On Friday night when junior Jujuan Chambers strode onto the mat for the heavyweight bout the dual between RBHS and Moberly had already been decided with the Spartans holding a 48-24 lead. Despite the imminent loss Chambers was undeterred, late in the first period Chambers threw the Moberly heavy to the mat and held him on his back until the official broke the hold, inciting frustration from Chambers that boiled over into a few harsh words for the official.
In the second period the Moberly wrestler went down and nearly executed a successful fat man roll but Chambers was able to avoid the trap and both wrestlers scrambled to their feet. Shortly thereafter Chambers exploded to a double leg and went feet to back showcasing his athleticism that makes him one of RBHS’s starting linebackers. With a boisterous crowd supporting him Chambers tightened his hold and recorded the fall to end the duel with a Bruin win.
Before the dual, the team honored its lone senior, Graham Ratermann, with a quick ceremony.
“I think it was simple,” sophomore Brock Davis said. “But with one senior simple isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so I think we honored him right.”
The dual started at 106 with junior John Flanegin falling 3-1 in a close decision to Moberly’s Travis Tran. At 113 sophomore Brock Davis recorded a quick first period fall giving the Bruins a 6-3 lead.
This was the last regular season match for the Bruins as they prepare for districts and state.
“It really put into perspective the time to buckle down and get serious is now,” Davis said. “Because we only have a couple of weeks left to get ready for the state tournament and that’s where it really matters.”
At 120 pounds Moberly won by fall before junior Josiah Kline tech-pinned his opponent at 126 to put the Bruins back in the lead 12-9.
For Kline it was his second match back from injury and a return to the form he has become accustomed to.
“I’m feeling good, and a lot better since I was hurt,” Kline said.
In the middleweights the dual would swing decisively in Moberlys favor. At 132, 138, 145, 152, and 160 pounds Moberly recorded either wins or forfeits to jump ahead 36-12.
At 170 pounds Ratermann recorded a first period fall while wearing the Bruin’s white singlet with green trim customarily reserved for tournament finals. The teams would trade opens up to heavyweight where Chambers would finish the duel with a Bruin pin to cap the team score at 48-30.
“I got back on track with a win..I was happy to be able to win on senior night,” Chambers said. “We did great, but we got a lot of matches that we needed, getting ready for next week.”
By Derek Wang