Robert Brewer/MDN In the 182-pound division, Minot's DeJarius Jones (top) controls the tempo in his match with Bishop Ryan's Chuka Osula on Thursday. Jones would go on to win by way of fall at the 4:50 mark, helping Minot to a 42-26 victory.

The Magicians were able to defend their home turf on Thursday, recording a 42-26 win over Bishop Ryan in their first match of the day, then beating conference rival Bismarck Legacy 41-26 to complete a two-match sweep. As for the Lions, they lost to Legacy 54-27 prior to taking on Minot.

Against Bishop Ryan, the Magi won two of its first three showdowns on the mat. Kade Marker (106) got the pin against Riley Weeks at the 1:08 mark, and Tyler Nelson (120) earned a 9-3 decision over Octavio Alvarez. Then at 132 pounds, Minot’s Victor Garcia ended his battle Parker Baier with a second period pin, and senior Paden Combs notched a 7-2 decision victory at 145.

Senior Chase Burke (170) was also among Minot’s winners, getting the pin against seventh grader Cade Okeson in just 26 seconds. DeJarius Jones (182), as well as Kaden Turnbow (220) also won their matches by way of fall to secure a Minot victory.

For Bishop Ryan, Lane Cooper (113), Gannon Ledoux (126) recorded pins, and freshman Coy Okeson notched an 18-1 technical fall at 195 pounds against Minot’s Issac Fernandez. Meanwhile, Drew Zwak took a 6-1 decision for the Lions over Kyler Byer at 152.

In the matchup against Legacy, Minot won its first three battles to jump out to a 12-0 lead. Marker and Nelson each earned their second wins of the day, while Danny Fernandez took a 7-3 decision over Clark Thompson at 113. At 132, it was Garcia of Minot also earning his second win as he managed to hang on in the closing seconds in a tightly contested 4-3 decision.

Following match wins from both Paden Combs and Deandre Maldanado, Minot enjoyed a comfortable 25-4 advantage on the scoreboard. Suddenly, Legacy built some momentum with three straight victories to trim Minot’s lead to 25-20. At 182, Burke stood tall for the Magi and earned a 16-5 major decision win over Riley Martin as Minot regained its footing.

With the contest hanging in the balance, Isaac Fernandez’s second period pin over Ethan Mitchell at 195 secured the match for the Magi. For good measure, Kaden Turnbow (220) earned a pin at the 1:31 mark over Hunter Sabot to further pad the lead for Minot.

Up next, the Magicians are scheduled to host Turtle Mountain Community in a dual meet on Friday, Feb. 5.