The last pair of dual meets for a wrestling team are usually the best and brightest of the season, if not a mini-preview of what’s to come.

Doug Streicher, the Linn-Mar coach, hopes that is definitely not the case for his 2011 team.

Linn-Mar struggled to top Iowa City High, 33-28, then crushed Washington, 61-12, in a double-dual at Washington Thursday night.

"That first dual of ours was not good at all," he said. "We were not intense, not sharp, not focused, they tied us up, they slowed us down, and wrestlers not as good as us were either close to us or beat us."

Despite clinching the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division title, Striecher cited several of the usual suspects for his team’s subpar performance, including poor pre-match preparation, not being ready to go, and a lackluster intensity level.

“True champions think I’m going to go out and I’m going to destroy you, I don’t care who you are, and if you’re not that good, maybe you’re going to really feel the pressure of my attacks,” he said.

Streicher was clearly unhappy.

Perhaps the silver lining in the Linn-Mar cloud was senior 130-pounder senior Jeremy Severin. Severin churned out two pins, one of which had huge implications in the Lions' surprisingly tight victory over Iowa City High.

The only other wrestler from any team able to match that feat was Washington’s Trey Schuler, who had two pins at 103.

Streicher said, "I would point to Jeremy as someone our whole team can learn from. He went through a tough 0-and-7 slump and ever since Christmas, he’s doing everything right. I’m very proud of the way he’s come through."

Severin remembers that slump well and credits Streicher for helping him see the light. "Coach was the driving force that helped me reach the turning point," said Severin. "He helped me change, told me to keep my chin up, and that’s when things got better."

Since hitting wrestling’s rock-bottom, things have dramatically improved for Severin. And despite that infamous 0-for-7 stretch, he now not only enjoys a 28-14 record but has a fighting chance to make it to state.

In Linn-Mar’s first dual of the evening against Iowa City High, Lion 140-pounder Josh Pederson scored two third-period takedowns to ward off City High’s attempt at the upset.

In the opening dual, Washington won five of the nine matches that were contested against Iowa City High, but lost the dual 49-27 due to five forfeits.

Washington and Linn-Mar compete at district tournaments Feb. 12. Washington travels to Waverly and Linn-Mar is at Western Dubuque.

IOWA CITY HIGH 49, WASHINGTON 27

103 – Schuler (CRW) pinned Schwarting, 5:42; 112 – Neagle (CRW) pinned Lumus, 5:50; 119 – Rockwell (CRW) pinned DeAirius, :34; 125 – Kolyvanov (ICH) pinned Eicher; 130 – Mercado (CRW) pinned Bryton Jones, 3:09; 135 – Hasler (ICH) major dec. Luebe, 13-5; 140 – Hill (ICH) dec. Herz, 9-7; 145 – Odle (ICH) won by forfeit; 152 – Mahone (ICH) pinned Lehrman, 3:48; 160 – Hamm (ICH) won by forfeit; 171 – Daily (ICH) won by forfeit; 189 – Ferentz (ICH) won by forfeit; 215 – Gingerich (ICH) won by forfeit; 285 – Burrell (CRW) dec. Donnelly, 3-2 (OT);

LINN-MAR 33, IOWA CITY HIGH 28

103 – Schwarting (ICH) pinned Peterson, 4:51; 112 – Jeffery (LM) pinned Lumus, :26; 119 – Northrup (LM) major dec. Salibi, 14-2; 125 – Kolyvanov (ICH) pinned Radig, 4:52; 130 – Severin (LM) pinned Jones, 2:42; 135 – Hasler (ICH) dec. Wempen, 4-3; 140 – Lembeck (LM) tech fall Hill, 19-4; 145 – Pederson (LM) dec. Odle, 12-8; 152 – Regenwether (LM) dec. Mahone, 3-0; 160 – Hamm (ICH) won by forfeit; 171 – Daily (ICH) dec. Gansen, 10-3; 189 – Atwater (LM) dec. Ferentz, 2-1 (OT); 215 – Garcia (LM) dec. Gingerich, 3-1; 285 -- Donnelly (ICH) dec. Smith 8-1.

LINN-MAR 61, WASHINGTON 12

103 – Schuler (CRW) pinned Peterson, 1:52; 112 – Jeffery dec. Neagle, 6-2; 119 – Berry (LM) pinned Rockwell, 4:28; 125 – Radig (CRW) pinned Eicher, 3:55; 130 – Severin (CRW) pinned Mercado, 1:17; 140 – Lembeck won by forfeit; 145 – Herz dec. Claybough, 6-3; 152 – Regenwether (ICH) pinned Lehrman, 3:30; 160 – Mich (LM) won by forfeit; 171 – Gansen (LM) won by forfeit; 189 – Atwater won by forfeit; 215 – Garcia (LM) won by forfeit; 285 - Burrell (CRW) dec. Smith, 3-1 (OT).