Big Bend Wrestlers fall to Warner Pacific at home

COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
By Rodney Harwood

MOSES LAKE — The grind of the road and a roster battling the flu bug finally caught up with the Big Bend wrestling team on Saturday when it walked into a buzzsaw against Warner Pacific University out of Portland.

The Knights steamrolled through the Vikings lineup for a 33-9 non-conference win over Big Bend, which wrestled Washington State and Montana Tech in Pullman the night before. It was a grind to get home and take on NAIA Warner Pacific Saturday morning in DeVries Activity Center, but the first-year program wrestled well in spots.

Roman Porter, a 174-pound freshman from Reno, Nev., collected near-fall points in the first period on his way to an 11-6 win and the Vikings' only victory outside of a forfeit.

"I just wanted to go out and get the first takedown and get it started. I wrestle better when I'm not thinking, just reacting," Porter said. "Once I started getting a feel for college wrestling, I was able to push myself and practice harder and harder in the practice room. It's starting to show on the mat."

Eddie Rodriguez, from Royal City, had Louise Palos on his back for near-fall points as time ran out in a 12-10 loss. If the former Royal Knight glanced up at the referee, waiting for the hand slap to give him the fall, but he didn't get the call to complete the comeback. Rodriguez chipped his way back from a 12-4 deficit going into the third period with a display of grit and determination.

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