Ackert provides Comets’ spark

When first-year Newman wrestler Nate Ackert rallied to lose just 12-6 to Rock Falls’ Shawn Skinner in a 195-pound bout Thursday night, it made his fellow senior Jake Walls flash back to Champaign, where the Comets won the team state title about a year ago.

“It kind of reminded me of down at state last year, where every little point counts, whether it’s one or two – there can be a big difference between a major and a minor decision,” Walls said.

Ackert’s effort provided the spark that ignited Newman’s 48-25 victory over the Rockets in the third and final meet of a triangular that included traditional powerhouse Stillman Valley, which had earlier beat both Newman (40-28) and Rock Falls (48-24).

Skinner built a 12-3 lead until Ackert escaped his grip with 18 seconds left in the bout. Wasting no time, the All-Big Rivers lineman speared Skinner to the mat along the boundary for a 2-point takedown with 13 second left.

“He came out this season to try to help us out and fill weights, and he saved us a few points there,” Newman coach Steve Davis said. “It definitely invigorated the team.”

The three points were the first for Rock Falls, and senior Derek Dingman followed with a pin of Jade Dowd to cut the Rockets’ deficit to 14-9, but Walls was still feeling the momentum Ackert generated when he squeezed Josiah Torres in just 38 seconds for his second pin of the night. He’d dispatched McKenzie Horton of Stillman Valley in just 33 seconds to give the Comets a 21-19 lead over the Cardinals during the first meet of the event, which began with the 145-pound class.

But, whereas the Comets’ lower weights couldn’t build on the lead against Stillman, they outscored the Rockets’ grapplers 28-16 over the last eight bouts of the night.

“Against Stillman Valley, we had a few matches in the lower classes tonight where we were ahead and we lost. ...we just can’t have that,” Davis said. “They had a little bit of redemption they had to take care of.”

Rock Falls actually took a momentary 21-20 lead with pins at 106 (Gage over Drew Rosengren at 1:35) and 113 (Carlos Gutierrez over Andrew Kobbeman at :33). But The Comets responded with back-to-back pins as Brandon Ahlgrim (120) finished off Charlie Gilkey at 2:46 and Garrett Webb (126) followed suit with a pin of Cayden Erickson at 3:53 to build the lead back to 32-21.