By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
Thursday night's Big 16 Conference West Division match up between visiting Niles and Dowagiac had everything a high school wrestling match is supposed to have.
There was intensity, there was emotion and there was a loud and boisterous crowd.
In the end, the visiting Vikings were able to take home a 40-27 Big 16 Conference West Division victory over the Chieftains in a match was was much closer than the final score.
The match actually harkened back to another day as in a random draw it started at the 103-pound weight class.
Niles built a huge lead as it won the first seven bouts.
Jake Glueckert, Bryce Flannery, Matt Poehlman, Mason Stephenson, Derek Purcell, Rodney Leneway and Todd Scansen all earned victories for the Vikings.
Glueckert, Poehlman, Steph-enson, Purcell and Leneway all recorded pin falls to give Niles a 34-0 lead on the Chieftains.
Dowagiac finally earned a victory at 145-pounds when Justin Desjardin pinned John Wreggelsworth in 5:07.
In the best match of the night, Dowagiac's Jeromy Northrop and Robert Cinninger squared off at 152-pounds.
Since the Chieftains won the toss at the beginning of the match, Dowagiac forced Niles to put its wrestler out first at 145-pounds.
That allowed Dowagiac coach John Green to match up Cinninger against Northrop, something that didn't happen at the Big 16 Conference team tournament earlier this month.
The wait was well worth it as both wrestlers got after each other in a very physical match.
Northrop was called for an illegal cross face during the match and a slam which was disputed by Dowagiac's coaching staff.
In the end, Northrop pinned Cinninger in 4:55.
That match got an already intense crowd even more into the match.
Cooler heads prevailed and the match continued without incident.
Dan Lawson edged Elijah Caldwell, 9-8, at 160-pounds to get Niles back on the scoreboard.
Josh Henry gave Niles its final win of the night as he decisioned Shawn Rawson, 6-3, at 189-pounds.
Dowagiac won three out of the last four bouts as Kyle Bennett pinned Jake Groves at 171-pounds, Matt Behnke pinned Joe Ealy at 215-pounds and Tony Stewart decisioned Chad Nichols at 275-pounds.
The Chieftains and Vikings will compete in the Southwest Michigan Wrestling Tournament on Saturday.
Niles…40
Dowagiac…27
103: Jake Gluekert (N) p. Justin Richter, 1:12
112: Bryce Flannery (N) d. Nathan Cottrell, 5-2
119: Matt Poehlman (N) p. Richie Hutchinson, 5:07
125: Mason Stephenson (N) p. Nathan Long, 0:53
130: Derek Purcell (N) d. Terry Prowoznik, 13-3
135: Rodney Leneway (N) p. Jason Krukowski, 4:55
140: Todd Scansen (N) d. Mike Kasper, 6-3
145: Justin Desjardin (D) p. John Wreggelsworth, 5:07
152: Jeromy Northrop (D) p. Robert Cinninger, 4:55
160: Dan Lawson (N) Elijah Caldwelll, 9-8
171: Kyle Bennett (D) p. Jake Groves, 1:43
189: Josh Henry (N) d. Shawn Rawson, 4-0
215: Matt Behnke (D) p. Joe Ealy, 4:24
275: Tony Stewart (D) d. Chad Nichols, 12-7