-
Luke Iverson -
Teague Meyer -
Carter Benda
The Fulda Murray County Central Warriors have defeated the Pipestone Arrows to make the section 3A final four. The Warriors made an impressive team showing upsetting the Arrows with a wide margin on Thursday the 17th in Pipestone. The last time these two teams met was December 2nd the 2nd dual of the season for the Warriors. A lot has happened since then and the Warriors have improved in every way the wrestling against the Arrows was top notch as well as the coaching. The Warriors haven’t made the final four for 15 years when our assistant coach Cody Kramer was a Junior in High School.
As the Warriors took the stage in this quarterfinal dual they looked very relaxed as they came out of their respective locker room and took their positions in their chairs on the south side of the mat. The Arrows with the higher seed with home team advantage came out running in single file to music circled the mat met in the center for their chant then took their chairs on the north side of the mat. With the coaches in the corners and the first wrestlers called to the mat the stage was set.
Teague Meyer was the first Warrior to get the nod and he would wrestle Haden Mulvihill of the Arrows. The last time these two met the match went into overtime and Mulvihill would take the match with a sudden death takedown. This bout for the section quarterfinal would end differently.
Starting with the first period at 106 with both wrestlers looking for an angle and trying shots Mulvihill was first to put points on the board scoring out of a scramble. Meyer didn’t hesitate to score his escape sitting out getting a hold of Mulvihills hand then standing up. Starting on top referees position in the second period Meyer got a leg in and scored two nearfall points with a two on one tilt. As he lost the hold Mulvihill was able to get his hips out for a reversal. With a score of 3-4 Mulvihill going into the third period Meyer took his turn starting in the bottom position. Meyer would build a base and get Mulvihill high on his upper body and Meyer threw the half and pulled his head out for a reversal for two getting the lead. Then the tension grew as Meyer found Mulvihills near leg and started working a nearside cradle scoring 3 nearfall points and staying on top for the remainder of the match and scoring a decision with a final score of 8-4.
Emotions were running high after Meyers match and the coaches barely took their seats as Lucas Kuball took to the mat against Angel Garcia. Kuball took advantage of a sloppy shot by Garcia and quickly shed it off and scored a takedown on a textbook single leg. The takedown would finish out of bounds and they took a fresh start in the center of the mat. Kuball then got the knuckleroll and quickly followed with the armbar and turned Garcia to his back and held him for the pin. Then the tone really changed in the gym as these lower weights were getting the wins this team desperately needs. With a team score of 9-0 going into the 120 bout the Warriors had an excellent start and these wins would carry them through.
Torrin Clark Had Brayden Burmeister at the 120 bout and after a double leg takedown by Burmeister Clark would earn an escape. Burmeister one of the weights surrounding Hudson Burnett was a little bit more technical scoring a second takedown and eventually earning the fall for Pipestone.
Quentin Lewis got the nod against JJ Martens and put up an excellent fight holding off the onslaught of armbar for the first period. With the wrestlers starting in the neutral position in the second period Martens was hard to defend as he took Lewis to the mat again. Lewis worked his defense and avoiding the pin nearly earned a reversal, but Martens hung on and went into the third period. Knowing they could take Lewis down the Coach attemped to run up the score and get a tech fall and they did. Quentin Lewis put up a hard fight and was a tough opponent for Martens. With a Score of 9-11 and the Arrows on top Denver Ash took the stage with Davis Budden and gave up a fall giving the Arrows another 6. The Warriors didn’t lose hope though even after Luke Iverson took a fall as well.
Then Aiden Lorenzen confidently walked to the center of the mat where he would meet Gavin Olson, and went right to work scoring on an outside single. Trying to break Olson the coaches instructed Lorenzen to cut him and Lorenzen went in for another perfect outside single scoring another takedown. One more cut giving up an escape point was all it took for Olson to give up his back to the mat in a butcher put on by Lorenzen putting up 6 for the Warriors and closing the deficit 15-23.
Eighth grader Owen Olsom at 152 drew tenth grader Bode Bruns. Olsem going into the match as an underdog and usually working as a third period wrestler decided to get things done in the first. A heeltoe-knee was all it took to get to Bruns leg in a outside single, and as he went down Olsem got the half and brought knee and head together for a tight nearside cradle and put Bruns on his back for the fall. With a quick flex and a barbaric yawp Olsem celebrated knowing this victory gave his team a really good chance of winning the dual.
The score was 21-23 Pipestone going into Carter Benda’s match and Carlos Saenlouangraj really didn’t stand a chance as Benda’s speed and athleticism was too much. Benda in the first period out of the gate got a single and lifted it high and brought Carlos to the mat. Carlos quickly stepped out and went to a head lock scoring an escape. Benda defending the headlock with another single leg brought Carlos to the mat again. After a little confusion about who was bleeding on the mat the wrestlers got a fresh start with Benda on top he started working his turns and scored a nearfall at the end of the period. Starting in the neutral position in the second period with a comfortable 6-1 lead in the match Benda after a solid single let put Carlos on his back and finished him off with a half for the pin.
Carson Klein gave up a pin and 6 team points at 170 against 10th grader Jackson Melchor but the fate of the dual was already decided as Pipestone has some open weights. Forfeiting to Christian Kuball, Ryder Henning, and Rylan Klein the Match with Aiden Voss and Colby Kesteloot was null. Final score 45-34
It is very exciting to see where this team 5 years ago had 6 men on the roster and being last in the section, to now having 22 men on the roster and making a run to the final four in the section is amazing to say the least. Dedication to the program by coaching staff, parents, and wrestlers and working hard on and off the mat make good things happen.
In the final four being the 4 seed the Warriors were to take on the #1 seed Jackson county central who have built their program up from a waning state as well. Jackson County Central took all the weights with a score of 82-0 with Carter Benda the only wrestler to finish losing by decision.
We know look forward to a week of practice then the section individual tournament to see where the individual fit into the section and the top two wrestlers of each weight class go on to state.
