There’s no substitute for experience.

Lehighton head coach Floyd Brown knows that.

So, too, does Northern Lehigh mentor Scott Snyder.

They are aware that each match is an opportunity to get better.

While the Indians prevailed 45-24 over the Bulldogs in their non-league contest Tuesday, both left Lehighton’s gymnasium with a sense that their programs took another step forward.

“(We’re) just kind of getting into wrestling shape,” said Brown. “This is our first dual meet, and really our second competition. So just getting mat experience, we want to get the matchups, and wrestle. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Though Lehighton received six forfeits, Brown was pleased with the effort of his squad in the bouts that were contested, some of which were rematches from Saturday’s Brandywine Heights Tournament.

“Some guys wrestled well. I was happy with the way we wrestled,” said Brown. “We saw them over the weekend at the Brandywine Tournament, and we had a couple matchups that were real tight, and we were able to get those matchups again. And one went our way; the other didn’t. But it helps our kids getting in those tough matches like that.”

One of those contests came at 220 pounds, where the Indians’ Christian Rodriguez secured a pin over Dominic Bandle with 18 seconds remaining in the third period. Rodriguez earned a 1-0 decision over Bandle Saturday.

“Christian was down 1-0 at that point I believe, and he locked that cradle up, and got the pin,” said Brown. “They were both exhausted, but Christian wanted that win.”

The fall increased Lehighton’s advantage to 36-6 with five matches remaining.

Northern Lehigh got a forfeit at 106 and pins from Joshua Schaffer (285) and Preston Bauer (120) in three of the remaining bouts.

“It’s growing pains,” said Snyder. “We’re young. We have five or six sophomores in our lineup. We have two freshmen. There’s just little growing pains that we’re going through, and we will be for some time. But we’ll get through it.”

The Bulldogs opened the contest with one of those underclassmen, freshman Trevor Amorim, securing a 7-4 decision at 132 pounds to take a 3-0 lead.

But Lehighton took advantage of four straight forfeits to build a 24-3 advantage heading into the 170-pound bout between the Indians’ Richard Fronheiser and Northern Lehigh’s Damion Rodriguez, another rematch from Saturday.

After getting pinned in the third period during their first meeting, Rodriguez earned a 3-1 decision in the second matchup.

“I was happy with Damion Rodriguez tonight,” said Snyder.” I thought that was a good win for him.”

The victory cut the deficit to 24-6. But another forfeit at 195 and Christian Rodriguez’s pin at 220 swung the momentum back to Lehighton.

A second-period pin by David Miller in the final match put a stamp on the win – and was just what Brown was looking for.

“He’s one of the new guys to our team, but he has some experience from the past, and he’s kind of just getting back into it,” he said. “So for him to go out and get a pin, and end the match for us like that was awesome. And it only helps him, gain a little experience and confidence.”

Lukas Ferguson also picked up a 7-2 decision for the Indians at 113 pounds.

BUILDING TO BE BETTER

… Snyder knows success won’t happen overnight, but he is more than encouraged with progress the program has made. “Last year, at districts, we ended up wrestling four or five guys … and now this year, we added five or six wrestlers. We graduated two. But we’re up; we doubled our numbers this year, and then added a couple more. In the future, we gotta keep these guys out, and then next year we have quite a few guys coming up from the middle school program, and we’ll look to build on that,” he said.

Lehighton 45, No. Lehigh 24

132 – Trevor Amorim (NL) dec. Steven Fritzinger, 7-4; 138 – Lucas Sangiuliano (L) won by forfeit; 145 – Chris Whiteman (L) won by forfeit; 152 – Logan Pagotto (L) won by forfeit; 160 – Jon Ahner (L) won by forfeit; 170 – Damion Rodriguez (NL) dec. Rich Fronheiser, 3-1; 182 – No match; 195 – Alex Zeigenfuss (L) won by forfeit; 220 – Christian Rodriguez (L) pinned Dominic Bandle in 5:42; 285 – Joshua Schaffer (NL) pinned Darrell Hull in 57; 106 – Brenden Smay (NL) won by forfeit; 113 – Lukas Ferguson (L) dec. Ian Molina, 7-2; 120 – Preston Bauer (NL) pinned Mason Ferguson in 31; 126

– David Miller (L) pinned Nathan Ellan in 2:44.