There is a certain amount of growth and development every wrestling team hopes to achieve throughout the season.

The Lehighton and Palmerton girls programs are no exception. The Indians and Bombers have proven to be quick studies in whatever they’re tasked with doing.

On Tuesday night, the evolution for both teams continued as Lehighton came away with a 60-12 victory.

“They’re finishing,” said Indians’ head coach Jen Lobasso, who team moved to 3-0. “They have a ton of passion. They bring that to the wrestling room every day. It’s such an amazing culture. The excitement that we saw here from all of our fans, the student section, this is wrestling. It’s a packed house. It’s really exciting, and you could feel the energy during the match, and I’m just so proud of the girls. They are crushing it. They are doing such a good job.

“I think it’s also important to understand this comes at a price of a lot of hard work. It’s every day. It’s extremely grueling. Practice is intense, and we have a lot to learn. We have to learn not only new things, but we have to fix mistakes that we’ve made before. They just know that if you want to be, not good, but great, that it takes a price tag that you’ve got to be willing to pay. And they are.”

The Tribe got five pins in the match. After three forfeits, Cassidy Litts got the first fall for Lehighton at 170 pounds in just eight seconds to make it 24-0.

A run of three straight pins came from Mia Hall (112), Claudia Pagotto (118) and Lillian Klotz (124) pushed the advantage to 54-6.

Hall was leading early in the second period when she stuck a reversal and got the fall in 2:16, while Pagotto powered to a pin in 1:02.

Palmerton’s Cassidy Merkel got the first takedown early against Klotz. But the Indians’ sophomore battled back and worked out of trouble to secure the fall in 0:58.

“I just knew it was still anyone’s match,” said Klotz. “No matter if you’re down, whatever the score is, you can still get that pin and reverse everything. And it’s more team points, too.”

Klotz secured the 124-pound title at Tamaqua’s Blue Raider Invite this past Friday with three pins, rallying in her final two matches with pins to secure the title.

Those wins both came in high-scoring matches in the third period. Tuesday was something new for Klotz.

“I feel a lot more confident today, just knowing that’s a situation I’ve never been put in with the cradle,” she said of her match against Merkel. “I’ve been put in cradles before, but never that close to a pin. I’ve never had to fight off a cradle like that. But I’m definitely a lot more confident with what I can do now, too.”

That confidence is contagious for the Tribe, who got a pin from Kennedy Quinn in 2:38 at 136 pounds to set the final score. The squad had seven individual champions Friday at Tamaqua - which also included Pagotto and Litts - and placed first in the team standings.

“Over half my team stepped on the mat for the first time the third week of November. To see where they were to where they are now, it’s obvious just watching them. I have amazing girls. All the credit goes to them,” said Lobasso. “They’re getting what they’ve earned and worked hard for. They’ve come such a long way, and they’ve been fast learners. In order to be great, you’ve got to have more than just moves on the wrestling mat, and they do. That’s what makes them special.”

The Bombers’ Molly Ries secured a pin at 190 pounds in 1:03.

“I think we’re getting better every day,” said Palmerton coach Josh Rake. “We have our ups and downs just like in any sport. They’re wrestling better than they were two weeks ago. But today obviously wasn’t our day, it was a tough match for us. I think it could have went either way in several of those matches. But I think they’re doing great. A lot of our first-year girls, when paired up with other first-year girls, I think they win more than not, and that’s all we can ask for, is that they’re getting better.”

LOUD AND PROUD ... Both teams fed off the atmosphere for Tuesday’s doubleheader at Lehighton, with the boys match following the girls contest. “It was really neat,” said Klotz. “Tonight is our first home match, and just to have all the energy of all the people here supporting us was awesome.”

WHAT’S NEXT ... The Indians travel to Catasauqua on Thursday, while Palmerton will compete in the Elizabethtown Girls BAGUBA Brawl this coming Saturday.

Lehighton 60, Palmerton 12

100 - Charlotte Griffiths (L) won by forfeit; 106 - No match; 112 - Mia Hall (L) pinned Sydney Amorim in 2:16; 118 - Claudia Pagotto (L) pinned Paige Kibler in 1:02; 124 - Lillian Klotz (L) pinned Cassidy Merkel in 0:58; 130 - Skylar Benninger (P) inj. default Samantha Kauffman, 3:30; 136 - Kennedy Quinn (L) pinned Lea Schaible in 2:38; 142 - Caeley Hinkson (L) won by forfeit; 148 - Blayr Strawser (L) won by forfeit; 155 - Addison Streubel (L) won by forfeit; 170 - Cassidy Litts (L) pinned Serenity Reyes in 0:08; 190 - Molly Ries (P) pinned Kailey Evans in 1:03; 235 - Abigayle Tower (L) won by forfeit.