Flynn, Wood lead Lansing High wrestlers to Senior Night triumphs
By STEPHEN BUBALO, Times Assistant Sports Editor
LANSING — Lansing High School senior wrestlers Nick Flynn and Dennis Wood made their final home duals — against Bonner Springs and Tonganoxie — memorable ones. Senior Night was especially special for Wood who saw his first action of the season Thursday night, and to say he was eager might have been an understatement.
“I was super excited,” said Wood, who expects to wrestle at the KVL tournament and beyond as long as he stays healthy. “I couldn’t sleep last night. ... It was like ‘yes, finally.’ Just more or less excitement.”
Flynn and Wood combined to go 4-0 on the night with all four wins by pinfall as the Lions dominated the duals with a 61-9 win over Bonner Springs and a 48-30 win against Tonganoxie.
Lansing lost just seven matches on the night and three of those were by forfeit.
“Oh yeah I’m extremely pleased with the effort,” Lions coach Ron Averill said. “We knew coming in that all the teams in the area have been dealing with the flu, a lot of sickness during the week. I feel like all the teams had some great athletes that were able to step up and compete when they’re not 100 percent.
“ ... The most encouraging thing was the attitude of the guys all the way through. They just really stepped up and competed.”
Spencer Blew (125 pounds), Dillon Scanlon (130 and 135), Tyler Terron (140), Tyler Baughman (145), Grant Hinckley (171), and Tyler Strouhal (215) all went 2-0 for the Lions. Brian Snodgrass (189) finished 1-1.
While the entire Lansing team competed well, the focus was on the two wrestlers honored between duals.
Flynn and Wood have each had impressive careers as Lions.
Flynn is a three-time state qualifier, including a runner-up finish last season and a 33-3 record this season as he looks to avenge his loss last year.
“Yeah it’s always good just to come out here — knowing it’s your last dual — to get a win, especially for the team,” Flynn said. “ ... I had a good Senior Night.”
Wood is a two-time state qualifier and wrestled his way to a runner-up finish in 2006-07 as well. He’ll have his work cut our for him this year as he tries to get back in to wrestling shape after missing the entire season to this point with a back injury, but he was glad he got to take the mat on Senior Night and didn’t make Flynn go at it alone.
“We only got two seniors and it’s no fun if there’s only one,” Wood said. “I was just praying that the doctors would release me.”
Having seen Flynn and Wood throughout their careers, Averill knows how instrumental they have been to the program. Each has worked hard and are exceptional leaders.
“We have a couple of awesome team leaders in those two,” Averill said. “Nick, just day in, day out — on the mat, off the mat — has always been a team leader. Dennis Wood felt like he wasn’t going to be able to lead the team like he wanted to when he wasn’t able to compete. Yet, he’s been able to step up and he’s been a tremendous impact on this team even though he hadn’t competed until tonight.
“ ... It goes more than wins and losses. Like I said, it’s that every day attitude, that every day example that they set. Both of them have been awesome to coach and awesome for the other kids to have in the practice room. It’s going to be a big loss.”
But both seniors still have some unfinished business to think about, as do the rest of the Lansing wrestlers. All that is left for them is the KVL tournament, regionals and then the state tournament.
It’s safe to say the next couple of weeks of practice are going to be important, and Flynn is already prepared to get his young teammates ready.
“No one really realizes how short it really is until it’s actually there,” Flynn said. “I think it’s just one of those things that comes with experience. We just got to know you got to step it up the last couple of weeks because it’s here and gone. I try to focus on getting all the underclassmen pumped up because it’ll be here by tomorrow pretty much.”
Averill said his team needs to start looking ahead and keeping their eye on the ultimate prize.
“I think I see them getting fired up and looking forward to the opportunity, especially come regionals and state time,” he said. “That’s what I’ve tried to focus on them all year long, you need to be happy with today’s win, but you can’t be satisfied. You need to be looking on past this to regionals and state.”
The Lions will get their chance to show if they’re ready on Feb. 9 at the KVL tournament, hosted by Lansing.
