Fernley wrestlers win Lyon County Championship, Douglas Tournament

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

The Fernley High School wrestling team won the Lyon County Championship on Dec. 20, then followed that up by winning the Douglas Tournament in a dramatic finish Dec. 23.

At the Lyon County Championships, Fernley won nine individual championships out of 14 weight classes

Lyon County champions were Corbin Henderson, A.J. Kuha, Kyle Jones, Carter Chapin, Lonnie Slapinski, Setriano Piroddi, Gabe Richards, Shawn Gleason and Tyler Egan.

“We wrestled sloppy during the early parts of the dual,” coach Scott Gillespie said. “Tyler Egan performed very well. Tyler pushed the pace and basically broke his opponent. It was a great match for him.”

Three individual champions helped boost the Fernley Vaqueros to a one-point victory Saturday at the Carson Valley Lions Invitational.

Fernley came from third-place in the team standings in the consolation and championship rounds to edge the host-Douglas Tigers, 155.5-154.5, to secure the team title. Yerington was a close third with 151.5 points.

Corbin Henderson, a freshman 106-pounder, Carter Chapin (152) and Setriano Piroddi (220) were individual titles for Fernley.

Slapinski won his final match to clinch second-place in the round-robin 285-pound bracket and provide the go-ahead points for Fernley. Piroddi pinned a tough Ryan Miller of Bishop Manogue in the 220-pound weight class to help set the table. Henderson, a freshman, had a 9-2 win over Yerington senior Pedro Maldonado, who placed third at the 2A state tournament last year.

The previous weekend, the Vaqueros wrestled at the Reno Tournament of Champions. The varsity roster was depleted without Jared Caulk, Richards and Slapinski.

“Carter Chapin and Setriano Piroddi had great showings,” Gillespie said. “Both of them were one match away from making the second day.”

After being eliminated from the TOC, the Vaqueros went to the Mustang Invitational in Lovelock.

Individual placers were Corbin Henderson, Kuha, Carter Chapin, Slapinski, Piroddi, and Jack Knodell.

“We underachieved as a team placing fourth,” Gillepsie said. “Wrestling five legit matches at the TOC and then a full tourney on Saturday took its toll on some of our guys. They performed well.”

This week the Vaqueros are competing in the Sierra Nevada Classic at the Reno Events Center.