It was better late than never - and even early, too.

Tamaqua’s fast-rising wrestling team got off to a solid start, cooled off a bit, but finished strong to upend a good Lehighton club Tuesday, 40-34.

Sure, there was some anxiety for the Blue Raiders - especially when the Indians used a major and a pair of forfeits to turn a 24-12 deficit into a 28-24 lead.

“We looked like we could come from behind at that point (in the match), but we didn’t get a good matchup in the lower weights, and I knew they had some pretty good wrestlers,” Lehighton head coach Floyd Brown said.

The match started well for the Indians as Nick Zeigenfuss registered a pin at 132 pounds to give the hosts an early lead. However, Tamaqua’s Jacob Schlier evened the score in the next bout. The 138-pounder forged a 6-6 tie against a young Marcellus McCants, before producing a fall to knot the team score.

After Tamaqua received a forfeit win at 145, Lehighton’s Lukas Ferguson pinned Nathan Milkovits just 27 seconds into the second period to again tie the team score - this time at 12-12.

The Raiders gained a head of steam from that point and received back-to-back pins, as Jacob Hehn took care of business at 160, upending Ethan Buckert with a fall at 1:27, before Cole Eberts had a quick night - needing just 58 seconds to tumble Nolan Stein at 172.

“On paper, this looked like this could be close,” said Tamaqua mentor Jimmy McCabe. “We came through in some tight situations. But we have some strength in the middle.”

Tamaqua sputtered some, starting at the 189-pound bout when the Indians got a big major decision from freshman Brok Solt to trim their deficit to 24-16.

“Solt was outstanding,” said Brown. “He was our wrestler of the night. He came in and did a fantastic job for us at that point in the match.”

It was nip-and-tuck for Solt and Tamaqua’s John Buday, before the Indian rookie fended off his foe after a 2-2 tie in the opening period. Solt used back points and a reversal to take command.

Following Solt’s important win, Lehighton gained forfeits at 215 and 285 to go ahead.

But that lead was short-lived, as the Blue Raiders came through down the stretch.

At 106, Tamaqua’s Aiden Schlier delivered a 13-4 major decision over Jacob Hall to force the third tie (28-28) of the evening. Gabe Erbe put the Raiders ahead to stay at 113 when he showed Andrew Versuk the lights with a fall at 130.

Chase Zeigenfuss added the coup de grace at 120 with a pin over Reese Scaturro in a time of 1:26.

“I told the kids we did what we needed to do to pull (off the win),” said McCabe.

Lehighton’s Aiden Gruber closed out the match with a pin in the final bout at 126.

QUOTABLE … “Jacob Hehn at 160 was in a dogfight. (Buchert) busted his nose up and I said, ‘Don’t give in to this, don’t give into it, just take it to him,’” said McCabe, praising his wrestler of the night.

MIRROR RECORDS … The win by Tamaqua puts it at 6-3, while the Indians fell to 6-3.

UP NEXT … Both teams will hit the mats Saturday morning with an all-day affair at Blue Mountain High School, where the Schuylkill League Championships will be staged. The finals are slated for 4 p.m.

Tamaqua 40, Lehighton 34

132 - Nick Zeigenfuss (L) pinned Zaidyn Walker in 2:57; 138 - Jacob Schlier (T) pinned Marcellus McCants in 3:51; 145 - Michael Steigerwalt (T) won by forfeit; 152 - Lukas Furgason (L) pinned Nathan Milkovits in 2:27; 160 - Jacob Hehn (T) pinned Ethan Buchert in 1:27; 172 - Cole Eberts (T) pinned Nolan Stein in: 58; 189 - Brok Solt (L) major dec. John Buday, 10-2; 215 - Gauge Hartney (L) won by forfeit; 285 - Wyatt Sherer (L) won by forfeit; 106 - Aiden Schlier (T) major dec. Jacob Hall, 13-4; 113 - Gabe Erbe (T) pinned Andrew Versuk in 1:30; 120 - Chase Zeigenfuss (T) pinned Reese Scaturro in 1:26; 126

- Aiden Gruber (L) pinned Brody Boyce in 3:17.