The reigning Class 1A dual team state champions, Coal City dominated a pair of home duals on Thursday to improve to 17-0 on the season.

The Coalers swept Bishop McNamara 81-0 and then downed Morris 66-12, dropping just three matches all night. Morris won its dual over Bishop McNamara 46-35.

Two of Coal City’s wins belonged to junior Cooper Morris, an individual runner up at state last season. He opened his night with a win at 132 pounds over McNamara’s Blake Arseneau, himself a state qualifier last season, before beating Morris’ Chase Valentine. Both wins came by fall.

That second win gave Cooper Morris his 100th career varsity win. Teammates Cade Poyner, Owen Peterson and Mason Garner were recognized Thursday for surpassing the 100-win mark earlier this season, with those four joining Brody Widlowski, Brock Finch and Aiden Kenney to give the Coalers seven active wrestlers in triple digits.

“I definitely (shows) that we’re a great program, probably the best in the state at 1A, looking to go back-to-back with state titles,” Cooper Morris said. “We need to keep the pace high in the room, keep working hard, have leaders and keep pushing each other toward each other’s goals.

“It’ll all come from there, and everyone will get what they earn.”

Widlowski (150), Finch (175) and Poyner (215) all won both of their matches. They are all familiar faces from last season’s state championship, but some of the newer Coalers made early-season statements Tuesday as well.

Freshman Max Christensen went 2-0 on the day at 144 pounds, and head coach Mark Masters said Christensen has impressed so far in his young high school career.

“From the spring all the way to here, he’s worked his tail off,” Masters said. “He’s got some of the best workout partners in the 1A world. He’s got the chance to work out with Brody Widlowski, Aiden Kenney, Luke Munsterman.

“He’s surrounded by talent, and it’s really bringing it out in him. He’s done a fantastic job for us this year.”

Coal City also won both of the girls matches, with Nora Minuth pinning Abbey Vignali and Riley Kuder pinning Zara Lugo.

Morris won its dual over Bishop McNamara with a 4-3 edge over the Fightin’ Irish in matches that took place and a 4-3 edge in forfeits.

Owen Sater (113) and Brock Claypool (138) both went 2-0 on the day. Owen Olson (165) won by forfeit against McNamara before downing Coal City’s Mason Garner.

Morris is not at full strength, but has high hopes for the rest of the year with Sater, Claypool, Carter Skoff and Paxton Valentine looking to follow up state appearances from last season.

“We’re not in a great spot right now, but we’re competing,” Sater said. “Hopefully I wind up on that podium at the end of the year. Just a lot of hard work and dedication this year, looking to finish up (my career) strong.”

Head coach Lenny Tryner said meets like the one Thursday can be a good measuring stick.

“It’s good to wrestle a team like Coal City,” he said. “It’s good competition and we got to see kind of where we need to show improvement at. I though we did a lot of good things out there, a lot of good positioning and stuff.”

For Bishop McNamara, Blake Arseneau (132), Chase Moeschke (150) and Mason Hemenover (215) picked up wins against Morris.

Arseneau said it was a good opportunity to face some state-level competition.

“It’s good practice definitely for regionals, sectionals and state,” he said. “The team is feeling really good this year. We’re all working, we’re all getting better.”

Arseneau and Alex Kostecka were state qualifiers last season, and head coach Jake Kimberlin said he is expecting big things from them and a few other wrestlers who just missed the cut last season.

“We’ve got a couple guys that didn’t qualify for state in the past, and I think they’re right on the bubble of not only getting there, but if they tweak things can pull out some matches at state,” he said. “My nephew Cole Kimberlin and Kian Bramer, the heavyweight, those are guys that are right there on the bubble.”