CLEAR LAKE — There are times when CJ Hisler makes freshman mistakes on the wrestling mat. But as the season has progressed, those moments have become few and far between.

Coming off a near-miss at the North Central Conference tournament on Saturday where he was seven seconds away from grabbing a title before settling for second, Webster City’s rookie 170-pounder had another close call with a statement win here Tuesday night.

Hisler pushed fourth-ranked (Class 1A) Elijah Wagner of Lake Mills for more than six minutes before falling 6-4 in sudden-victory. Wagner, who placed fourth at 160 at the state tournament a season ago, secured the winning takedown in the one-minute extra session.

Hisler was again forced to walk off the mat a little disappointed. But keep knocking on that door and, eventually, it’s going to get answered.

“That was a good match for CJ and he wrestled well,” Chad Hisler, the Lynx head coach and CJ’s dad, said. “(Wagner) is a good wrestler.”

WCHS (9-9) split a pair of duals. The Lynx opened the night by thumping short-handed Mason City Newman, 66-18. Lake Mills got the better of WCHS in the nightcap, 49-24.

Chad Hisler would have liked to make the long bus ride home with two wins, but he liked what he saw from his grapplers.

“Up and down the lineup, we wrestled competitively,” he said. “We went in and wrestled with a purpose, and even the matches that we lost, we did a lot of good things.”

Top-ranked (2A) 106-pounder Cam Phetxoumphone, Brayden Henely (113), Chase Rattenborg (132), Nick Gasca (145) and Trey Shannon (285) all went 2-0 for the Lynx. Rattenborg and Shannon decked both of their foes, while Gasca collected a fall and decision.

CJ Hisler, Reece Sadler (120), Ryan Zeutlau (126), Jordan Vankham (138), Cole Bingham (160) and Dylan Burnette (195) all went 1-1.

WCHS and Newman split the opening six weights with Bingham, Hisler and Burnette all earning falls. Shannon’s first-period pin over Logan Allison ignited a streak of eight consecutive wins to close out the dual. Five of the wins were forfeits.

Lake Mills reeled off five straight wins early to build a 27-0 lead on WCHS. Shannon stopped the surge with another pin, this time over Chris Jamtgaard in 1:41. Phetxoumphone followed by blowing through Lucas Humphrey in 1:07, and Henely pulled out a 6-4 win over Kinser Hanson to close the gap to 27-15.

Lake Mills claimed four of the final six bouts to pull away.

WCHS will close out its regular season on Saturday at the Norsemen Duals in Story City. Also in attendance will be Roland-Story, Central Decatur, Saydel, OA-BCIG and Hampton-Dumont.

Lynx JV

WCHS won 10 junior varsity matches against Newman, Lake Mills and Clear Lake on Tuesday.

Tristan Maxwell and Codey Berg both picked up a pair of wins by fall. Austin Mason had a fall and major decision victory. Eric Lomeli, Gabriel Killian and Curtis Heuton added to the haul, all by fall.

Tuesday at Clear Lake

Webster City 66, MC Newman 18

152 — Nash Holmgaard (MCN) pinned Evan Estlund, 2:30 (0-6). 160 — Cole Bingham (WC) pinned Scott Heinselman, 3:28 (6-6). 170 — CJ Hisler (WC) pinned Holden Hensley, 1:38 (12-6). 182 — Nathaniel Bosch (MCN) pinned Truman Klein, 3:01 (12-12). 195 — Dylan Burnette (WC) pinned Henry Deteman, 3:04 (18-12). 220 — Pasha Molchanov (MCN) pinned Broden Miller, 0:49 (18-18). 285 — Trey Shannon (WC) pinned Logan Allison, 1:26 (24-18). 106 — Cam Phetxoumphone (WC) forfeit (30-18). 113 — Brayden Henely (WC) forfeit (36-18). 120 — Reece Sadler (WC) forfeit (42-18). 126 — Ryan Zeutlau (WC) forfeit (48-18). 132 — Chase Rattenborg (WC) pinned Coy Smith, 1:04 (54-18). 138 — Jordan Vankham (WC) forfeit (60-18). 145 — Nick Gasca (WC) pinned Fabian Brandenburg, 0:22 (66-18).

Lake Mills 49, Webster City 24

160 — Ashten Love (LM) pinned Bingham, 3:02 (6-0). 170 — Elijah Wagner (LM) dec. Hisler, 6-4, SV-1 (9-0). 182 — Drake Harnish (LM) pinned Klein, 1:05 (15-0). 195 — Brayden Lindeman (LM) pinned Burnette, 2:03 (21-0). 220 — Riley Kirschbaum (LM) pinned Miller, 1:12 (27-0). 285 — Shannon (WC) pinned Chris Jamtgaard, 1:41 (27-6). 106 — Phetxoumphone (WC) pinned Lucas Humphrey, 1:04 (27-12). 113 — Henely (WC) dec. Kinser Hanson, 6-4 (27-15). 120 — Jack Ramaker (LM) pinned Sadler, 3:43 (33-15). 126 — Jimmy Gallardo (LM) maj. dec. Zeutlau, 16-5 (37-15). 132 — Rattenborg (WC) pinned Alex Beaty, 1:46 (37-21). 138 — Dalton Thorson (LM) pinned Vankham, 3:44 (43-21). 145 — Gasca (WC) dec. Brett Peterson, 6-2 (43-24). 152 — Casey Hanson (LM) pinned Estlund, 1:58 (49-24).