FULDA/MURRAY COUNTY CENTRAL WARRIORS EARN DUAL WINS

The Fulda/Murray County Central Warriors were on a rampage last week, sweeping their quad with dual wins against Springfield (60-12), Wabasso (50-21), and Sibley East (57-9).

George Rosenbrook at 107 started off the night with a strong match against Drew Altermatt. Scoring a takedown out of the scrambles in the second and third period, Rosenbrook is showing more confidence and potential in his lead-off position on the team.

Brodik Clarke at 114 wasted no time taking down Korbin Imker of the Tigers, putting him right to his back in a near side cradle and hanging on for the pin.

Kaston Clarke at 121 followed suit with some technical wrestling, wearing Brett Jensen down with a cradle out of the gate. Letting him back up, he scored again with back to back head in the hole go behinds, finally pinning with a hammerlock.

Brantley Klein added to the Warrior lead with a pin of his own at 127 against Jack Breisch - hand fighting through the first period, then starting neutral after a deferral in the second period. Breisch slipped going after Klein’s leg and Klein took advantage landing on top, scooping the head of Breisch and leveling his shoulders to the mat.

After Thomas Pruitt fell to Nate Groebner at 133, Curtis Johnson at 139, added again to the Warrior lead with a pin in the third period against Baxter Wanzek. Johnson scored in the first period with a double leg and tried a series of turns before the end of the period. In the second period, Johnson started in the bottom referees position, quickly escaped and scored two more takedowns to end the second period with a score of 10-1.

Starting neutral in the third period was Johnson, taking Wanzek down and allowing an escape, then finally securing a headlock and scoring the pin for the Warriors.

Brayden Gilb at 145 and Lucas Kuball at 152 both scored six on forfeits. Quintin Lewis at 160, with guns blazing, took Mike Colvin down with a double leg, then let him up, allowing an escape point. A single switch to a double allowed another escape, and finally finished with a double chicken wing for the pin.

Jaxon Wendorff recieved a forfeit at 172, then Luke Iverson went the distance with Patin Johnson, losing the match in a 10-4 decision.

“Vinny” Vincent Bray, a power house for a ninth grader at 215, took Hank Heiling down in a hurry with a strong single leg and finished him off with a nearside cradle, scoring a pin for the Warriors.

Colby Kesteloot anchored the win for the Warriors against Tommy Leopold, scoring a takedown with an outside single then riding out the first period. During the second period, Colby opened up a little more with a blast double after he earned his escape. Kesteloot allowed Leopold to escape, then went with an outside single to the left, putting in the half-nelson on the way to the mat. Once on the mat, Kesteloot reversed the half, scooping the head of Leopold and chest-on-chest secured the pin, catapulting the Warriors to a stunning 60-12 victory over the Tigers.

Next up for the Warriors were the Sibley East Wolverines with George Rosenbrook taking Damian Diaz the distance, holding him to a decision and giving the Wolverines an early lead. As Sibley East had open weights for the next three matches, it didn’t last. With Brodik Clarke at 114, Luke Sweetman at 121, and Kaston Clarke at 127 receiving forfeits.

Thomas Pruitt, an aggressive wrestler at 133, took Hunter Deno down with a single leg and scored out of the scramble, then scored again with a nearfall cradle. In the second period, Pruitt started neutral and then took Deno down with another single leg. The aggression started showing its toll as Pruitt gave up an escape and a takedown, then gave up a reversal and a takedown in the third period, but held on to his early lead for a 12-9 decision win.

After a forfeit to Brayden Gilb at 145, the 152 pound Lucas Kuball scored the first takedown with a head in the hole. After two nearfall cradles - one for 3 points and another for 4 points - got in on another cradle, which gave him the pin for the win in the first period.

Quintin Lewis at 160 against Atley Strack scored the first takedown with a single leg. Lewis allowed Strack to escape and suffered a takedown, but scrambled, pulling his head out of a lock for the reversal and securing a cradle for the pin.

Jaxon Wendorff at 172 scored a takedown with a blast double-driving Gianny Lopez to the edge of the mat. He then switched to one leg keeping his feet in bounds as Lopez fell. Wendorff deferred and Lopez chose neutral in the second period and Wendorff took Lopez down riding out the second period. Starting on the bottom in the third period, Lopez tried a cradle and Jaxon defended it, hanging on to Lopez’s leg and scoring the reversal. Lopez eventually earned 1 escape point, but Wendorff had 8 for the decision win.

Big Vinny 215 took Cohen Niesen down in a hurry, locked up a knuckleroll half. Niesen had no defense as his eyes turned to the ceiling giving up the fall.

Colby Kesteloot took on Alex Cardenas of the Wolverines and went through the first period stirring up aggression, handfighting. Kesteloot, starting on top in the second period, couldn’t hold Cardenas down, allowing an escape. Kesteloot, from the neutral position after an escape, performed a perfect outside single, scoring a takedown and riding out the second period. Kesteloot started down in the third and with a big step he rose up, pulling Cardenas hands free and scoring the escape. Fighting the Cardenas tie, Kesteloot got a leg and took Cardenas down out of bounds without scoring. Starting again in the center of the mat, Kesteloot with a mighty armdrag pulled Cardenas down to the mat for another scoring takedown He finished on top with a final match score of 7-1 and a three team point decision win. The Warriors finished the dual with the Sibley East Wolverines with a 57-9 final score.

The Wabasso Rabbits, the section competitors, got off to an early lead with KJ Beermann at 107 and a technical fall against George Rosenbrook. Luke Sweetman made up for it at 114 with an ankle pick followed by a knuckle roll half for the pin, putting the Warriors up 6-5. Kaston Clarke at 121 received a forfeit, extending the lead for the Warriors. Thomas Pruitt at 127 scored on an ankle pick followed by a reverse halfnelson for the pin. The Rabbits closed the gap with Zach Skoblik pinning Brantley Klein, and Lane Taylor pinning Curtis Johnson, making the score Warriors 18 Rabbits 17.

Brayden Gilb at 145 went takedown crazy against Nathan Riley of the Rabbits. With an armdrag and an escape, followed by a big throw and an escape, followed by an outside single and an escape, followed by another armdrag, he finished the first period 12-3. Starting neutral in the second and ending up in a scramble Gilb scored the takedown, but was running out of gas. Riley started his own charge, scoring three takedowns in the second period and taking the technical fall away from Gilb. Gilb 17-13 had the lead going into the third period and starting on bottom, found his way to a reversal extending his lead 19-13, but exhausted, couldn’t hold Riley down which allowed an escape. Gilb, desperate to win the match, got in and scored another takedown on Riley and rode out the third period, ending in a final match score 14-22 and a Major Decision

for the Warriors.

Lucas Kuball followed Gilb, taking Paxton Huhnerkoch to the mat with a divinely executed ankle pick and got a monkey tail looking for a turn, which the referee called a caution. Kuball chose neutral to start the second period, and with a cross face head in the hole defensive takedown, scored 3 and finished Huhnerkoch off with a cradle with 30 seconds left in the period. Warriors - 28, Rabbits -17.

After a forfeit by the Rabbits to Quintin Lewis at 160, Jaxon Wendorff at 172 took on Tyson Lightfoot of the Rabbits. Wendorff got off to an early lead with a takedown in the first period and started the second period on bottom, earning his escape. He followed it up with an ankle pick. Allowing an unearned escape, he scored on another ankle pick, then one more to finish the second period 13-2. Wendorff allowed Lightfoot to his feet only to take him down with an arm drag and put him on his back for a 3-point nearfall. Wendorff got in bad position and Lightfoot found an escape taking Wendorff down again, but Wendorff’s solid defense held on for the 4 team point major decision extending the lead 38-17.

Luke Iverson at 189 put on a good showing against Zeke Olson, holding him to a major decision, followed by Vincent Bray, who heavy on the head was a formidable opponent for Brillin Wagner 215. Bray suffered two takedowns in the first period, but was able to escape from both. After a little push by Coach Nick Henning to open up for the second period, Bray escaped from bottom and takedown, Olson pinning him in 18 seconds in the second period.

After a forfeit to Kesteloot by the Rabbits the Warriors would win the section dual 50-21.

Friday night into all day Saturday the Warriors battled in Redwood Falls in the “Rumble on the Red” tournament and fared very well, finishing 11th in the 35 team tournament and placing 4 wrestlers - Kaston Clark 121 3rd. Lucas Kuball 152 6th. Quintin Lewis 160 4th. and Colby Kesteloot 6th at Heavyweight. It was a long weekend of wrestling and the boys wrestled hard. As a team, the Warriors haven’t done this well at this tournament in a long time.