It took just a bit for Aberdeen Central to get going, but once the Golden Eagles did, there was no slowing down the express Tuesday night.

Central dropped the first two matches, before reeling off wins in nine of the next 10 matches on the way to a 56-15 Eastern South Dakota Conference wresting win over Huron on Senior Night at Golden Eagles Arena.

“They got some quality kids in those first couple of weights and we were there to push them,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “Once we get the steam going it just gets to rolling. We got going with Esten (Foss) and we just kept the momentum rolling right through there all the way through.”

Foss put the Golden Eagles on the board with his pin at 120 pounds.

The senior blocked his opponent’s first shot, before responding with a shot of his own that resulted in a double-leg takedown.

“I was kind of waiting for a good time to shoot,” Foss said.

He said prefers going for both legs instead of trying for a single-leg takedown.

“I think I like double-leg more,” Foss said, “because once you get in there, it’s a lot easier to finish than a single.”

Foss wasted no time in finishing off his foe, hooking up a half-nelson on the way to a pin in just over a minute.

“We work on that every day,” Foss said of throwing in the half. “Usually once I get that in, it’s over.”

Foss was one of eight seniors honored on the night.

Bowden said it is a special group of wrestlers.

“They’re a good group and a lot of them have been with me for a while,” Bowden said. “Some of them have been mainstays in our lineup, some of them have been more supporting roles. They’ve a very good group. They’re a very experienced group. They’re just really good kids on and off the mat.”

Bowden said what makes this particular group so special is that each wrestler is willing to make any sacrifice needed in order to help the team.

“Those are the kinds of kids that you need in your program,” Bowden said. “A good program needs those kinds of kids that are selfless, that will stick around and wait for an opportunity to do it, rather than when they don’t get their shot right away, they’re just done with it.”

Central also received pins from Ridley Waldo, Hunter Opitz, and Grayden Timm, technical falls from Jackson Dargatz and Owen Ward, and a decision from Logan Heier.

As the Golden Eagles head into the second half of the season, Foss will be concentrating on one thing in particular to help him in his matches.

“One big thing for me is how I approach my matches in my head, rather than actually on my feet,” Foss said. “That will determine how I’m able to do in the second half. … Physically, I’m where I’m at usually, mentally is where we’ve got to get better.”

Central competes in a tournament at Brandon Valley at Saturday.

106: Noah Hofer (HUR) over Henry Gillen (ABCE) (Dec 4-3)
113: Carter Nelson (HUR) over Paxton Ewing (ABCE) (Dec 8-4)
120: Esten Foss (ABCE) over Kadrian Moreno (HUR) (Fall 1:03)
126: Jackson Dargatz (ABCE) over David Strassburg (HUR) (TF 19-2 2:39)
132: Logan Heier (ABCE) over Stephen Martens (HUR) (MD 12-4)
138: Brady Meyer (HUR) over Will Allen (ABCE) (Dec 7-1)
144: Jude Sumner (ABCE) over (HUR) (For.)
150: Porter Lozenski (ABCE) over (HUR) (For.)
157: Ridley Waldo (ABCE) over Teagan Lien (HUR) (Fall 1:41)
165: Hunter Opitz (ABCE) over Aiden Airheart (HUR) (Fall 3:07)
175: Grayden Timm (ABCE) over Uriah Cardona (HUR) (Fall 3:57)
190: Owen Ward (ABCE) over Lucas Chaparro (HUR) (TF 18-3 4:09)
215: Ben Cardona (HUR) over Hunter Herceg (ABCE) (Fall 2:54)
285: Max Borns (ABCE) over (HUR) (For.)