Grant Union’s wrestling season got off to a busy start with competitions in Burns on Friday, Dec. 3, and Baker on Saturday, Dec. 4.

The Prospectors went on the road to compete at the Baker Duals tournament with three other teams, Baker, Imbler, and Nampa Christian/Garden Valley.

Grant Union fell twice to Baker, 60-18 and 42-24. The Prospector grapplers were defeated by Imbler, 24-18, but prevailed against Nampa Christian/Garden Valley, 36-21.

At Friday’s Woodfin Memorial Duals in Burns, the Pros faced Vale, Crane and Burns.

Grant Union lost to Burns, 42-21, tied Crane, 24-24, and fell to Vale, 46-27.

Andy Lusco, Prospectors wrestling coach, said he was pleased with the team’s effort.

“Our roster was pretty short of where it needs to be to compete consistently,” Lusco said. “We will need to get eligible, healthy, and down to competition weight.”

Lusco told the Eagle Grant Union has a young team, and this week the squad would be working on wrestling fundamentals.

“This is a young team and we will get better fast,” Lusco said.

Lusco said it is great to be back on the mat during the sport’s regular time of year and season after pandemic protocols forced the program to compete in the late spring and summer months.

“We have a great turnout on both the boys’ and girls’ sides,” Lusco said. “And we’re excited to see them grow and compete.”

Grant Union boys split at Elgin TourneyOn Friday and Saturday, Grant Union’s boys basketball team won one and lost one at the Elgin Lions Tourney.

The Pros decisively defeated Elgin 61-3 in Saturday’s game.

Elgin, a younger, smaller team, allowed the Pros to work on building various skills, according to RC Huerta, Grant Union’s boys basketball coach.

Huerta said the Pros held their own in Friday’s 50-42 loss to Baker.

After Baker put up 20 points in the first quarter, Grant Union clawed their way back and got within four points. But ultimately, Baker beat the Prospectors with free throws down the stretch.

Nonetheless, Huerta said he was proud of how the team stayed scrappy until the final buzzer.

“We were on the ground for balls, and we were hustling and crashing the boards,” Huerta said.

The Pros, he said, rebounded the ball very well for an undersized team.

Huerta said he has a young team this season, and his most important message to them is to play hard on defense, work on the little things, and communicate with one another.

“We have a young team,” Huerta said. “And they’re hardworking, and they’re going to continue to get better and learn.”

Grant Union girls win one of twoThe Lady Pros won one out of two over the weekend at the Elgin Tourney.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, the girls team fell to La Grande, 49-27, after picking up a 48-38 win over Baker. The Lady Pros are 1-1 on the season.