Isiah Buck can be a loose cannon. His wrestling coach at Wallowa High School attests to that.

“When he’s focused, he wrestles under control,” coach Mel Byers said. “Sometimes, he goes a little too hard. He’s a go-getter who gives it his all.”

Buck, a sophomore in the 130-pound weight class, kept his composure through tough matches at the Dec. 22 Elgin Christmas Tournament and won the third place medal.

In the consolation final, Buck pinned Ethan Osterloh of Enterprise in the final period. The match was even in the opening period – before Buck racked up points in the second round. When he finally pinned Osterloh, Buck had a 15-5 lead in the scoring.

The turning point, according to Enterprise coach Chad Nash, came when Osterloh hesitated to adjust his headgear. Buck used the distraction and burst at Osterloh’s legs for a takedown.

“I know that won’t happen to Ethan again, but it showed some savvy on the part of Buck,” Nash said.

The Cougars left Elgin with three other medals. Sophomore Cameron Princena earned fourth place among heavyweights, while his teammate, Joey Reynolds, was fifth in the same class. Also, senior Zach Lathrop came in fourth place in the 215-pound class.

Next, the Cougars will compete in the Jo-Hi Invitational at Joseph, Jan. 4-5.

In the meantime, Byers’ wrestlers are welcome to visit the gym to stay in condition. “It’s OK if they’re snowboarding,” he said. “But if they’re just sitting around with nothing to do, they can come to school for a little practice.”