Region 2B

Wrestlers 3rd at Region 2B

We had another great day of wrestling this Saturday.  Our third place finish at the regional tournament was fairly rewarding for our team considering the physical limitations that some of them were dealing with.  Unfortunately, we reached that time of year when we did have to leave someone home for the next week.  Thomas Howe, Colby Pierret, Ben Westhoff, and Matthew Bankes all had their season come to an end for them.  Each of these individuals put forth a great effort, but it just wasn't meant to be this time.  Each of them had to make sacrifices for the benefit of the team throughout the season.  I was very pleased with how they handled their season, and I look forward to them competing next season.  The other seven individuals wrestled well throughout the day and put themselves into the state tournament with their performances.  They each are in a position now to medal next weekend.  After a few days of touch-up preparation, I believe they all will be ready for the tournament.  Saturday's team results for the top 5 were: Canton - 180.5 points; Howard - 117.5; Garretson - 108.5; Flandreau - 93; McCook/Montrose - 83

103 - Thomas Howe wrestled hard all day and did pick up one pin for the team.  He finished his season being only 1 match from qualifying for the meet.  I really think we could see something great out of Thomas in the future years.

* lost by major decision to Alex McClaury (EPJ) 10 - 2

* won by fall over Jaylen Cole (AH) 3:22

* lost by major decision to Josh Manning (BER) 14 - 2

112 - Colby Pierret found himself on the tough road to the state tournament this weekend.  He battled hard as well, but also came up short.  He too will make a big impact for our team in the future.  As he develops his offense more for next season, I think Colby will make large strides of improvement.

* lost by fall to Alex Davies (CAN) 0:16

* lost by decision to Colby Schoellerman (BER) 8 - 6

119 - Cody Bonte wrestled a great tournament and qualified for his first state tournament.  He stayed in good position most of the day and chose his points of attack very carefully.  Cody will need to work more turns this coming weekend if he is going to keep his success.  I really think he can do some good things.

* won by major decision over Hunter Andersen (PAR) 10 - 1

* won by decision over Derek Eldeen (MCM) 4 - 0

* lost by decision to Lance Merrick (AH) 6 - 1

     * 2nd place finish

135 - Tanner Donelan won his weight class to be our only champion of the tournament.  He wrestled the number 2 rated wrestler and won 3 - 0.  He had that lead about mid-way through the match when he came down on his head pretty hard.  Although the trainer said he was ok to wrestle, he didn't wrestle the same the rest of the match.  Along with the slight headache, he also suffered a large cut to the inside of his mouth that caused the match to be delayed many times.  If Tanner is able to control the tempo on his opponents this week, he will have a great chance to defend his state title.

* won by fall over Josh Casperson (BER) 0:15

* won by technical fall over Nathan Glanzer (DV) 18 - 1

* won by decision over Logan Dolen (CAN) 3 - 0

     * 1st place finish

140 - Scott Howe overcame a sluggish start to the tournament to finish nicely.  He lost a close match to the number one rated wrestler in the semifinals match.  He is in a good position to earn his third state tournament medal if he keeps his focus during this week of preparation.  When he is able to control the pace of the action, he wrestles as well as anyone and can beat any one out there.

* won by decision over Wyatt Chicoine (EPJ) 6 - 5

* lost by decion to Parker Swanson (CAN) 4 - 2

* won by decision over Slade Mutchelknaus (MF) 8 - 1

* won by major decision over Wyatt Chicoine (EPJ) 11 - 2

     * 3rd place finish

145 - Isaac Luke wrestled his way to his first state tournament as well.  It was nice to see Isaac take control of two of his matches.  He wrestled smart and will need to continue to do so this weekend.  I feel that Isaac has put himself in a position to possibly bring home a medal this weekend.  He doesn't have the easiest road to do so, but he may surprise some people.

* won by major decision over Rick Heiman (AH) 11 - 0

* lost by fall to Garret Heiberger (TV) 0:38

* won by fall over Ethan Haugen (FL) 4:26

* lost by decision to Jesse Peterson (CAN) 7 - 4

     * 4th place finish

152 - Ben Westhoff came into the tournament at about 80% from a hip flexor injury.  He wrestled as determined as any of the guys, but it just wasn't meant to be.  He was only one match from qualifying for the tournament despite his circumstance.  Ben had a season that one will want to forget during this off-season.  Much of it was out of his control as he suffered with some hurt ribs about mid-way through the year and then finished with this last injury.  I look for Ben to recover nicely next year and finish his senior year on a more positive note.

* lost by injury default to Kirby Bowyer (CAN)

* won by fall over Erick Barnes (AH) 1:18

* lost by decision to Gavin Lee (EPJ) 5 - 0

160 - Zach Lukes wrestled much better this week than he has been able to in the past couple.  His ankle seems to be holding together now and this is allowing him to gain confidence in using it more.  His second trip to the state tournament hopes to be completed with a medal this year.  He has a great opportunity to finish his season on a high note this coming weekend.

* lost by injury default to Jon Curran (DV)

* won by fall over Lukas Forsling (EPJ) 3:36

* won by decision over Alex Pinela (CAN) 10 - 4

* won by decision over Ben Christensen (FL) 7 - 3

     * 3rd place finish

171 - Brady Bonte advanced to the state tournament for the second time as well.  He came up a bit short in the finals, but will be ready to try and bring home his second state placing medal.  He will need to continue wrestling with confidence to put himself into contention this week.  I believe Brady will be ready for the challenge.  He isn't one to back down from those things.

* won by fall over Ryan Donnelly (EPJ) 0:51

* won by fall over Lee Berens (PAR) 1:26

* lost by decision to Kyle Moe (HOW) 4 - 2

     * 2nd place finish

189 - Ethan Storment wrestled well in making it to his second state tournament.  As a senior, I would expect he will be ready to end his career on a positive note.  He will need to continue his aggressive style of wrestling this weekend.  When he is working to score points on his opponents, many other scoring opportunities open up for him.  Many of those openings allow him to put his opponent to their back.  If he can keep that up, he will be in contention for a state medal.

* won by fall over Shaun Donelan (EPJ) 0:44

* won by decision over Sheldon Johnson (FL) 6 - 1

* lost by decision to Cameron Hayden (CAN) 6 - 3

     * 2nd place finish

215 - Matthew Bankes ended his season short of his goals, but gained some great experience to help him next season.  He was very flexible for the team this season.  He was often shuffled from one weight to the other as a way for us to fill our lineup in duals.  His commitment to the team in doing this gained a lot of respect from many.  At times, he was outweighed by about 80 pounds in some matches.  I look forward to next season where he should see more success.

* lost by fall to Jim Doyle (CAN) 0:46

* lost by fall to Alan Kramer (HOW) 3:22

There will be an open house potluck for all parents, wrestlers, and fans at the school on Sunday, the 28th.  The doors will open around 5:00 with eating to begin around 5:30.  We will be providing some pizza, but ask that you bring some kind of meal, dessert, or whatever to share with all.  You will be responsible for bringing your own eating utensils, plates, and drink.  After eating, we will take a short time to reflect on our season and visit with everyone.