Easton Schlabaugh came out attacking in the first period of the 106-pound Southeast Iowa Superconference final on Saturday.

The Huskies sophomore got a takedown 26 seconds in and added six back points in the first period. He had an 11-2 lead over Notre Dame freshman Carter West in the final period when he got into trouble.

West put Schlabaugh on his back and added three nearfall points with just over a minute to go, but Schlabaugh managed to get a reversal and a conference championship with a 15-11 decision. 

The last minute felt like an eternity to Schlabaugh, "It seemed like 20 minutes, it was just a tough match," he said.

“It was a really tight headlock. I was trying to get out as well as I could.”

Highland coach Derick Ball wasn’t sure how he maintained consciousness for the key reversal.

“I don't know how he didn't black out, because there's no way he was getting oxygen with where he was at,” Ball said. “But you know, that kid’s freaking tough and that's a match we had circled.

“Carter West will win three state titles,” Ball predicted. “He's under sized right now but the kid is the real deal. What he can do giving up 10-15 pounds when he steps on the mat is pretty impressive. Easton went out and he was fired up and has had a great day today. And it was good for him to battle, it would have been easy for him to fold the tent and put the legs up in the air and give up the fall, but we battled and got a W.”

Schlabaugh has a record of 33-4 heading into Saturday’s sectional meet.

Highland took five wrestlers to Louisa-Muscatine and finished eighth out of 11 teams with 72 points.

Carlos Valenzuela finished second and Jack Peiffer was fourth. Tristin Richardson and Eli Slaymaker each won fifth-place matches. Bryce Thompson did not wrestle, but should return for the postseason.

Valenzuela had pins of 57 and 60 seconds in the quarterfinal and semfinal rounds to reach the 126-pound championship match.

“If you watch him wrestle, you would never have any idea that he's only done it for a year,” Ball said. “I mean, he just everything picks up everything. He's a natural. He just gets it.

“He works hard. in the practice room, he works harder than anybody else. He’s just a great kid and he’s a kid that just keeps getting better every time he steps on the mat.”

Valenzuela (23-8) finished runner-up after a 27-12 loss by tech fall to two-time state champ Marcel Lopez (49-0).

Jack Peiffer won by fall in the second period of his quarterfinal match at 120, before dropping the semifinal. He bounced back with a 39-second pin in the consolation bracket to reach the third-place match. After falling behind 5-1 in the third-place match, Peiffer got three takedowns in the third period and led 9-7 before losing by fall with 11 seconds left.

Eli Slaymaker bounced back from a pair of losses to win a 6-4 decision in his fifth-place match. Slaymaker and Kai Malone of Columbus/WMU were tied 2-2 entering the final period. Slaymaker got an escape to take the lead and then a takedown with 57 seconds left to go up by three points.

“He's another one that's a grinder hasn't had the best season,” Ball said. “But you know, it's good when you see kids who do the right things get their hands raised.”

Tristin Richardson also finished the day with his hand raised after a fifth-place match at 132, although it didn’t look likely after two periods. Richardson trailed Maddix Kite of Van Buren 10-0 before he was awarded a penalty point late in the second period. After struggling through the first two periods, Richardson finally got a takedown 19 seconds into the third and pined Kite 12 seconds later.

“He dug deep,” Ball said. “And got a fall, and he needed that because he is one of those kids that no matter who I put him out against, or what I asked him to do, he never complains, he just gives me everything he has. I was really happy to get him a win.”

The Huskies will be in action starting at noon at the sectional meet in Mediapolis on Saturday.