The premier matchup at the Lions’ Den Duals on Saturday in Lisbon went just about how everyone expected.

No. 5 (1A) Lisbon rolled early against their neighbors, building a 26-6 lead after seven weights.

But No. 14 (2A) Mount Vernon took control from there, and won the dual 42-26.

“It always feels good to beat them,” Mount Vernon coach Vance Light said. “Last year, we let one get away.

“We knew coming in they were favored in the lighter weights. So, getting that win right out of the gate helped us a lot.”

That win was at 106 pounds, where Matthew Goolove upset Kyler Happel 10-4.

“(Matthew) got pinned in the first period at the Mount Vernon Invite,” Light said. “So he changed a couple things.”

Tied 0-0 after two periods, Happel took a 4-3 lead with about 30 seconds left. Then, Goodlove was able to make a big move from the bottom to get a reversal and four back points in the final seconds.

“I looked up at my coach and I didn’t really know what to do,” Goodlove said of trailing 4-3. “He just kind of yelled at me to go … so I went. And gave it my all.”

Lisbon followed that setback with three straight pins from Jack Gogel (113), Cael Stricker (120) and Cade Happel (126).

And then Lisbon got an upset of its own, when Carter Gadberry beat Nolan Mercer at 132 pounds.

Mercer led 1-0 after two periods, and instead of taking down position to start the third, Gadberry chose neutral, with both wrestlers on their feet.

It is something Lisbon coach Aaron Helmrich likes to do with his wrestlers.

“I used to be an old thinker, always down,” Helmrich said. “Now I’m reading my guys. And if I think we can score on our feet, we’re going to score on our feet.

“They know when I choose neutral, I’m expecting them to go and get a takedown. It usually works to our advantage. Today, it was hit and miss.”

Gadberry liked it just fine.

“Either way, I had to get a takedown,” Gadberry said. “So going (neutral), it made it so I didn’t have to use my energy to get up, and just get after it right away.”

Gadberry got his takedown and Mercer escaped late to make the final, 3-2.

Despite missing a few wrestlers, the Mustangs were brutally efficient at the upper weights. From 150 pounds on up, Mount Vernon had five pins and a technical fall.

At 165, Will Goodlove wrestled his first match of the season. He beat Ian Kelsey by major decision, 11-0.

“Having him back is going to help us out,” Light said.

Caysen Curran came up with a big win over Caleb Brown at 190 pounds.

Brown won a title at the Mount Vernon Invitational in December, but not against Curran. He beat Caleb Keegan 13-5 in the championship at 175.

“After watching his match, I thought double-leg takedowns would be good,” Curran said. “I went to that immediately, so I could be up, and not worry about going after points in the third period.”

Curran led 4-0 and used another double leg to take down and pin Brown in the third period.

Brown was wrestling up a weight to make room for Ryder Meeks, who was returning to the mat after the Christmas break. Meeks lost a tight 1-0 decision to Jakob Yock at 175.

Light said he expected Caysen Curran to try 175 in January as the Mustangs continue to tinker with the top end of the lineup.

Besides Yock, another backup who performed well for Mount Vernon was Beckett Curran, who pinned Eldin Bauer in 50 seconds at heavyweight.

“We had some guys step up and do really well,” Light said. “They are working as hard as everyone else.”

Both Mount Vernon and Lisbon won their other three duals Saturday, beating Cedar Rapids Washington, Clayton Ridge and Highland.

The neighborhood dual used to be a standalone affair, but Helmrich likes putting it in during the Lions’ Den Duals, giving both programs a chance to take on a few other teams, too.

“I like this format we have,” Helmrich said. “We get four matches when most teams aren’t doing anything today.”

“The energy is really fun,” Gadberry said. “This is about the only dual like this, with a lot of people here.”

LIONS’ DEN DUALS

Mount Vernon 42, Lisbon 26

106 – Matthew Goodlove (MV) dec. Kyler Happel 10-4. 113 – Jack Gogel (L) pinned Leo Burgess :38. 120 – Cael Stricker (L) pinned Cooper Krob :22. 126 – Cade Happel (L) pinned Camden Meyer 2:23. 132 – Carter Gadberry (L) dec. Nolan Mercer 3-2. 138 – Chasen Caskey (MV) dec. Gavin Hove 4-0. 144 – Jackson Knapp (L) tech. fall CJ Martin 18-3 4:04. 150 – Avery Paustian (MV) pinned Elliott Moehlman :49. 157 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Drew Bixler :58. 165 – Will Goodlove (MV) maj. dec. Ian Kelsey 11-0. 175 – Jakob Yock (MV) dec. Ryder Meeks 1-0. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Caleb Brown 5:38. 215 – Andrew Dix (MV) tech. fall Hudson Herboldsheimer 19-3 5:42. 285 – Beckett Curran (MV) pinned Eldin Bauer :50.

Lisbon 66, Cedar Rapids Washington 15

106 – Kyler Happel (L) won by forfeit. 113 – Jack Gogel (L) pinned Aiden Davis :14. 120 – Cael Stricker (L) pinned Justin Rundle 1:01. 126 – Cade Happel (L) pinned Sam Brennan 1:30. 132 – Carter Gadberry (L) pinned Curtis Benton 1:31. 138 – Gavin Hove (L) won by forfeit. 144 – Jackson Knapp (L) pinned James Thomas :48. 150 – Elliott Moehlman (L) pinned Scott Long 2:43. 157 – Ian Kelsey (L) pinned D’Angelo Moreno :52. 165 – Andrew Butikofer (CRW) dec. Drew Bixler 9-7. 175 – Ryder Meeks (L) pinned Kobe Sindt :52. 190 – Caleb Brown (L) pinned Mohammad Sultani 2:29. 215 – Brock Wensel (CRW) pinned Hudson Herboldsheimer 2:47. 285 – Willie Davis (CRW) pinned Eldin Bauer :18.

Lisbon 63, Clayton Ridge 18

106 – Kyler Happel (L) pinned Coos Hefel :26. 113 – Jack Gogel (L) won by forfeit. 120 – Cael Stricker (L) won by forfeit. 126 – Cade Happel (L) won by forfeit. 132 – Carter Gadberry (L) tech. fall Aidan Claycamp 21-5 2:51. 138 – Kenny Colsch (CR) pinned Gavin Hove 1:17. 144 – Jackson Knapp (L) tech. fall Anthony Sandoval 18-2 2:29. 150 – Kyle Sadewasser (CR) pinned Elliott Moehlman 3:19. 157 – Ian Kelsey (L) tech. fall Colson Friederick 17-1 2:08. 165 – Clayton Hubbard (CR) pinned Drew Bixler 2:37. 175 – Caleb Brown (L) won by forfeit. 190 – Ryder Meeks (L) won by forfeit. 215 – Hudson Herboldsheimer (L) won by forfeit. 285 – Adrian Armstrong (L) won by forfeit.

Lisbon 52, Highland 21

106 – Landon Sweeting (H) dec. Kyler Happel 2-0. 113 – Jack Gogel (L) pinned Corbin Plank :32. 120 – Cash Cole (H) tech. fall Cael Stricker 19-3 3:51. 126 – Cade Happel (L) tech. fall Brock Nebergall 18-1 2:46. 132 – Carter Gadberry (L) tech. fall Tyler Pierson 27-12 6:00. 138 – Brock Thomann (H) dec. Gavin Hove 9-3. 144 – Jackson Knapp (L) pinned Aiden Yoder :58. 150 – Jerrett Brackin (H) maj. dec. Elliott Moehlman 12-3. 157 – Ian Kelsey (L) pinned Noah Hartzler 1:04. 165 – Caleb Wheeler (H) pinned Drew Bixler 1:46. 175 – Ryder Meeks (L) won by forfeit. 190 – Caleb Brown (L) pinned Jose Ramirez 1:41. 215 – Hudson Herboldsheimer (L) pinned Keaton Van Schoyck 1:34. 285 – Eldin Bauer (L) won by forfeit.

Mount Vernon 76, Cedar Rapids Washington 5

106 – Matthew Goodlove (MV) won by forfeit. 113 – Ryker Logue (MV) tech. fall Aiden Davis 15-0 1:42. 120 – Cooper Korb (MV) pinned Justin Rundle :16. 126 – Camden Meyer (MV) tech. fall Sam Brennan 19-3 5:51. 132 – Nolan Mercer (MV) pinned Curtis Benton 2:16. 138 – Chasen Caskey (MV) won by forfeit. 144 – CJ Martin (MV) pinned James Thomas 1:00. 150 – Avery Paustian (MV) pinned Scott Long 1:36. 157 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned D’Angelo Moreno :27. 165 – Landon Grosse (MV) pinned Andrew Butikofer :47. 175 – Jakob Yock (MV) pinned O’Shae Lewis 1:45. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Mohammad Sultani 1:33. 215 – Andrew Dix (MV) pinned Brogan Ironside 1:43. 285 – Willie Davis (CRW) tech. fall Beckett Curran 15-0 4:23.

Mount Vernon 74, Clayton Ridge 4

106 – Matthew Goodlove (MV) pinned Coos Hefel :18. 113 – Leo Burgess (MV) won by forfeit. 120 – Cooper Krob (MV) won by forfeit. 126 – Camden Meyer (MV) won by forfeit. 132 – Nolan Mercer (MV) tech. fall Aidan Claycamp 16-1 1:17. 138 – Kenny Colsch (CR) maj. dec. Chasen Caskey 15-6. 144 – CJ Martin (MV) dec. Anthony Sandoval 7-0. 150 – Avery Paustian (MV) pinned Kyle Sadewasser 1:57. 157 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Colson Friederick 1:33. 165 – Landon Grosse (MV) pinned Kait Brandt 2:35. 175 – Jakob Yock (MV) pinned Clayton Hubbard 4:52. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) won by forfeit. 215 – Andrew Dix (MV) won by forfeit. 285 – Beckett Curran (MV) won by forfeit.

Mount Vernon 45, Highland 30

106 – Landon Sweeting (H) pinned Matthew Goodlove 1:00. 113 – Corbin Plank (H) pinned Ryker Logue 2:43. 120 – Cash Cole (H) pinned Cooper Krob 1:28. 126 – Brock Nebergall (H) maj. dec. Camden Meyer 16-6. 132 – Nolan Mercer (MV) dec. Tyler Pierson 13-6. 138 – Brock Thomann (H) dec. Chasen Caskey 6-2. 144 – Rocky Hamilton (H) tech. fall CJ Martin 20-1 2:44. 150 – Avery Paustian (MV) pinned Jerrett Brackin :27. 157 – Mikey Ryan (MV) pinned Noah Hartzler :37. 165 – Landon Grosse (MV) pinned Caleb Wheeler 1:29. 175 – Jakob Yock (MV) won by forfeit. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Jose Ramirez 1:32. 215 – Andrew Dix (MV) won by forfeit. 285 – Beckett Curran (MV) won by forfeit.