December 5, 2008 6:00 PM
Parker helps MHS edge Abilene
Marshall Moore
mmoore@themercury.com
Forget winning. All Deion Parker had to do was survive.
With his team leading by just five points going into the night's final match against Abilene, the Manhattan High freshman heavyweight wrestler was left as the sole deciding factor of his team's fate.
Make it the full six minutes? The Indians go home winners. Anything less, and its all over.
Turns out, Parker didn't last two minutes on the mat.
He didn't need any more than that.
In just his first career high school match against an opponent that outweighed him by nearly 40-pounds, Parker pinned Abilene's Matt Holt to not only preserve the win for the Indians, but expand their margin of victory to 39-28 in their season-opening dual with the Cowboys on Thursday night at home.
"I felt so — big," Parker said following the win. "Not big. Colossal. I just couldn't believe that I just beat that 200-something pound dude."
Already struggling to find a heavyweight, Parker wasn't notified that we would be in the line-up for Thursday's dual until the day before, shortly after projected starter Montez Robertson left the team.
The short notice didn't seem to matter.
One of three freshmen starting for the Indians for the first time in school history, the 200-pound Parker grabbed the 240-pound Holt in a headlock as time wound down in the first period.
"We knew when he got him in that headlock, that if he didn't get rolled through we'd be ok," Manhattan head coach Robert Gonzales said. "I never believed that we would get the headlock and turn it into a pin to secure the win. It was totally amazing."
With Holt incapacitated on the group and the referee dropping to his knees, the crowd noise rose to a deafening roar. After the final whistle, the Manhattan's corner of the mat erupted as Parker's teammates — and coaches — celebrated with abandon.
"He stepped up really big with that pin," senior Tyler West said with a huge grin. "He gets pinned there, and we lose those five points."
Parker's win capped off a back and forth battle between the Indians, ranked fourth in the Class 6A Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association poll, and Abilene, ranked fourth in 4A, that saw the Cowboys rally to within five points after winning six of seven matches between 140 and 215.
After Abilene's Luke Cole gave his team the early lead with a 10-0 major decision over Zach Vesta, the Indians' five straight wins in the 112 through 135 matches, including pins by seniors Zach Vesta and Lucas Wagner, sophomore Dane Norris and freshman Taylor Hilgers as well as win by decision on a last second takedown by Cody Loose.
The Indians won six matches by fall on the night, including a 1:21 pin by senior Tyler West at 189 and Vesta's nine second pin at 119.
"That's probably going to be our M.O. this year, so to speak," Gonzales said. "We've got those seven kids that are very active, and they got six pins and one decision."
Trailing 26-4, Abilene battled back with hard fought decisions in the 140 and 152-pound bouts and pins by Steven Rich at 145 and Tyler Gjerstad at 215. Ranked as the fourth-best heavyweight in 4A to open the season, Gjerstad dropped to 215 where he faced Manhattan freshman Destin Thesus — also making his first career appearance after filling in for starter Matija Krestic who sat out due to illness.
"We knew he was in a tough spot," Gonzales said of Thesus, "but he stepped in for Matija and showed some real toughness tonight. We found out tonight that we're pretty tough. I'm pleased with all of the kids despite the matches we lost. They were mostly all decisions, and they were all close matches."
Parker's pin, though, saved the win for the Indians, who will travel to Leavenworth Invitational on Saturday before traveling back to Abilene for a rematch with the Cowboys along with other teams including defending 6A champion Goddard and 3-2-1A champion Smith Center.
"He put pressure on me," Parker said of Holt. "He was really strong, and I had to put it back to show that I had just as much strength as he did. It's just about not getting intimidated by that person's strength and just trying to do your best."
