Taylor’s attitude and performance impressed Hawks’ head coach Dan Brodie during Tuesday’s non-conference triangular meet with Forest City and Belmond-Klemme.

Weighing in below 195 pounds, Taylor actually competed at 220 and went 1-1 with a pin and tight 5-2 loss.

“Ernie stepped right in when Adley Peters went down with an injury (at Saturday’s Storm Duals),” Brodie said. “The way he’s wrestling, the way he’s competing very under weight, it’s fun to see. He’s competing well at that level.”

Taylor decked Forest City’s Colby Krutsinger in 4:47, as he secured one of South Hamilton’s four mat victories in a 54-30 dual-meet loss to the Indians. He later fell to Belmond-Klemme’s Ashtin Willms in a six-minute back-and-forth, but the Hawks came out on the right side of the dual, 42-21.

South Hamilton 220-pounder Ernie Taylor (bottom) battles Forest City’s Colby Krutsinger on Tuesday. Taylor won by fall in 4:47. DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

Overall, Brodie was pleased with his team’s effort. South Hamilton filled just nine of the weights and the 30 free points allowed on forfeits was a hindrance against Forest City. Belmond-Klemme had its fair share of open weights as well; there were only four matches in the final dual.

“I thought we competed really well,” Brodie said. “Forest City has got a tremendous lineup and we knew that was going to be a tough one, but I was proud of how we wrestled. Hopefully we can use it for momentum.”

Holden Klein (106), Keyton Remsburg (126) and 12th-ranked (Class 1A) Brent Greenfield (182) all went 2-0 for the Hawks. Braden Young (132), Owen Duns (170), Graham Peters (195), Landon Stolee (195) and Austin Busch (285) all joined Taylor with one win.

Klein, Young, Greenfield, Peters and Busch all had a pin. Remsburg went perfect without ever breaking a sweat via two forfeits.

Busch, a first-year wrestler as a senior, rallied to flatten Belmond-Klemme’s Dustin Erwin-Miller in 2:20 in a highlight moment on Senior Night.

DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

“That was a fun win for (Busch) and for the team,” Brodie said.

South Hamilton will travel to Monroe this evening for a Heart of Iowa Conference triangular with PCM and Greene County. The Hawks will take part in the Perry Invite on Saturday.

Tuesday at Jewell

Forest City 54, South Hamilton 30

113 — Noah Larson (FC) forfeit (6-0). 120 — Carsen Miller (FC) forfeit (12-0). 126 — Keyton Remsburg (SH) forfeit (12-6). 132 — Shad Wooge (FC) pinned Braden Young, 3:16 (18-6). 138 — Kellen Moore (FC) pinned Alan Gandara, 1:14 (24-6). 145 — Hayden Hoffmeyer (FC) forfeit (30-6). 152 — Ethan Sesker (FC) forfeit (36-6). 160 — Omar Baez (FC) forfeit (42-6). 170 — Trevor Siddell (FC) pinned Owen Duns, 2:34 (48-6). 182 — Brent Greenfield (SH) pinned Tommy Hughes, 2:51 (48-12). 195 — Graham Peters (SH) pinned Christian Anderson, 1:21 (48-18). 220 — Ernie Taylor (SH) pinned Colby Krutsinger, 4:47 (48-24). 285 — Caleb Cooper (FC) pinned Austin Busch, 1:24 (54-24). 106 — Holden Klein (SH) pinned Caleb Gutierrez, 1:16 (54-30).

South Hamilton 42, Belmond-Klemme 21

126 — Remsburg (SH) forfeit (6-0). 132 — Young (SH) pinned Aiden Hobscheidt, 4:58 (12-0). 138 — Kaden Hanson (B-K) pinned Gandara, 0:56 (12-6). 145 — Bryson Warren (B-K) forfeit (12-12). 152 — Double forfeit. 160 — Double forfeit. 170 — Duns (SH) forfeit (18-12). 182 — Greenfield (SH) forfeit (24-12). 195 — Landon Stolee (SH) forfeit (30-12). 220 — Ashtin Willms (B-K) dec Taylor, 5-2 (30-15). 285 — Busch (SH) pinned Dustin Erwin-Miller, 2:20 (36-15). 106 –Klein (SH) forfeit (42-15). 113 — Double forfeit. 120 — Abram Wessels (B-K) forfeit (42-21).