIGERS 21
- 106 – Jacob Jones Darling (Howland) wins by forfeit | LHS 0, HHS 6
- 113: Emilio Rodriguez (Louisville) wins by forfeit | LHS 6, HHS 6
- 120: Brayden Cortese (Howland) dec. Paxton Laughlin (Louisville), 5-4 | LHS 6, HHS 9
- 126: Xavier Pollard (Louisville) pin Robert Clark (Howland), 1:34 | LHS 12, HHS 9
- 132: Colton Rhoads (Louisville) pin Patrick Neff (Howland), 0:32 | LHS 18, HHS 9
- 138: Liam Montgomery (Louisville) tech. fall Chase Webber (Howland), 16-0 | LHS 23, HHS 9
- 144: Kaden Barker (Louisville) wins by forfeit | LHS 29, HHS 9
- 150: Aric Criss (Louisville) dec. Aidan O’Donnell (Howland), 12-5 | LHS 32, HHS 9
- 157: Eddie Morrison (Howland) pin Hunter Clark (Louisville), 1:03 | LHS 32, HHS 15
- 165: Lucas Neff (Louisville) maj. dec. Cohen Rudesill (Howland), 10-0 | LHS 36, HHS 15
- 175: Braiden Elsass (Louisville) dec. Calvin Croft (Howland), 9-5 | LHS 39, HHS 15
- 190: Aidan Whittenberger (Howland) pin Hunter Fetrow (Louisville), 2:16 | LHS 39, HHS 21
- 215: Jake Beard (Louisville) pin Owen Dreher (Howland), 1:52 | LHS 45, HHS 21
- 285: Zander McCrobie (Louisville) pin Logan Adams (Howland), 1:10 | LHS 51, HHS 21
Records: Louisville 2-0
