To start its season, the wrestling team traveled two hours north to face Hickman and the reigning Class 2 state champions – Kirksville – Nov. 27. While Kirksville triumphed over the Bruins in 12 matches, the competition Hickman posed was tighter, a winner determined only by a single point and the last match.
After two forfeits in the 113 and 120 weight classes to the Kewpies, the Bruins came out strong, pinning their opponents in the next three matches. They made up for the 12 points they gave to Hickman in forfeits and collected the points for the 145 and 152 match ups, which put the Bruins up 25-12.
With six matches yet to go for the varsity squads, the Bruins began to lose momentum.  In the 160 and 170 weight classes, both junior Genaro Cabrera and senior Kyle Johnston were pinned in the second sets, letting the Kewpies add 12 points to the score board. After RBHS gained a pin and Hickman gained two, the Kewpies were up 36-31.
The Bruins had one varsity wrestler left and needed a pin to win the meet.
In the 285 weight class, sophomore Joe Boettcher flipped his opponent onto his back and pushed his shoulders flat to the ground with 18.9 seconds left in the first set. The rest of his team catapulted from the seats onto the edge of the mat and rejoiced, for they had defeated Hickman, 37-36.
“It was really important that [Boettcher] came through for us…to win the match because we definitely didn’t want to lose again,” senior Andrew Yount said. “Being heavyweight, close matches like that come down to you to make it or break it for the team.”
Even though the Bruins were defeated by the Kirksville Tigers, this meet was the first and only time RBHS faces them for the rest of the season.  However, the Kewpies have a rematch against RBHS Jan. 4 in the Bruin’s gym, where that one point will be awarded on a different stage and under different circumstances. But Yount has high hopes for the following season from the results of today’s match.
Beating Hickman “definitely helps with our self-confidence going into this season but also shows us where we can improve and change to prepare us to do well in more meets,” Yount said. “Both teams are going to get better as the season goes on, but we are just going to have to practice hard like we have been doing to keep the edge on them and always give it our all to continuously improve.”
By Kaitlyn Marsh