For three-year old Vista Ridge, the night ended in celebration. For 4A Metro League newcomer Air Academy, frustration.

Vista Ridge won four matches by fall and freshman Austin Mildbrandt grinded out a 3-2 decision in the final match to pull out a 36-30 victory over the host Kadets on Wednesday and advance to next week’s league championship dual against Discovery Canyon.

But it was soft-spoken  112-pound senior Dylan Hawthorne that came through in the biggest moment, halting a four-match winning streak by Air Academy with a 36 second pin of senior Frankie Vigil. Hawthorne’s heroics put the Wolves back in the lead and stunned the home crowd, setting the stage for Milbrandt to close it out.

Vigil, ranked No. 3 in Tim Yount’s On The Mat Rankings, followed an aborted shot by Hawthorne with a shot of his own but lost his balance when he was unable to connect. Hawthorne, ranked twelfth, caught Vigil on his back for a quick pin. 

“I was just working a neutral position, making sure he didn’t get something on me,” Hawthorne said. “I took the opportunity for as shot but it didn’t work out the way I wanted to, but he ended up on his back. I was just thinking I’ve got to hold him here.”

It happened so fast Hawthorne couldn’t even recall exactly how he did it.

Vigil’s misfortune summed up the night for the Kadets.

“Our 112-pounder is a phenomenal wrestler and he just caught,” Kadets senior Brian Gelston said. “Unfortunately, if he doesn’t get that roll, he doesn’t get pinned. It’s just one of those heartbreaking duals.”

The win put the Wolves up 33-30 and Mildbrandt sealed it with a strong defensive showing against Austin Sethman.

After a scoreless first period, Mildbrandt started the second on bottom in hopes of getting an escape. Sethman rode him for 2 minutes, but couldn’t break him down. Sethman took bottom in the third but got rolled to his back for three near-fall points for Mildbrandt. He reversed Milbrandt for two, but again couldn’t break him down. 

“Stopping the chicken wing (was the key),” Milbrandt said. “That was all he was doing. I had to break his hand off my back and once I did that he didn’t do anything else.”

In the end, both teams won seven matches, but the Wolves picked up 12 bonus points on pins while the Kadets squeezed out three decisions by a single point. Three of the Wolves’ pins came in the first five matches, including a 55 second pin by Mike Collas at 125 and a 48 second pin by No. 12 Jake Atkinson at 145.

“We came out a little soft,” Kadets senior Derek Law, an 8-4 winner at 140,  said. “Some guys performed tonight but some didn’t.”

While the Kadets left with more questions than answers, than Wolves left as a confident pack stalking a league championship for the first time in their short history.

“This gives us momentum,” Mildbrandt said. “It gets us ready to go for all those good kids they have (at Discovery Canyon).”

Vista Ridge’s Lukas Keller on his way to pinning Air Academy’s Leo Strand in 130-pound competition during Vista Ridge’s 36-30 team victory on Wednesday. Photo by MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE

Air Academy’s Mikey Diaz, top, controlled Vista Ridge’s Tyler Polous in 135-pound competition during Vista Ridge’s 36-30 team victory on Wednesday. Photo by MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE

Air Academy’s Derek Law, right, and Vista Ridge’s Jake Hawthorne grappled in their 140-pound match during Vista Ridge’s 36-30 team victory. Photo by MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE