After a lackluster opening weekend, Powell High School’s wrestlers displayed growth in last weekend’s duals. The Panthers traveled to Gillette for the Pat Weede Memorial.

PHS didn’t win a team dual, but that was expected, as just nine Panther wrestlers made the trip across the Bighorn Mountains. Despite the low number of Panthers competing, the improvement from the first event was evident.

“We wrestled really well,” PHS head coach Nick Fulton said. “Overall, we were consistently battling throughout matches.”

Many of the matches in the season-opening Powell duals the prior week ended in pins, but that wasn’t as much the case in Gillette.

“There were a lot fewer pins,” Fulton said. “Guys were wrestling six-minute matches — wins and losses — so the overall toughness was quite a bit better against good competition.”

Other teams competing at the event included Campbell County and Thunder Basin of Gillette, Douglas, Green River, Rock Springs and Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Lannon Brazelton was a standout at the event, showing improvements in his “gutty performances,” Fulton said. The coach also pointed out Stetson Davis as someone else who “showed guts out there, continuing to be solid.”

Karson Lamb, Nate Balderas and Riley Bennett were also top performers, each finishing the weekend 4-2.

The next time PHS takes the mat, it will be a new year. Powell will host a varsity quad on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Powell vs. Green River

113: Kale Knezovich (GRHS) over Nate Balderas (Fall 6:00); 120: Thomas Dalton (GRHS) over Weston Thomas (MD 13-0); 126: Conner Todd (GRHS) over Logan Werner (Fall 0:33); 132: Brent Childers over Ethan Guzman (GRHS) (Fall 1:23); 145: Zach Weipert (GRHS) over Jack Van Norman (Fall 1:03); 160: Riley Bennett over Hunter Davis (GRHS) (MD 19-6); 170: Stetson Davis over Alex Sailors (GRHS) (Inj. [time]); 182: Lannon Brazelton over Max Orr (GRHS) (Fall 4:57); 195: Karson Lamb over Tyler Waters (GRHS) (Fall 0:46)

Powell vs. Campbell County

113: Nate Balderas over Austin Enriquez (CCHS) (Fall 3:27); 120: Darron Provost (CCHS) over Weston Thomas (Fall 1:50); 126: Colt Welsh (CCHS) over Logan Werner (Fall 4:27); 132: Lucas Hill (CCHS) over Brent Childers (Fall 2:56); 138: Alex Eisenbraun (CCHS) forfeit; 145: Blake Harding (CCHS) over Jack Van Norman (Fall 2:18) 160: Riley Bennett over Hunter Henderson (CCHS) (Fall 1:39); 170: Stetson Davis over Wade Garrett (CCHS) (Fall 1:48); 182: Lannon Brazelton over Cohen Granzer (CCHS) (Fall 1:27); 195: Karson Lamb over Jack Tinnell (CCHS) (Fall 1:33)

Powell vs. Thunder Basin

113: Nate Balderas over Brady Richards (TBHS) (Fall 2:38); 120: Alex Draper (TBHS) over Weston Thomas (Fall 1:39); 132: Parker Lee (TBHS) over Brent Childers (Fall 2:50); 138: Dylan Catlin (TBHS) forfeit; 145: Seamus Casey (TBHS) over Jack Van Norman (Fall 3:52); 160: Riley Bennett over Deyton Johnson (TBHS) (Fall 2:23); 170: Stetson Davis over Garrett Toohey (TBHS) (Fall 3:55); 182: Aden Jorgensen (TBHS) over Lannon Brazelton (MD 8-0); 195: Aidyn Mitchell (TBHS) over Karson Lamb (Fall 1:55); 220: Lane Catlin (TBHS) forfeit; 285: Dylan Skillings (TBHS) forfeit

Powell vs. Rock Springs

160: Cash Christensen (RSHS) over Riley Bennett (SV-1 9-7) 170: Danial Suazo (RSHS) over Stetson Davis (Fall 4:46) 182: Ian Dickinson (RSHS) over Lannon Brazelton (Fall 1:12)

Powell vs. Scottsbluff

106: Joey Canseco (SHS) forfeit; 113: Nate Balderas (SHS) forfeit; 120: Connor Whiteley (SHS) over (Fall 2:48); 126: Paul Garcia (SHS) over Logan Werner (Fall 0:56); 132: Mason Wagner (SHS) over Brent Childers (Fall 4:57); 145: Jack Van Norman forfeit; 160: Frankie Trevino (SHS) over Riley Bennett (Fall 4:28); 170: Josiah Mobley (SHS) over Stetson Davis (MD 13-2); 182: Sebastian Boyle (SHS) over Lannon Brazelton (MD 12-2); 195: Karson Lamb over Jayce Wilkinson (SHS) (Fall 0:30); 220: Justin Ahlers (SHS) forfeit; 285: Trenton Jenkins (SHS) forfeit