The path to state isn’t always straight.

The Mount Vernon boys’ wrestling team, ranked No. 8 in Class 2A, went 4-3 in dual matches last week, which included a loss to Clear Creek Amana at the Linn-Mar Duals on Saturday, Jan. 11.That was a 45-32 setback, and is notable, because the Mustangs beat the Clippers, 49-24, back on Dec. 12.

“We lost to Pleasant Valley and Clear Creek Amana, and we’re better than both of those teams,” Mount Vernon coach Vance Light said. “But we weren’t better Saturday.

“A couple kids got caught out of position and got pinned. If you take those matches away, we’d have won the meet. But that’s what you get. You have days like those, sometimes.”

Also at Linn-Mar, the Mustangs lost to No. 12 (3A) Pleasant Valley (35-33) and to No. 7 (3A) Linn-Mar (45-29). They beat Cedar Rapids Xavier (44-29) and No. 14 (3A) Western Dubuque (42-29).

Earlier in the week, Mount Vernon (13-6) swept a pair of WaMaC duals, beating Center Point-Urbana (67-11) and Grinnell (70-8) on Thursday, Jan. 9, in Mount Vernon.

More duals await. The Mustangs travel to No. 6 (2A) Independence on Thursday, Jan. 16, for a double dual with Vinton-Shellsburg.

“Those days help you learn what you need to work on for the rest of the year,” Light said. “We’ll keep on working.”

Mount Vernon 67, Center Point-Urbana 11

150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) won by forfeit. 157 – Will Goodlove 9MV) pinned Aiden Ortega 1:37. 165 – Cooper Hird (MV) pinned Brayden Hakert 1:13. 175 – Watson Krob (MV) pinned Cash Peterson 1:36. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Danny Small 1:37. 215 – Kael Riniker (MV) maj. dec. Preston Thompson 11-2. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) won by forfeit. 106 – Jackson McGonegle (CPU) tech. fall Cooper Krob 16-1 3:36. 113 – Kaleb Coon (MV) won by forfeit. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) won by forfeit. 126 – Drew Thurn (MV) pinned Caden Steinkamp 2:45. 132 – CJ Martin (MV) dec. Jordan Wedo 11-9. 138 – Will Griswold (CPU) pinned Nolan Mercer 3:43., 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) won by forfeit.

Mount Vernon 70, Grinnell 8

144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) pinned Jack Vitek 2:51. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Mikeal Miller 1:55. 157 – Will Goodlove (MV) tech. fall Alejandro Cantillo 18-3 3:33. 165 – Cooper Hird (MV) tech. fall Alex Peiffer 18-3 2:32. 175 – Josh Ringler (G) dec. Watson Krob 4-1. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) won by forfeit. 215 – Kael Riniker (MV) pinned Tyler Kostow 1:54. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) won by forfeit. 106 – Cooper Krob (MV) pinned Eli Peiffer 1:38. 113 – Kaleb Coon (MV) pinned Bryston Reimers 1:12. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) won by forfeit. 126 – Drew Thurn (MV) pinned Joshua Crecelius :48. 132 – CJ Martin (MV) pinned Levi Jack 1:52. 138 – Logan McDonald (G) tech. fall Nolan Mercer 17-0 3:09.

LINN-MAR DUALS

Mount Vernon 44, Cedar Rapids Xavier 29

190 – Caysen Curran (MV) dec. Dusty Cook 6-5. 215 – Jean Ngoma (CRX) dec. Kael Riniker 7-1. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) won by forfeit. 106 – Taitumn Deppe (CRX) tech. fall Cooper Krob 18-2 3:19. 113 – Elliott Gnewuch (CRX) pinned Kaleb Coon 4:55. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) pinned Miguel Astorga :46. 126 – Drew Thurn (MV) pinned Bryce Naber 1:08. 132 – Jack Foster (CRX) tech. fall CJ Martin 16-0 4:00. 138 – Kelso Brueck (CRX) pinned Nolan Mercer 2:44. 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) pinned Kale Leymaster 1:12. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Brady DeCamp 1:08. 157 – Will Goodlove (MV) tech. fall Germaine Ngoma 18-3 3:48. 165 – Cooper Hird (MV) pinned Marek McNamara 3:35. Dane Melchior (CRX) maj. dec. Watson Krob 10-0.

Mount Vernon 42, Western Dubuque 29

106 – Caden Gotto (WD) pinned Cooper Krob 4:37. 113 – Isaiah Streif (WD) pinned Kaleb Coon 5:27. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) pinned Ethan Schlichtmann 1:45. 126 – Kellen McKenna (WD) won by forfeit. 132 – CJ Martin (MV) pinned Bryce Kelly :58. 138 – Nolan Mercer (MV) tech. fall Preston Errthum 18-3 5:35. 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) pinned Will Casey 4:30. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) tech. fall Brady Rissman 19-3 4:14. 157 – Will Goodlove (MV) tech. fall Noah Nickol 17-2 3:23. 165 – Chase Brunscheen (WD) dec. Cooper Hird 12-8. 175 – David Theisen (WD) tech. fall Watson Krob 15-0 4:06. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) dec. Daniel Kenneally 8-1. 215 – Alex Gassman (WD) dec. Kael Riniker 15-8. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) pinned Garret Kluesner 2:00.

Pleasant Valley 35, Mount Vernon 33

215 – Kael Riniker (MV) dec. Blake Vonderhaar 4-2. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) dec. Cary Cox 1-0. 106 – Lucas Reeder 9PV) tech. fall Cooper Krob 17-2 3:09. 113 – Liam Fitzgibbon (PV) tech. fall Kaleb Coon 15-0 5:30. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) pinned Karson Pulver 4:39. 126 – Carter Siebel (PV) def. Drew Thurn injury time. 132 – Soren Kelsall (PV) pinned CJ Martin 1:36. 138 – Greyson Willett (PV) maj. dec. Nolan Mercer 11-0. 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) pinned Alijah Brown :44. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Logan Staats :22. 157 – Marek Kelsall (PV) tech. fall Will Goodlove 19-2 6:00. 165 – Cooper Hird 9MV) dec. Tanner Cournoyer 7-3. 175 – Chase Cournoyer (PV) maj. dec. Watson Krob 12-3. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Harrison Fierce 1:11.

Linn-Mar 45, Mount Vernon 29

106 – Ashton Landherr (LM) pinned Cooper Krob 1:27. 113 – Kaleb Coon (MV) pinned Aiden Kiesey :31. 120 – will Smith (LM) dec. Jake Haugse 13-7. 126 – Malik DeBow (LM) won by forfeit. 132 – Evan Pulis (LM) pinned CJ Martin :55. 138 – Hud Turner (LM) pinned Nolan Mercer :43. 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) tech. fall Aidan Ehlinger 19-4 3:09. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) dec. Noah Howk-Erwin 4-2. 157 – Will Goodlove (MV) dec. Brayden Fish 8-4. 165 – Barrett Mieras (LM) pinned Cooper Hird :46. 175 – Philip Jacobs (LM) pinned Watson Krob 5:08. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Steel Morgan 1:33. 215 – Holden Heideman (LM) pinned Kael Riniker 1:28. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) pinned Jareth Navarro 1:04.

Clear Creek Amana 45, Mount Vernon 32

106 – Cole Kasparek (CCA) pinned Cooper Krob 2:26. 113 – Wyatt Iburg (CCA) pinned Kaleb Coon 2:28. 120 – Jake Haugse (MV) pinned Jose Mendieta :57. 126 – Malachi Clement (CCA) won by forfeit. 132 – Cale Nash (CCA) pinned CJ Martin :22. 138 – Jay Halverson (CCA) pinned Nolan Mercer 3:52. 144 – Jase Jaspers (MV) maj. dec. Nolan Howell 13-2. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Trace Robertson :57. 157 – Ben Haughey (CCA) pinned Will Goodlove 4:36. 165 – JJ Patterson (CCA) pinned Cooper Hird 5:31. 175 – Clayton Isham (CCA) dec. Watson Krob 8-6. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Dylan Schrock 1:02. 215 – Kael Riniker (MV) maj. dec. Brody Fairholm 10-1. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) pinned William Carhoff :56.