SALEM, Ore. – Linfield's Jonathon Fagen improved his record to 12-2 on the season and teammate Ethan Ensrud took the NAIA's 11th-ranked wrestler the distance in a close match Friday night, but Linfield ultimately fell on the road to 13th-ranked Corban by a 37-10 score. 
 
In a Friday-night dual only a few weeks before both teams move into the postseason, the Wildcats and the Warriors both sat out many of their regular starters to get healthy. 
 
"As a team, we had some pretty flat feet tonight," said Wildcats coach Frank Johnson. "The good news is they have two more matches next week to show what they're capable of as we head toward the postseason." 
 
Facing Corban's German Munoz at 184 pounds, Fagen used a first-round takedown, a reversal in the second round and another takedown in the third round – while locking up an extra point by accumulating two minutes of net riding time – to secure bonus team points with the 9-1 major decision. 
 
It was Fagen's first match since Dec. 21. The only matches he has lost this season have come as the result of an injury and medical forfeit. 
 
At 174 pounds, Ensrud entered the Corban dual with a 24-12 record. The sophomore from Canby gave 11th-ranked Tyson Stover all he could handle before dropping the decision. 
 
Stover came out hard and fast in the opening round, lodging three takedowns to Ensrud's three escapes. That gave Stover a 9-3 lead after the opening frame. 
 
Ensrud controlled most of the action in the final two rounds, outscoring Stover 5-3 and forcing the ranked wrestler into multiple stall calls before the end. 
 
"We're putting forth a solid effort and some of our guys are doing the right things in the right moments," Johnson said. "But now's the time to focus on the little things and continue to lock in where we'll need to be at regionals." 
 
NEXT
Linfield's men and women host Umpqua Community College Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. It will be Senior Night for three Wildcats.
  125: Jacob Moore (Linfield) won by forfeit
133: Double forfeit
141: Bo Davis (Corban) won by forfeit
149: #17 JR Downing (Corban) won by tech fall over Carlos Kisokwa (Linfield), 19-3 
157: #2 David Rubio (Corban) won by forfeit 
165: Gus Menne (Corban) won by forfeit 
174: #11 Lance Stover (Corban) won by decision over Ethan Ensrud (Linfield), 12-8
184: #14 Jonathon Fagen (Linfield) won by major decision over German Munoz (Corban), 9-1
197: Asaiah Kamplain (Corban) won by tech fall over Divenson Willis (Linfield), 18-1
HWT: #10 Antonio Garcia (Corban) pinned Julian Ortiz (Linfield), 6:31