Highland’s winter sports season finally began on Thursday on the wrestling mat at Van Buren.

Despite missing two weeks of practice, the Huskies were ready to go for the season opener, collecting three straight pins and a 24-0 lead over Van Buren after a forfeit at 106.   

Easton Schlabaugh, Bryce Thompson, and Jack Peiffer each won by fall in a perfect start for the Huskies.

Kolton Miller later picked up a pin of Van Buren’s Noah Cochran in 90 seconds at 170 pounds.

Highland took four of the six matches wrestled, but finished in a 30-30 tie with Van Buren and lost the tiebreaker with just one match won by forfeit to three for the Warriors.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect, we’ve put the guys through two weeks of quite a few two-a-days,” said Highland assistant coach Nick Cole.

“We’ve asked a lot out of them and I wasn’t really sure what to expect as far as what our bodies were going to look like.”

Schlabaugh, who was trying to get down to 106 for Saturday’s tournament, weighed in at 108 on Thursday and wrestled up at 120 in the dual with Van Buren.

“It was a good match for the most part,” Schlabaugh said. “I took him down right in the beginning and turned him about four times trying to pin him. In the second period, I got the pin.”

Thompson also wrestled up at 126 and also got his pin in the second period.

“I was just trying to wrestle a match, get toward the tech fall and then go for the pin,” Thompson explained.

Peiffer’s pin came in the first period at 132.

“In that first dual we bumped some guys up, so we had guys wrestling up weights and I was really, really, proud of how they responded,” Cole said.

Notre Dame won three of the four matches wrestled in the second dual and took a 60-18 win with seven forfeits.

Huskie heavyweight Eli Slaymaker pinned the Nikes Aiden Kniffen in 31 seconds in Highland’s final match of the night.

“We did some really, really, good things, but there are also things we need to polish up on as expected this early in the season – and only having a few workouts on the mats,” Cole said.  

While most programs began practice on November 16, the Huskies were unable to start until in-person classes resumed on December 3.

“It’s been a bit rough, there’s been a lot of uncertainty and a lot of working out — out of school,” Schlabaugh said. “It’s just a lot different, but there’s still a good season to come.”

After the delayed start, the Highland wrestlers were ready to get back on the mats.

“This is a hard sport, the eight or whatever we have out here are out for a reason,” Cole said.

“They live it and breathe it and they’re committed to it. They’re committed to us and they trust in us and I think they’re super excited to be here on the mat and not the alternative.”

Highland will be back in action at the North Cedar Invitational on Saturday, December 12.