Chapter 6: Challenge Match

"Okay, shake hands." Ron and Dave shook hands and shared a nod. This wasn't personal but they both wanted to win. Both backed up to opposite sides of a circle on the mat.

"Get ready." Both Ron and Dave took up a ready stance, one foot on the circle, one foot inside. They were about eight feet away from each other. Coach Winters held up one hand, to indicate his match was ready to start. At the other end of the Pit, Oscar was acting as the referee between Tony and Paul. He also held up one hand. Bruce, one of the heavyweights, had a whistle and a stopwatch. Seeing both hands up he blew the whistle and the two matches were on.

Ron and Dave closed in on each other. Ron was slightly taller, so he had a reach and range advantage. Dave was probably slightly stronger. Dave was also a senior, and had been wrestling since his freshman year. The older boy made a quick lunge at Ron's feet. Ron sprawled back only to realize that it was a feint. Dave shot for the legs in earnest while Ron was recovering.

Oh snap! Ron thought while he forced in a Cross-Face and tried to get his legs back. He got me good. Indeed, the older boy had a solid grip on Ron's thighs and was driving forward, his right shoulder in Ron's belly. Ron got his own right forearm across Dave's face and used that hand to grab Dave's left shoulder. But Dave had managed to shoot in too deep for the Cross-Face to stop him. He ignored the fact that his nose was smashed flat against his cheek, got his legs under him and lifted Ron off of the ground. Dave then used his head to tilt Ron to the side, dumping him on his left hip.

Ron rolled with the move, giving up the takedown but refusing to be thrown to his back. He got his knees under him even as Dave pounced on him and he heard the coach awarding Dave the two points for the takedown. Ron started forward in a move called a sit-out but he felt Dave's hand grab his ankle. Keeping a hold of Ron's ankle, Dave lunged forward. Ron, able to use only one leg, couldn't keep up. Ron was forced flat down onto the mat. Ron had a lapse in concentration and allowed his head to drop and his left elbow to rise up. Dave quickly slid his own left hand under Ron's left arm and over Ron's neck in a Half-Nelson. Before Ron could even try to break the hold, Dave used it to drive him over onto his back.

This was where all of the neck-strength practice came into play. Ron bridged, putting his head down and keeping his back off of the mat. Dave was keeping his weight on Ron, forcing the younger boy to exert himself by keeping both boys' weight suspended. Dave was perpendicular to Ron, chest to chest. Dave's left arm around Ron's neck and his right arm trying to tie up Ron's right leg in an attempt to break down Ron's bridge. Ron got his right hand between his and Dave's chests and forced his entire arm in between them. This gave Ron the space he needed to roll off of his back and escape the hold. Ron got back to his belly then started to get up to his knees while he heard the coach award Dave three points for the near fall.

Ron tried a sit-out again, this time beating Dave's Ankle Pick. Ron was a bit quicker than his opponent and managed to create a little space between them. Ron jumped to his feet and sprinted in a circle, peeling Dave's arm from around his waist. He turned into his opponent and faced him. They started to hand-spar; both trying for a hold on the others wrists while the coach awarded Ron a point for the escape.

Ron got a grip on Dave's left wrist and pulled. Dave pulled back and Ron let go. Dave was expecting resistance so his hand flew back. Ron executed his own Double-Leg into the opening. His shot was every bit as good as Dave's had been. Ron accepted the alteration to his nose's structure, drove into the older boy and lifted him off of the ground. Even as he was dumping Dave over the whistle blew. The first period of the match was over. Dave was ahead five to one.

The next period would start with one up and one down. Coach gave Dave the choice. Dave chose up. Ron dropped onto the mat on all fours, with his toes curled up under his feet. Dave took up the up stance: left hand holding Ron's left elbow, right arm around Ron's waist with his right hand flat on Ron's stomach. Dave's left knee was just to the outside of Ron's left knee; Dave's right knee was up with his right foot behind Ron's feet. Seeing both boys were in the proper stance to start, the coach raised his hand to indicate this to Bruce. Moments later the whistle blew and the match was on again.

Ron tried for another Sit-Out but Dave executed another Ankle-Pick and forced Ron into the mat. This time Ron kept his elbows down and his head up. Dave wasn't able to get a pinning hold and Ron got back up on his knees. Again, Dave picked Ron's ankle before the younger boy was able to execute an escape maneuver. Ron got broken down three times before he managed an offensive move of his own. Ron finally kicked Dave's hand off of his ankle and kicked his legs forward in a Sit-Out. He then rotated back onto his front while Dave struggled to keep up with him. Success, Ron's hips were now out from under Dave's, meaning that the younger boy no longer had to lug Dave's weight whenever he moved. Ron was still below Dave and off to Dave's right side. Dave kept his right arm clamped firmly around Ron's waist to prevent an escape.

Ron grabbed Dave's right wrist, holding it on his waist while he executed what Oscar had called a Gramby-Roll. Tucking his chin into his chest, Ron rolled across his own shoulders, left shoulder-back of the neck-right shoulder. Ron's whole body twisted Dave's arm, forcing him face down onto the mat. Ron wound up sitting on his butt off to Dave's right side, facing towards Dave's feet, with Dave's right arm still across his belly. Ron dug his right elbow into Dave's right armpit, keeping his opponent's face in the mat while he rolled himself onto Dave's back. Ron now had the reversal and a Hammerlock on Dave's right arm.

Ron heard the coach award him the two points for the reversal while he recalled that he could not allow the Hammerlock to form an acute angle at the elbow. If he were to crank the arm up towards Dave's neck it would be penalty point to Dave. He then realized that he didn't know any offensive moves that made use of a Hammerlock.

Ron released Dave's wrist, after securing a Chickenwing hold on that arm. He then wormed his left hand under Dave's left arm to grab his left wrist in an Armbar hold. Ron used his left arm as a lever to roll Dave's body up onto his own left arm. Then Ron slid his own body between Dave's body and right arm. He then drove with his feet, rotating both Dave and himself around their left arms. Dave's body reacted as it had to, by rolling over onto his back. Before Dave's shoulders could tilt over and give Ron a near-fall, the whistle blew again. The second period was over and Ron was still down five to three.

The boys readied themselves for the third and final period with Ron up and Dave down. Again the coach raised his hand and Bruce blew the whistle to start the matches.

Ron executed a Jam on Dave before the older boy could execute any sort of move. Ron dropped his left hand to Dave's left wrist, clenched his right arm tight around Dave's waist, and surged his entire weight toward Dave's immobilized left arm. Dave collapsed but the experienced wrestler kept his elbows down and his head up. Ron couldn't secure a pining hold. Dave managed to struggle back to his base. The two boys repeated this. Time was running out and Ron was getting desperate. He jumped off of Dave and took up a ready stance.

Dave jumped to his feet as the coach awarded him one point for the escape. Ron feinted a Double-Leg attempt then lunged to his left, extending his right hand to catch Dave's right ankle. Ron jumped to his feet again, bringing Dave's foot with him. Ron yanked on Dave's foot, pulling his opponent in close. He then used his right foot to trip Dave's left foot while surging himself forward into his opponent. Dave fell, barely managing to scissor his hips to keep from landing on his back. Ron was right on top of him.

While Ron picked Dave's ankle again, he heard the coach awarding him two more points for a takedown. Dave was off balance. Ron secured another Chickenwing hold, this time with his left arm. Ron wrapped his right arm around Dave's waist, catching his opponents left wrist with his right hand. He had it locked. Ron kept his hold while he dug his feet into the mat and rotated his body clockwise on top of Dave. Dave started to tilt over onto his back but he brought up his own right foot, dug it in, and resisted for all he was worth. Slowly, inexorably, Dave was being forced onto his back. Ron drove for all he was worth. Dave's shoulders were perpendicular to the mat and just tilting over when the whistle blew again. Ron had lost by a single point.