Goetzinger/Bartels Finishes Highlight State Wrestling

Three Chatfield Gophers and one LARP Screamin’ Eagle took on the 2020 Minnesota state wrestling tourney.  Chatfield’s entrants went 6-1 Friday, all advancing to Saturday.  Junior Seth Goetzinger and senior Cael Bartels headlined the cast.  Goetzinger redeemed a 2-2 performance last year (where he didn’t place after finishing third as a frosh), by rolling to the 145-pound Class A state final match.  In his opener, Goetzinger led 5-3 after two periods, before securing a third period pin.  In the quarters, he trailed Howard Lake-Winstead-Waverly’s Collin Boese 3-1 in the third, but got a match tying takedown in the final five seconds.  In OT, they twisted and turned before Goetzinger got his head out the back door to gain control, and grab the 5-3 victory!  Seth G. then faced New York Mills’ #7 Gabe Geiser in the semis.  A five-point move in the second keyed an 8-2 decision win for Goetzinger.  Geiser had pinned top seed #1 in state Canon Swanson (53-1) of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the semis.   It left Seth G. (#5 in A) to face Jackson County Central’s Payton Handevidt (#4 in A) in the finals.  Seth scored the first points, but Handevidt (48-4) then controlled things.  The JCC sophomore posted an 8-3 decision win for the state title.  As state runner-up, Goetzinger finishes his junior year at 39-6.  Handevidt beat Goetzinger 6-2 in the regular season (JWP Tourney).  Cael Bartels (#2 at 113) executed a bunch of fireman’s in his opening match, winning by a 15-7 major decision.  In his quarterfinal with JCC’s #8 Logan Butzon, Bartels led 3-2 in the third.  He got a late takedown and back-points for the 7-2 win.  In the semis, versus United North Central’s #4 Ethan Hendrickson (28-3), Bartels used a fireman’s to get back-points for a 5-0 start.  Hendrickson then scored six straight, getting the win via takedown and back points late in the third period (6-5 decision).  Bartels rallied, posting a 7-2 decision win over ACGE’s #6 Cole Holien in the consolation semis.  In the third place match, versus Butzon again, Bartels ended a very good career a good way, with a pin.  After a fifth place finish last year, the senior (38-4) takes third in 2020.  He’s gone 97-27 the last three years and is over 100 career wins.  A.J. Karver (#7 at 220) was Chatfield’s third state entrant.  The junior secured a first period pin (spladle) in his opening bout.  Versus Breckinridge’s #3 Daniel Erlandson, Karver led 2-0 after one, fell behind 10-2, and got pinned in the third.  In his first wrestle back, he fell behind 5-2, then got a pin in the second period.  Versus ACGC’s Logan Sherwood, Karver fell behind 7-0 and lost by 10-4 decision.  He was one win away from placing.  Karver finishes the year 28-11.  Finally, LARP senior Ross Herber took on his second state tourney.  He took fourth last year in Class A, but got the “this sucks” treatment in in 2020 in Class AA.  Herber (#4 at 126) fell back 7-1 in the first period to Becker’s Ethan Anderson.  He got to down 7-5, but lost by 9-5 decision.  Anderson then fell leaving Herber one-and-done.  He finishes his senior year 27-6.