Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Dreyzon Phillips of Fort Dodge locks up Ankeny Centennial’s Carter Bennett on Thursday evening in the Dodger gym. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The Fort Dodge wrestling team wasted little time showing a packed Dodger gym what’s in store this season.

The No. 3 Dodgers (1-0 overall) rolled to a 43-28 win over fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial in their season opener.

Fort Dodge prevailed in eight of the 14 matches, picking up 19 bonus points with five pins and two technical falls. The Dodgers won the first five matches of the evening — four that included bonus points — in building a commanding 26-0 advantage early on.

“We we came out and were aggressive on our feet,” said FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson. “Our takedown ratio was good, but in the matches we lost, we still have plenty to clean up.”

For the first time in 18 months, Fort Dodge senior Levi Egli was back on the mat. Egli quickly went to work, earning a fall and pumping up the Dodger crowd as he released a year and half of emotion into a point to the Dodger faithful.

“That pin was for all of my coaches, supporters, teammates and the Fort Dodge wrestling community,” Egli said. “I was out with my injury last year, so I knew I had to show out (on Thursday) for them.

“The pin felt great, especially against a quality opponent. Getting back on the mat in front of my home crowd was an amazing feeling.”

Egli, who placed fifth at state in 2018, missed the entire season last winter after tearing his ACL, LCL, PCL and bicep femoris tendon in the regular-season finale for football. The Dodgers’ fourth-ranked 195-pounder pinned No. 6 Ethan Frazier at the buzzer (2:00) of the first period.

“It was a great feeling, being back on the mat with my brothers,” Egli said. “Last year it was tough to watch them while I was on the sidelines.”

Defending state champions Drake Ayala (120) and Carson Taylor (126) started the meet with a tech fall and pin, respectively. Ayala, ranked No. 1, earned a 21-6 victory over No. 5 Jackson Bresson. Taylor followed with a fall in 1:33 over eighth-rated Jackson Helmkamp, the son of the late Brent Helmkamp — a former FDSH state champion.

Fourth-ranked Brooks Cowell (132) and eighth-rated Dreyzon Phillips (138) both earned first-period falls. Cowell pinned Scott Talmadge in 1:32, and Phillips stuck Carter Bennett in 1:29 to quickly build the Dodger advantage to 23-0. Bennett is the cousin of Fort Dodge state champion Drew Bennett and son of FDSH graduate Joe Bennett.

“I knew we had to get some bonus points against a team like Centennial,” Thompson said. “Our light weights are tough, and that was a great place to start the meet.”

Brandon Mills (145) wrapped up the five-match streak for the Dodgers with a 10-3 decision over Jacob Cuppy.

Ninth-ranked senior Austin Lee (182) earned a first-period fall as well, knocking off Owen Vernon in 1:51. Fifth-rated Lane Cowell (113) closed the meet with an 18-3 tech fall victory over Kyle Janssen.

The Dodgers are now on their way to Independence for a tough two-day tournament. Fort Dodge hits the road at 8 a.m. this morning.

“I like where we are going this weekend,” Thompson said. “Wrestling three days in a row allows us to get our weights adjusted and also helps with conditioning.

“This is a tough two-day tournament, but good for us to see some top competition.”

FORT DODGE 43, ANKENY CENTENNIAL 28

120 — Drake Ayala, FD tech fall Jackson Bresson, 21-6; 126 — Carson Taylor, FD pinned Jackson Helmkamp, 1:33; 132 — Brooks Cowell, FD pinned Scott Talmadge, 1:32; 138 — Dreyzon Phillips, FD pinned Carter Bennett, 1:29; 145 — Brandon Mills, FD dec Jacob Cuppy, 10-3; 152 — Ben Monroe, AC dec. Ben Egli, 14-3; 160 — Carter Cahill, AC pinned Savion Wheat, 4:37; 170 — Logan Neils, AC pinned Jake Erickson, 1:45; 182 — Austin Lee, FD pinned Owen Vernon, 1:51; 195 — Levi Egli, FD pinned Ethan Frazier, 2:00; 220 — Michael Witt, AC pinned Sawyer Springer, :56; 285 — Noah Parlee, AC dec. Colton Munter, 5-2; 106 — Cael Wiener, AC dec. Max Bishop, 10-9; 113 — Lane Cowell, FD tech fall Kyle Janssen, 18-3.