Photo by Paul Trende
It was a thrilling, to-the-wire dual and match. It was a devastating loss for Chatfield wrestling. The #1-seed Gophers (#8 in A, 14-1) met rival Dover-Eyota (3-seed, #9 in A, 18-8) for the 1A wrestling team title. After 13 weights, the score sat tied 30-30. This wasn’t unexpected. When the Gophers and Eagles met in the regular season, Chatfield led 32-31 heading to heavyweight. Caden Nolte wrestled out a 6-4 decision over Addison Honsey to the earn Gophers the match and the TRC title. For a trip to state, Nolte and Jackson Duellman went at it. Duellman, the Eagles 220-pounder, was physically overmatched for 1 ½ periods. Nolte built a 6-0 lead including getting nearfall points in the first. But from there on, Duellman rallied with endurance and technique, getting a second period reversal (6-2). In the third period, a reversal and back-to-back nearfall situations put Duellman ahead 9-6! Nolte escaped (9-7), and desperately looked for a late tying takedown, both guys exhausted. But Duellman got a match-clinching take-down. He scored the 11-7 decision win, and grabbed D-E the 33-30 team win, earning a trip to state. Chatfield started the dual up 15-0, getting pins at 106 (#2 Javier Berg) and 113 (Ryan House), a 9-5 decision from #6 Gage Bartels up a weight at 120. Chatfield led in the regular season 11-6 at the same point. But like that dual, 126, 132, and 138 all went to decision in the section final. D-E won all three. Chatfield won two in the regular season. The participants were the game at each weight. Down 15-9, the Eagles then got wins at 145 and 152 from studs #5 Brodie Kellen (21-6 tech fall) and #4 Gavin Gust (pin), and another “W” at 160 (Treyton Thesing 9-1 major decision). Having won six straight matches, D-E led 24-15. Chatfield rallied with wins from three of their top wrestlers, #6 Kail Schott at 170 (4-3 decision), #2 Grady Schott at 182 (pin), and #4 Campbell Berge at 195 (pin). The Gophers led 30-24 heading to 220. They needed just one more win. But Tyler Mix pinned Ethan Ruskell in the third period (220). And then Duellman had his heroics. The Gophers made the finals by beating Caledonia/Houston (5-seed, 17-7) in the semis 44-21. Chatfield led 16-0. The Warriors closed to down 22-17 after 160. The Gophers took four of the final five weights. Ben Carrier (126), Jackson Schild (145), G-Schott (182), Ruskell (220), and Nolte (285) had pins. House (113 > 9-0) and K-Schott (170 > 11-2) won major decisions. Berg (106 > 9-4) and Bartels (120 > 7-1) won by decision. Cory Scanlan (160) had the Warriors lone pin. Tucker Ginther (152 > 18-3) won a tech fall. Ayden Goetzinger (#9 at 195) won a 14-6 major decision. Owen Denstad (132 > 5-2) and Isaac Blocker (#3 at 138 > 6-4) won decisions. Chatfield beat FCLMC 63-13 and the Warriors took down 4-seed Kenyon-Wanamingo 38-27 in the quarters. See “Wrestling – Team Section” for those results. The Gophers finish at 15-2 as 1A runner-up. Caledonia/Houston finishes at 17-8.