ABERDEEN — Forks opened defense of its Evergreen League title by topping Montesano 46-27 and edging Aberdeen 39-36.
Forks has not lost a league dual match in the past three seasons.
The Bulldogs placed third in Class 1A at state and return six of seven state placers while Aberdeen is a larger Class 2A school.
“I actually thought we would be much closer with Montesano and I didn’t expect to be nearly so close to Aberdeen,” Forks coach Bob Wheeler said.
Three Forks grapplers went 2-0 in Wednesday’s dual.
In his 106-pound matches, freshman Josue Lucas earned a technical fall victory against Andy Fry of Montesano and pinned Aberdeen’s Kate Nick at 1 minute, 25 seconds.
Freshman Luke Dahlgren pinned both of his opponents in the 195-pound division and Garrison Schumack earned a quick pin at 1:46 against the Bulldogs’ Ben Sawers and a 21-5 technical fall win over Aberdeen’s Brody Trader.
Montesano managed to topple Forks’ previously unbeaten Jack Dahlgren and Alvaro Ortiz.
Dahlgren fell 4-0 in his 182-pound match to Kylar Prante, who finished second at state last season.
Dalhgren regrouped to pin Aberdeen’s Justin Boldwin in 48 seconds.
Ortiz was pinned at 2:36 of his 126-pound match with the Bulldogs’ Tony Williams, who placed third in the 113-pound bracket at state last year.
Ortiz then pinned the Bobcats’ Edgar Salazar in 3:21.
Forks hosts Rochester on Wednesday.
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Compiled using team reports.
