With the help of two forfeits, the Monroe wrestling team slipped by Oak Harbor 43-35 Thursday on the Wildcats’ mat.

The two teams split the 12 contested matches, and Oak Harbor out-scored the Bearcats 35-31 in those bouts. However, the Wildcats could not field wrestlers in the 112- and 130-pound classes and had to hand over 12 points to the Bearcats (1-5, 4-5).

Oak Harbor remains winless in six Wesco North matches and is 2-8 for the year. The Wildcats go to Cascade (2-4, 9-7) Tuesday, Jan. 26, and to first-place Lake Stevens (7-0, 9-0) Thursday, Jan. 28, to finish off the regular season.

Against the Bearcats, Oak Harbor sophomore Justin Everett (152 pounds) lost the night’s opening match 9-0 to senior Anthony Dimaggio.

Junior Steven Souza (160) pushed Oak Harbor into the lead with a fall (3:32) over sophomore Tait Hansen.

In the evening’s most unusual match, Wildcat senior Zach Loescher (171) won when his opponent, senior Cody Elledge, was disqualified.

The bout featured two evenly matched wrestlers who had trouble finding openings against each other. The referee tried to force the action by giving multiple stall warnings and points. By the middle of the third round, Loescher had been hit three times and Elledge four for stalling. When the pair then received another double-stall call, it was Elledge’s fifth (and disqualifying) infraction. Loescher was leading 6-4 at the time.

The win gave Oak Harbor six points and a 12-4 lead.

Sophomore Hunter Vail (189) added to the lead with a pin (3:01) of Monroe junior Zach Heideman.

Down 18-4, Monroe quickly picked up 12 points when senior Bryce Ingersoll (215) pinned (3:46) senior Javon Payne, and senior Alex Martin (285) pinned (1:46) freshman Jeremy Foster.

When Oak Harbor junior Corey Trimbur (103) thumped freshman Jordan Callahan 20-3, Oak Harbor led 23-16.

The Bearcats then racked up two more pins between the two forfeits to take a 40-23 lead.

The falls came from junior Ryan Perry (119) over sophomore Ben Pralle in 1:44 and sophomore Brandon Martin (125) over sophomore Ryuta Meany in 38 seconds.

Oak Harbor senior Josh Barton (135) battled back from a 5-0 deficit to take an 8-6 lead in the third period, but senior Bub Johnson scored a reversal and near fall in the final seconds to snag the decision and ice the match for the Bearcats.

Senior Colton Elliot (140) gave Oak Harbor six more points by pinning (2:32) junior Cody Curnutt.

Wildcat sophomore Brandon Stratton (145) finished the match with a fall (1:28) over senior Nate Detwiller.

Oak Harbor coach Mike Crebbin lauded Barton’s comeback effort, and added, “Hunter Vail had a nice win, and Corey Trimbur wrestled really well.”