Staff photo / Preston Byers Canfield’s Massimo Furr (left) and Howland’s Owen Dreher (right) prepare to lock up during their 215-pound match Friday at Howland High School.

HOWLAND — The Canfield varsity wrestling team kicked off the new season with a decisive dual victory at Howland. The Cardinals defeated the Tigers 58-13 Friday in the first test for both programs.

Canfield won the first nine matches of the night — four by pinfall, four by forfeit and one by points — before Howland picked up three consecutive wins. The Cardinals capped the night off with another two victories.

“I like the fact that we were aggressive for the most part,” Canfield coach Craig Shaw said. “I think we got most of the first takedowns in the first period. So I appreciate that part of it. I admire their resilience and how hard they’re working.”

The Cardinals took the lead immediately Friday with a Carson Cutrer victory via forfeit in the 157-pound weight class. Canfield extended its lead shortly thereafter thanks to Tristan Miller, who pinned Aidan Whittenberger less than a minute into their 165-pound clash.

Joey Pannunzio, who Shaw praised for implementing the team’s hand fighting techniques, similarly pinned Calvin Croff within the opening minute.

After a Gabe Miller forfeit victory, Massimo Furr notched a pinfall win over Owen Dreher. The pair of 215-pounders were the first wrestlers to escape the first period; Furr, after multiple near falls, eventually pinned Dreher at the edge of the mat in the third period.

Following Joel Rogers’ first-period pinfall win against Noah Swope at heavyweight, Canfield 106-pound freshman Cain Mlinarsik took the mat for his varsity match.

In the most competitive contest to that point in the evening, Mlinarsik, who led 11-3 entering the third period, withstood being taken down twice to hang on and defeat Brayden Cortese 13-9.

“I was happy with [Mlinarsik],” Shaw said. “I knew he was gonna have a good match. … I was excited to see how he performed, just because it was his first one — the nerves were going — and that kid’s pretty good for them.”

Following a pair of forfeits for Canfield’s Will Petrunia and Quinn Gaca at 113 and 120 pounds, respectively, Howland earned its first win.

At 126 pounds, Patrick Neff eked out a 7-6 victory against Michael Clark. Neff, who overcame a 3-0 first-period deficit and took a 5-3 lead into the final period, surrendered a takedown and the lead to Clark early in the third but responded immediately with a reversal that ultimately helped him clinch the Tigers’ first points and win of the season.

In one of Howland’s most dominant showings Friday, Aidan O’Donnell, after a 7-0 first period, pinned Landon Hester during the second.

Deacon Mock, while not earning a pin, similarly controlled the action in the subsequent match against Santino Villiplana. Mock took Villiplana down several times en route to a 17-3 win.

Howland’s run of dominance ended at 144 pounds, where Eddie Morrison fell to Nick Joseph, who Shaw also praised for his hand fighting, by a score of 15-3.

In the final match of the night, Arius Gingerich defeated Cohen Rudesill 10-5 in the 150-pound weight division.

“We all just still have techniques to work on,” Shaw said. “We got to get our stuff we’re doing in the practice room to translate to the matches, but it is match one of the year. We’re going in the right direction.”

For Howland, there is little room to go but up.

“You got to start somewhere,” said Howland head coach Matt Zakrajsek, who labeled Friday as a “baseline” for the rest of the season. “Saw a lot of things that are relatively easy fixes, things that we’re working on in practice, concepts that didn’t quite show themselves in this match. Just need to keep working and get the guys confidence in the things we’re doing.”

Each team wrestled the season opener without a returning state qualifier; Howland’s Chris Mijavec and Canfield’s Tyler Scharrer were present but not active on Friday.

Shaw said Scharrer, who went undefeated until the state tournament as a junior, had the flu this week.

Mijavec suffered an injury a few months ago, according to Zakrajsek, who said Mijavec is cleared to work out again and should be competing by the end of the month or in early January. Zakrajsek said Mijavec, who qualified for state at 190 pounds last season, will either be back at the same weight or 215 pounds this season.

Canfield is scheduled to wrestle next on Thursday when the Cardinals host Beaver Local.

Howland is back in action today; the Tigers have a dual at Austintown Fitch at 9:30 a.m.

After the dual in Austintown, Zakrajsek said he will be traveling to Walsh Jesuit in Cuyahoga Falls, where Howland senior and returning state placer Madison Burns will compete in the ultra-competitive Women of Ironman tournament.

“[We’re] just looking to get quality matches and see where she’s at in this part of the season,” Zakrajsek said. “It’s great competition, she kind of thrives on that.”

Burns finished fifth in the 135-pound weight class at the state tournament in March.