The Austin wrestling team showed some of the strides it has made this season when it beat Mankato West 47-30 in its last home dual of the season on Pink Out Night in Ove Berven Gym Thursday.

The Scarlets had tallied wins over three teams that beat Austin earlier in the season.

“On paper we were the team that wasn’t supposed to win,” Austin head coach Jer Osgood said. “We’re finally beating the teams we’re not supposed to beat. As a coach you want them to peak at that right time and that time is now.”

The Packers racked up seven pins as Tad Belden, Josh Belden, Aiden Wilson, Jacob Jarvis, Phillip Zynda, Caleb Tapp and Isaac Arjes all won by fall.

Jarvis trailed his match at 152 pounds 6-3 and he was down 7-6 in the third period when he picked up his pin with 42 seconds left in the match.

“Once I got up I knew I could take him to his back and I needed to do it for the team,” Jarvis said. “In the third period coach put me up instead of down because he was confident in my ability to take him down.”

Josh Belden made a quick move to set up his first period pin at 132 pounds for the Packers.

“I like to go after it right away and try and get the first takedown. That builds my confidence going into later periods,” he said. “Our team has been building to a team that’s been losing to a team that’s winning and surprising a lot of people. I think that’s a good thing and the energy’s been a lot higher.”

The Packers have a young roster this year, but they’re picking up momentum as they prepare for the individual Section 1AAA meet, which takes place Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.

Osgood thought his team took a big step on Thursday.

“Tonight I was really proud of the way they came out and they fought for every inch of the mat and they fought for every second on the clock,” he said. “It was an overall good performance and it’s exciting to keep building off this.”

RESULTS

106: Gavin Brady (A) 19-3 tech. fall over Wyatt Block (M); 113: Charlie Pickell (M) pinned Matthew Nelson (A) (2:25); 120: Tad Belden (A) pinned Jaquelyn Diaz (M) (1:31); 126: Rhett Wiebers (M) pinned Zach Farrand (A) (2:42); 132: Josh Belden (A) pinned Antonio Cruise (A) (1:09); 138: Aiden Wilson (A) pinned Derrec Rodriquez (M) (0:35); 145: Tyler Kopp (M) 4-1 dec. over Carter Oldenkamp (A); 152: Jacob Jarvis (A) pinned Dustin Mueller (M) (5:18); 160: Phillip Zynda (A) pinned Garrett Block (M) (2:00); 170: Ethan Rademacher (M) 9-3 dec. over Jackson Hample (A); 182: Caleb Tapp (A) pinned Avery Miller (M) (1:05); 195: Isaac Arjes (A) pinned Josiah Dahlgern (M) (1:18); 220: Ryan Moser (M) pinned Isaac Clasen (A) (4:18); 285: Zachary Jakes (M) pinned Elijah Kaercher (A) (1:45)