Mattoon doesn’t lose a match in dual wins over Charleston, Lincoln

By Joe Gisondi

Mike Stanley says it was odd coaching against his former school.

Not only has the second-year Charleston wrestling coach competed for MHS, Stanley has coached, in his estimation, about 80 percent of the current Green Wave squad at the middle school or club levels.

“It’s definitely a little weird,” Stanley said. “But it’s kind of fun to see the wrestlers we did coach do well.”

You could say the Green Wave did OK at the MHS gym in a meet against both Lincoln and Charleston. Mattoon, ranked No. 20 at Class 2A, did not lose a single match and posted seven pins on a senior night filled with forfeits. Charleston, meanwhile, lost its other dual match to Mahomet, 82-0.

In a 58-6 dual victory over the Trojans, the Green Wave won three matches by forfeit and four others were double-forfeits. In the seven matches where wrestlers did face off, Mattoon recorded four pins, two major decisions and a win in an odd default at 285 pounds where an opponent was called for, likely inadvertent, biting. Plus, Aidan Spurgeon walked across the mat to start the 220-pound match, immediately took down his opponent and had a pin within nine seconds.

“You know, for us, it comes down to everybody doing their job, and that’s what everybody’s doing,” Mattoon coach Brett Porter said. “Just wrestling to their ability. And the scores can take care of itself. So if everybody does their job, then I think we’re going to be fine.”

Mattoon’s Ben Capitosti wrestles Lincoln’s Jake Lawrence at 132 pounds Tuesday evening.
Mattoon wrestling coach Brett Porter listens to an explanation from an official.
Charleston’s Ben Coffey tries to push Mattoon’s Mick Porter off of him at 145 pounds Tuesday evening.
Mattoon’s Kiefer Duncan wrestles Lincoln’s Isaac Decker at 145 pounds Tuesday evening.
Mattoon’s Kiefer Duncan and Charleston’s Chet Shrader wrestle at 152 pounds Tuesday evening.
Mattoon’s Brady Foster tries to pin Lincoln’s Kyle Kohler at 120 pounds Tuesday evening.

Kiefer Duncan, ranked No. 5 in the state at 145 pounds, defeated No. 17 Isaac Decker, 3-0, to highlight Mattoon’s 50-18 dual-match win over Lincoln. Brady Foster, ranked No. 4 at 113 pounds, pinned Koehler in 1 minutes 15 seconds after moving up to 120 pounds.

The Green Wave won their other five matches on the mat, three by pin. MHS also forfeited three matches, won two by forfeit and had one double-forfeit.

Mattoon seniors Mick Porter (left), Kiefer Duncan and Aidan Spurgeon chat about the team’s goals heading into the postseason.

Mattoon takes on No. 6 Mahomet next week in a match likely to determine the Apollo Conference champion.

The team is also focused on the IHSA Regional tournament set for Feb. 5 where the winning team earns a berth in the state duals and individual wrestlers advance to sectionals the following week at Mahomet-Seymour High.

“Everything that we do in practice, everything that we work out here is for postseason,” said Mick Porter, who earned two victories Tuesday night.

Said Duncan: “We’re just sharpening our tools, getting our minds ready for the postseason is all we really care about right now.”