Wrestling: Gophers Threepeat as 1A Champions
Wrestling can sometimes be unique. A competitor can lose and it still helps a team win. Preventing (big) bonus points can prove major dividends to the team game. Chatfield freshman Brenden Kobs found himself in that position in the Gophers’ 1A team final with Goodhue (2-seed, 20-7). Chatfield, #2 in Class A (1-seed, 16-4), jumped out 33-0 after 152-pounds. With six weights left, the Wildcats needed to win all via pins and big bonus points (tech falls). But that was not out of question. In fact, it nearly happened. The Gophers’ upper weights are not their strength. The Wildcats won 152 by tech fall to make it 33-5. At 160, Kobs (17-15) then faced Wildcat senior Hayden Holm (29-9), ranked #2 at 152. Aided greatly by a two-leg tackling second period takedown, and despite a trio of stalling calls in the third, Kobs lost, but by 9-3 decision. Said win clinched Chatfield (17-4) their third straight 1A title and trip to state. Their lead was 25 (33-8) with four weights to go. The Wildcats proceeded to get pins, and tech falls, the rest of the way. The final was 33-31! The Gophers mostly rolled in the lower weights, getting pins from Logan Pearson (#1 at 127) and Hunter Polikowsky (#6 at 145) plus bonus points in four of the other five matches. Everett Priebe (107) and Kaisen Johnson (#2 at 133) won 24-8 and 18-2 tech falls, Jameson Priebe (#2 at 121) and Layne Root (#9 at 139) 15-3 and 15-4 major decisions. On top of Kobs/Holm, the second big match was #3 at 107 Joey Cady (30-1) topping #10 Arlyn von Knobelsdorff (16-3) by 10-7 decision at 114. Cady, smaller and wrestling up a weight, narrowly avoided a takedown at the end of the third period, preventing overtime. Chatfield took last year’s 1A final over the Wildcats 54-14. Matt Mauseth’s group got to the finals by topping La Crescent/Hokah 53-20 in the quarters, LARP 48-23 in the semis. Versus the Lancers (8-seed, 9-11), G-Polikowsky (114), J-Priebe (121), Pearson (127), Johnson (133), Root (139), Andrew Boelter (189), and #7 Will Boelter (215) won by fall, Cady (107) by 16-1 tech fall, and Cody Ramaker (152) by forfeit. The win over the Screamin’ Eagles (4-seed, 19-4), where Chatfield buzz-sawed to a 42-6 start, avenged an early season 39-36 loss. Cady (107), G-Polikowsky (114), and J-Priebe (121) ripped to three very quick first period pins. Hunter Bernard (133), H-Polikowsky (152), and W-Boelter (215) also had pins, Kobs (160) a 17-1 tech fall, Pearson (127) an 18-4 major. At 139, #2 at 133 Johnson (24-6) won a 6-4 decision over #6 Owen Lange (33-7) despite Johnson at one point going unconscious (tight hold). LARP’s wins were Carter Bronk (145), Zach Plank (#6 at 189), and Chace Drazkowski (#7 at 285) by fall, Colten Jenkins (172) by 21-6 tech fall. LARP was down regulars Michael Alexander and Jaxon Johnson. Sickness hampered both teams. It was the Screamin’ Eagles’ second straight 1A semifinal after over a decade of not doing so. See ‘Section Wrestling’ for the S-Eagles’ quarterfinal results. They finish at 19-5.
Wrestling – Team Sections (2/12 & 2/14)
(Section 1A) 5-seed Dover-Eyota (11-9) 23, 4-seed LARP (18-4) 43 (LARP lost just four matches. D-E was down 28-23 after 172, but the Screamin’ Eagles took the final three weights. Carter LaFee (107), Christian Zibrowski (127), Carter Bronk (145), Zach Plank (189), and Chace Drazkowski (285) won by fall, Owen Lange (139) by 16-5 major decision, Easton Johnson (114 > 14-9), Jaxon Johnson (152 > 7-4), and Trygg Hegland (215 > 8-6) by decisions for LARP)
(Section 1A) 7-seed FCLMC (10-13) 15, 2-seed Goodhue (18-7) 54 (FCLMC got a pin from Grant Daniels (145), a 23-7 tech fall from Kane Larson (189), and a 13-0 major from August Pfeffer (133). The Wolves finish at 10-14)
(Section 1A) 6-seed St. Charles (21-6) 29, 3-seed Caledonia/Houston (11-16) 31 (After winning four of the first five matches for a 16-5 lead, the Warriors lost four in a row to trail 23-16 heading to 172. Cal/Hou took three of the final four weights. At 285, with his team trailing 29-28, Rae’Shaun Smith posted a 2-0 decision to give the Warriors the win. The first point of the match was a third period escape. Aiden Burns (114) and Will Allen (172) won by fall for the Warriors, Cooper Allen (215) by forfeit, Kiptyn Meiners (107) by 11-0 major, Nolan Conway (127) and Hunter Frank (133) by 3-0 and 12-6 decisions.)
(Section 2A) 7-seed St. Clair/Mankato-Loyola (5-14) 30, 2-seed GMLOS (9-15) 46 (The match was tied 24-24 heading to 160. The Bulldogs then won four of five to the finish, getting pins from Calum Sween (160) and Drake Payne (215), a forfeit win from Scotty Swanek (172) and a 10-0 major decision from Wyatt Krull (285). Lincoln Lunning (114), Chase Van Hill (121), Parker Armagost (127), and Cael Smith (139) also won by fall)
(Section 2A) 3-seed WEM/JWP (11-12) 40, 2-seed GMLOS (10-15) 31 (The Bulldogs never led. The match was tied 10-10 after four weights before WEM/JWP had three straight six-point wins to lead 28-10. They lead was then 40-19 after 189. P. Armagost (127), C. Sween (160), D. Payne (215), and W. Krull (285) won by fall for the Bulldogs, C. Van Hill (121) a 15-2 major decision, Jaydence Ward (152) a 16-12 decision.)
(Section 1A) 3-seed Caledonia/Houston (12-16) 20, 2-seed Goodhue (19-7) 42 (The Warriors won four of the first six matches to lead 14-11, but then only once more. W. Allen (172) won by fall, A. Burns (121) and H. Frank (139) by 10-2 and 8-0 majors, K. Meiners (107) and N. Conway (133) by 7-2 and 7-3 decisions.)
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