WARRIOR WRESTLERS BUSY IN JANUARY

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy for the Fulda/Murray County Central Warriors as they travelled to Madelia on the 14th for a Quad against St. Clair/ Windom/ and St. James. Then on the 18th travelled to Harrisburg, South Dakota for a team tournament, at which they took part in 5 team duals. On the 23rd, they had a dual against the Tracy/ Milroy/ Balaton/ Westbrook/ Walnut Grove Panthers. Finally, they took part in the 16 team individual tournament in Lamberton on the 24th.

In St. James on January 14th, the Warriors brought their broom as they swept the floor, defeating Windom/ Mountain Lake 56-15 and St. Clair 6311. In Harrisburg on the 18th the Warriors went 4-1 on the day defeating Washington 4530, O’Gorman 43-30, Dell Rapids 72-8, and Roosevelt 72-6. Their only loss was against Harrisburg with a score of 4924. During the tournament some milestones were made. Carson Klein made his 100th win, as well as Quintin Lewis. Colby Kesteloot won the 75th match of his career also during the tournament.

On Thursday, January 23rd, the Warriors travelled to Tracy to dual the TMB/WWG Panthers who are 9 and 13 for a big match. With the section seedings coming up, it was an important dual. The Warriors entered the dual 15 and 4 for the season and a 6 and 1 record for the section.

The Warriors, winning the coin flip, sent Dane Hansen at 107, against Logan Peterson. Peterson caught an early takedown against Hansen and from the bottom Hansen kept his composure and worked good defense, staying in good position, fighting off all of the turns Peterson threw at him in the 1st period. The wrestlers started the 2nd in neutral. Hansen nearly took Peterson down with a single leg and catching a cradle, but ended up out of bounds. Peterson ended up with the takedown and Hansen again worked excellent defense, not giving up too many points. Peterson, again in the third period starting from neutral, scored the takedown, putting him up 9-0. Hansen fought off all of the turn attempts. Avoiding the pin, he only allowed a major decision, putting the Panthers up 4-0. This was excellent wrestling by Hansen, battling a superior wrestler, but not giving up too much.

Luke Sweetman went up against Taylor Squires and lost by pinfall 45 seconds into the first period, giving the Panthers a 9-0 lead. Next up was Kaston Clarke against Weston Marten at 121. Clarke scored early on a single leg, fighting through Martens’ whizzer. Marten scored an escape, starting from bottom after a restart, and caught Clarke off guard with an ankle pick. Clarke, fighting from bottom, got Marten into a stall warning and eventually Marten had to let Clarke escape to avoid any more stalling. With 45 seconds left in the 2nd period, Clarke got in on a single, switched to a double, got Marten off balance and scored the 3 points, finishing the period with a 7-4 lead. Marten chose neutral to start the 3rd period, and Clarke, on a shot attempt, left his arms out. Marten took advantage, getting an underhood and put Clarke on his back. earning 7 points and getting an 11-7 lead. An illegal hold during a headlock allowed a restart, giving Clarke a point, making the score 11-8. Marten, very aggressive, lifted Clarke up and with an illegal slam, gave Clarke another point, making it 11-9. Clarke from bottom, scored an escape as Marten didn’t want to stall, 1110. Clarke, from the scramble got too high and Marten came out the back door for a 3 point takedown, winning the match with a decision.

With the Panthers up 13-0, next up was Hunter Reese against Verlinde at 127lbs. Verlinde scored the initial takedown and got Reese to his back for a quick 7-0 lead in the match. Starting the second period, Reese defers and Verlinde chooses neutral. Reese, working from neutral scored 3 on a single leg, but Verlinde sat out, caught Reese’s head and with a headlock, secured the pin, making the team score 19-0.

Next up was Truman Olsem taking on David Schuh at 133lbs. Schuh scored 6 for the Panthers on a pinfall, making the team score 25-0 Panthers.

At 139, the Warriors needing a bump, took Teague Meyer out of the stable against Mua Vang. Meyer scored the 1st takedown on a single, going right into a half nelson on the edge of the mat. Vang rolled to his belly only after Meyer scored his 4 nearfall points. Starting on top, Meyer got right into a nearside cradle, scoring 4 followed by another nearfall, winning by technical fall, putting the Warriors on the board 25-5.

Next up, Noah Mathiowetz and Troy Gillette at 145. After a couple scrambles, Mathiowetz ended up on top scoring the takedown. Mathiowetz rode out the period going into the second with a 3-0 lead. Mathiowetz chose up after Gillette deferred. Mathiowetz scored another takedown, coming out the back, taking advantage of a bad shot by Gillette. Mathiowetz got his legs in and scored 4 on a turk then another 3 on a tilt, putting him up 9-0 to start the 3rd period. Gillette, choosing top in the 3rd, got a little agressive, throwing a put gave Mathiowetz another point 100. Mathiowetz scored another point on a full nelson penalty point 11-0. Mathiowetz gave up one point stalling on the bottom, but won the match 11-1, making the team score 25-9.

Now Quintin Lewis against Tyler Arnold at 152. Lewis wasted no time working to the side, taking Arnold down and with a tight arm bar scores a pinfall, making the score 25-15.

Jaxon Wendorff at 160lbs went up against Ty Yackley and got in on a shot early, putting Yackley right to his back, scoring 5 quick points with the takedown and 2 nearfall points. Wendorff kept in good position and got in on a standing cradle putting Yackley right to his back, scoring a 4 point nearfall. Yackley worked his way out of it and eventually scored another escape point. Starting the 2nd period 9-2, Yackley chose top referees position hitting a switch following Yackley. Wendorff kept working eventually scoring a reversal with a couple back points. Wendorff kept working with a deep waist and an arm bar put Yackley in a pinning hold he couldn’t escape, giving the Warriors 6 with 4 wins in a row making the score closer 25-21 with Isaiah Wolske, an ex Panther coming up next.

Wolske, wrestling a former teamate Lawton Verlinde, trying to keep the run alive, countered a throw attempt, putting Verlinde right to his back, giving Wolske a quick 7 points with the nearfall. After riding out the 1st period, the wrestlers started neutral in the second. After a 30 second hand fight, Wolske countered another throw attempt and scored another 5 points, this time with a two point nearfall putting Verlinde right to his back with an overhook. On top after a restart, Wolske, looking for a pin and staying in good technical position, working an arm bar, ran into blood time. Starting the third period with a 10-0 lead he scored an escape point out of referees position, followed by a solid double leg making the score 14-0. After more blood time, Wolske gave up an intentional escape and wasted no time taking Verlinde down one more time, scoring the technical fall putting the Warrriors up 26-25.

At 189 lbs, Luke Iverson had Jackson Pfarr and after some hand fighting, scored the pin with a knuckle roll half putting the Warriors up 32-25. Next up was the mighty Carson Klein wrestling Hippe, lifting him up, putting in the half, putting Hippe on his back and scoring the pin in no time. 38-25.

Gabriel Wolske, pulling the last leg of the team, went up against Richard Yang but couldn’t hang on. Yang would win this one, but it wouldn’t be enough, as the Warriors already had it won 38-31.

The Warriors pulled an all nighter, travelling to Lamberton for a 16 team tournament on January 24th, finishing the tournament early in the morning on January 25th. The Warriors finished 12th with Kaston Clarke in 5th place, Quintin Lewis in 6th, Isaiah Wolske in 5th, and Carson Klein in 4th.