Between a Chatfield/LARP dual and the FCLMC holiday wrestling tournament, mat action took center stage the week of December 11. Chatfield stood tall. It wasn’t too long ago the Gophers were hitting up big weekend dual meets and showing their grit versus higher class squads. It wasn’t long ago the Gophers were state champions. After a couple down years, Travis Bartels’ group is heading back in the right direction. Chatfield started the week by downing LARP in a pin clinic. Ten of 12 wrestled bouts were shoulder-to-mat finishes. The first six went that way. Chatfield got wins at 113 (Seth Goetzinger), 126 (Cael Bartels), and 132 (Chase Ketterhagen). LARP won 106 (Ross Herber), 120 (Gable Speltz), and 138 (Reece Riebel). It was knotted 18-18 heading to 145. Dominic Jenkins then put the Screamin’ Eagles ahead with an 8-4 decision over Nathan Goldsmith, the best match of the night. Jake Mandt (152) and Jacob Stephas (160) each notched pins to put Chatfield ahead 30-21. LARP forfeited 170, increasing the lead to 36-21. Sam Puetz (182 > 10-2 MD) and Noah Herber (195 > pin) pulled the S-Eagles to within five, 36-31. But A.J. Karver’s pin at 220 cinched the match. LARP forfeited 285, making the final score 48-31 Chatfield. And with that, the Gophers are 5-1 on the season. LARP falls to 3-2.
Chatfield then joined LARP, the host’s FCLMC, and seven other schools at the Wolves’ holiday tournament. Two years ago, at the last FCLMC Invite, the Gophers and Screamin’ Eagles finished 7th and 8th of a ten team field. The two-year weather-inspired siesta was good each squad. Chatfield (177.5) took first and LARP second (162) this year. The Gophers got three individual titles all in the last seven weights. Jake Mandt took 152 courtesy of two pins and a 17-12 decision (over GMLOS’ Josh Graves). It’s the senior’s fourth title at the FCLMC invite, at four different weights. He won 126 (2013), 138 (2014), and 145 (2015) previously. Mandt (9-0) is ranked #1 at 145 in Class A. Up two weights (170), Davontae Goldsmith got a bye, a pin, and a 7-4 decision win over LARP’s Sam Puetz. D-Goldsmith (8-0) notched his first tourney title ever. Puetz made the finals via a 10-2 MD and a pin. At 182, Carter Fishbaugher went bye, pin, and 12-3 MD over LARP’s Noah Herber for his first title also. The senior improved to 5-1. Herber made the finals via two pins. Reece Riebel was the lone S-Eagles champion. He went pin, pin, and 7-4 decision over GMLOS’ Christian Jacobsen to take 138. Riebel, a senior, improved to 10-2. Finishing second for the Gophers was Seth Goetzinger (113 > 12-6 D, pin, pinned) and Jacob Stephas (160 > pin, pin, lost 9-3 D). Goetzinger, ranked #5 in Class A, fell to Winona’s Ryan Henningson (12-0, #2 in Class AAA). Finishing third for the Gophers, going 3-1 was Cael Bartels (126). Finishing second for LARP was Ross Herber (106 > injury, pin, pinned), Gable Speltz (120 > 15-13 D, 5-2 D, lost 7-0 D), and Dominic Jenkins (145 > pin, 15-6 MD, lost 12-7 D). Herber fell to GMLOS’ Anthony Romero (8-0, #6 in Class A at 106). Finishing third for LARP, going 4-1 on the day was Carter Jonsgaard (113). His sole loss (quarterfinals) was to Winona’s Henningson. The host Wolves didn’t have a top three finisher. Chatfield won the FCLMC Invite last in back-to-back years (2012-2013) but had only one top four finisher (Mandt) the last time they were in Harmony.