The Oak Harbor High School wrestling team opened the season by cruising by host Mountlake Terrace 59-16 Wednesday.

The Wildcats were aided by receiving five forfeits and won five of the eight contested bouts by a 29-16 margin.

After Ryuta Meany (130 pounds) and Josh Crebbin (135) received forfeits, Josh Barton (140) got things rolling for the Wildcats with a pin at the 3:37 mark.

Colton Elliot (145) added his own pin at 3:32, and Brandon Stratton (152) won by technical fall, 18-2.

That put Oak Harbor up 29-0.

Mountlake Terrace grabbed the next two matches. Justin Everett (160) was pinned in 5:22, and Colin Higingbotham (171) lost a major decision, 14-5.

Zach Loescher (189) won by forfeit, setting up what coach Mike Crebbin called the “match of the night.”

The Hawks had built some momentum with their two wins, and their wrestler at 215 had Oak Harbor’s Drew Culver down 15-4. Culver started on top the second period, and, as Crebbin said, “turned the tide” of the match by pinning his opponent and sewing up the win for Oak Harbor as the ‘Cats went on top 41-10.

Phil Rodgers (heavyweight) won by forfeit, and Corey Trimbur won by pin at 3:22.

After the double forfeit at 112, Ben Pralle (119) was pinned in 1:53 and Cody Fakkema (125) won by forfeit.

Oak Harbor was supposed to open the season Dec. 4 but had to pull out of a double-dual match at Snohomish because several wrestlers had impetigo.

Coach Crebbin said another team infected his squad last season by wrestling with the disease and he wanted to make sure his team did not do the same.

With the long layoff before the first match, Crebbin said, “It was good to see other teams. It really exposes what you have to work on.”

The Wildcats travel to Sedro-Woolley Saturday to take part in the Spud Wally Invitational beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, they host Snohomish at 7 p.m.