To say that the Byron Nelson wrestling season was a success would be an understatement, considering three wrestlers advanced to state and one made it all the way to the finals.
Nelson had an excellent effort this season, and coach Ron Gatlin said he could not be more happy with how the way his wrestlers conducted themselves in the state tournament.“As a team, the boys that went there had wide eyes right off the bat,” Gatlin said. “I don't think they knew what to expect. There were a lot of people, and I think at one point they described it as 'herding cattle.' My 106-pounder did very well. He won a challenge to get into the tournament. He was top eight, because he lost the match that would have got him into the top six.“For a freshman, that's pretty good. Kody [Collins] had a great tournament. He had some close matches that were very, very exciting. He was on a really good side of the bracket, but when you reach that point, everybody is really good.”Cassidy Collins was the 106-pounder who competed for Nelson, and Jimmy London advanced in the 160-pound weight class for Nelson.Kody Collins advanced to the state championship match before losing to Nick Reenan of Highland Park, and Gatlin said Collins did an excellent job to reach that point.“He actually won his second match on an injury disqualification,” Gatlin said. “His opponent slammed him on the mat, and he was unable to continue. So then, he had to wrestle a semifinals match, and he was really sore and uncomfortable, and he ended up having a 12-11 lead with 18 seconds left.“He had to hold him down and ride the kid out for 18 seconds and was able to do that. It was exciting. The gym was loud and everybody was yelling. He was excited about being a state finalist.”Gatlin said he could not be more pleased with how the season unfolded for his team, and said having wrestlers that have gone to state returning helps immensely.“I really think that with a couple of the young men, it will make a difference,” Gatlin said. “My 145 pounder, who was an alternate, went to overtime with the kid that ended up being the eventual state champion. When that happened, he looked at me and said, 'coach, I'm not that far off.'“My big push for our spring season is the fact that Frisco ended up being number two [as a team] in the state, and we beat them straight up in a dual. When I step back and evaluate, we definitely had a great season, but I also think we are at that level where our time is right around the corner.”Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
