If you need to shift the momentum in a wrestling match, you could do a lot worse than throwing out the Jasper brothers.
Jase and Jackson got big wins to turn a deficit into a lead, and No. 2 Mount Vernon topped No. 19 Solon, 36-18, on Thursday, Jan. 18, in Mount Vernon.
“We like it when it comes down to 138 and 144 (pounds),” Mount Vernon Coach Vance Light said. “They are two pretty good kids.”
The rivalry dual started at 190, and Solon had built a 18-12 lead through eight matches.
Then No. 2 ranked 138-pounder Jase Jaspers beat No. 7 Jordan Schmidt 3-1.
“I didn’t get to my offense that well, but I got to my defense,” Jase Jaspers said. “I fought off a shot early in the first period, then he had a lousy shot in the second and I just capitalized on it.”
Older brother Jackson was next, and he took the mat still reeling from having lost two matches Tuesday. No. 2 Jackson Jaspers fell to No. 5 Tyler Wieland of Independence, 3-1, and to No. 9 Carter Lamont of of Vinton-Shellsburg, 3-1.
“I don’t know that he’s ever lost two matches on a dual night,” Light said.
“ I didn’t do too well,” Jackson Jaspers said. “So I really came into today with a little bit of fire.”
Jackson Jaspers ended up pinning Lawsin Sinnwell of Solon in 2:55. That put the Mustangs on top 21-18, and they swept through the rest of the matches.
“ I always want to get six points,” said Jackson Jaspers, who became the school’s all-time career pins leader Saturday. “Sometimes it is harder than others.”
Despite Jackson Jasper’s setbacks Tuesday, Mount Vernon beat No. 13 Independence 33-28, and topped Vinton-Shellsburg, 57-16.
Among the big wins was top-ranked 106-pounder Klayten Perreault pinning No. 9 Adam Fish of Independence, and No. 2 Jase Jaspers topping NO. 8 Kaden Kremer of Independence, 10-6.
The Mustangs, already 3-0 in duals on the week, went to the Bean- Smith Duals on Saturday at City High in Iowa City. No. 2 (2A) Mount Vernon took the title, beating Cedar Rapids Kennedy (53-24), Muscatine (69-3), Clear Creek Amana (44-22), No. 16 (3A) Iowa City High (46-25) and No. 7 (3A) Dubuque Hempstead for the title (53-20).
Mount Vernon improved to 23-1 for the season. And the Mustangs should learn their regional dual matchup this week.
“It is always good to beat Solon, West Delaware and Lisbon,” Light said. “That’s good. But I think these guys have higher goals than that. They’d like to wrestle at state.”
Mount Vernon senior Jackson Jaspers puts an arm bar on Solon senior Lawsin Sinnwell during their dual Thursday, Jan. 18, in Mount Vernon.