Knight Wrestlers Topple Frazee, Lohse & Kisgen PRC Champs
The West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville wrestlers completed the most taxing and grueling week of the season. The week started with a dual against a team that has been a longtime thorn for the Knights in the Frazee Hornets. In a barn burner WCAABE was able to (for the first time ever) beat the Hornets. Two nights later the team traveled to Belgrade to go to battle with three of class A’s best in the ACGC Falcons, the BBE Jaguars and the Royalton-Upsala Royals. The first two showed why they are ranked #2 and #3 respectively. The Knights are a solid team, capable of a deep run in the playoffs, however the Falcons and Jaguars are both incredibly talented. The two teams put a young Knight squad in its place, reminding them of just who the big dog in the yard was….at least for that night. Following the two lashings WCAABE battened down the hatches and locked horns with the Royals. The Knights made short work R/U and finished the weeks duals 2-2. The teams dual record for the season is 17-5. The team finished its week in Long Prairie at the Park Region Conference Tournament.
Hunter Gruchow vs. UNC. PHOTO by TAMMIE OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Nathaniel Kisgen vs. Cooper Wold (BBE) PHOTO by TAMMIE OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Kade Olson in control. PHOTO by TAMMIE OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Because of length of the article due to match content we will not go into all the duals but the match with Frazee is worthy of special attention. As mentioned above the Knights attained a piece of team history on Tuesday as for the first time ever they were able to fizzle out Frazee. The dual started with a second period fall for the Knights from Adam Lohse. Frazee answered back in a big way as they won the next four tussles, taking an early lead of 18-6. Anthony Sykora stopped the bleeding for the Knights at 138 as he put Kaden Hiemenz shoulders to the mat in the first period. Kaleb Getz and Jordan Lohse added a decision and a major which regained the lead for the Knights with a score of 19-18.
The Hornets gained a decision at 160 to briefly control the score but Nathaniel Kisgen posted a fall at 170 for the Knights that once again flipped the score to WCA/A/B-E’s favor 25-21. Four points for Frazee came at 182 from a major decision which set up a 25 all tie with three matches left. Head Coach for the Knights Brandon Gruchow played a bit of cat an mouse as he made a daring shift at 195. Frazee was first to show at that weight...#3 ranked Luke Tweeton marched onto the mat. Gruchow declared a forfeit at that weight and took his two hot handed as of late upper class-men grapplers and shifted Deklin Goeden and Devin Stone both up one weight. Goedon provided a pin at 220 which once again knotted up the score, at 31-31. In the final and deciding match of the night WCA/A/B-E’s senior Devin Stone walked on the mat. Four Minutes and fifty seconds later, following his pin his hand was raised and he and the Knights had overcome the Frazee Hornets 37-31.
Coach Gruchow followed the match with:”We knew going into this match that bonus points and the flip were going to be key. We won the flip and the guys did a great job job with the bonus out pinning them 5-2. We also did a great job keeping those big matches close. It was a great team effort and I feel like we keep getting more and more on the same page!”
Hashtags in front of team or individual represent the current state rankings.
#9 WCA/A/B-E 37, #12 Frazee (FRAZ) 31
106: Adam Lohse (WCAABE) over Cade Nagel per fall 2:33.
113: Bailey Peichel (FRAZ) over Hunter Gruchow per decision 9-7.
120: Christian Carlson (FRAZ) over Solomon Wales per fall 1:35.
126: Lukas Volstad (FRAZ) over Quinten Winter per fall 0:44.
132: Seth Isola (FRAZ) over Ashton Danner per decision 5-3.
138: Anthony Sykora (WCAABE) over Kaden Hiemenz per fall 0:43.
145: Kaleb Getz (WCAABE) over Brock Barlund per decision 4-2.
152: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Mason Newling per major decision 10-2.
160: Danny Graham (FRAZ) over Bret Duncan per decision 7-0.
170: #5 Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) over Coleton Borah per fall 0:30.
182: #2 Brett Graham (FRAZ) over Colton Lindquist per major decision 11-1.
195: #3 Luke Tweeton (FRAZ) won per forfeit.
220: Deklin Goeden (WCAABE) over Byron Kropuenske per fall 2:59.
285: #10 Devin Stone (WCAABE) over Wesley Kropuenske per fall 4:50.
Thursday, January 30th Belgrade, MN
#2 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (ACGC) 60, #9 WCA/A/B-E 15
106: #10 Jevon Williams (ACGC) over Adam Lohse per fall 2:34.
113: #6 Cole Holien (ACGC) over Hunter Gruchow per fall 1:50.
120: #6 Kelvin Andrade-Ponce (ACGC) over Solomon Wales per fall 2:42.
126: #5 Brady Holien (ACGC) over Quinten Winter per fall 0:11.
132: #3 Ramzee Molinaro (ACGC) over Ashton Danner per fall 0:54.
138: #10 Hayden Straumann (ACGC) over Anthony Sykora per fall 2:55.
145: Jake Mortensen (ACGC) over Kaleb Getz per decision 7-1.
152: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Logan Straumann per fall 1:30.
160: Jaxon Behm (ACGC) over Bret Duncan per fall 2:58.
170: #5 Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) over Jesus Cardenas per fall 1:26.
182: Taylor Fester (ACGC) over Colton Lindquist per fall 3:32.
195: Logan Sherwood (ACGC) over Deklin Goeden per decision 7-0.
220: #10 Devin Stone (WCAABE) over Jose Posada per decision 4-0.
285: #3 Tanner Berghuis (ACGC) over Austin Mattson per fall 1:32.
#3 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (BBE) 56, #9 WCA/A/B-E) 18
106: Wyatt Engen (BBE) over Adam Lohse per fall 0:53.
113: #1 Walker Bents (BBE) over Hunter Gruchow per fall 0:54.
120: Ryan Jensen (BBE) over Solomon Wales per fall 3:26.
126: #4 Tyler Jensen (BBE) over Jeremy Blascyk per fall 0:16.
132: Maximus Hanson (BBE) over Ashton Danner per fall 1:34.
138: Anthony Sykora (WCAABE) over #4 Blaine Fischer per decision 10-8.
145: #1 Canon Swanson (BBE) over Kade Olson per fall 1:26.
152: Reubens Swanson (WCAABE) over Dylan T. Kampsen per decision 11-5.
160: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Talen Kampsen per fall 3:51.
170: Evan Young (BBE) over Bret Duncan per decision 7-6.
182: #5 Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) over Cooper Wold per fall 1:28.
195: #8 Michael Doubek (BBE) over Colton Lindquist per technical fall 25-10 5:57.
220: Mark Jenniges (BBE) over Deklin Goeden per fall 1:12.
285: Bryce Feuerhake (BBE) over #10 Devin Stone per injury default.
#9 WCA/A/B-E 45, #20 Royalton-Upsala (RU) 26
106: Adam Lohse (WCAABE) over Michael Zimmerman per decision 4-3.
113: Hunter Gruchow (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
120: Will Gorecki (RU) over Solomon Wales per decision 11-5.
126: Ashton Danner (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
132: Jeremy Blascyk (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
138: #8 Jacob Leibold (RU) over Anthony Sykora per major decision 14-2.
145: Kade Olson (WCAABE) over Christopher Borash per fall 0:41.
152: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Brayden Conrad per fall 3:47.
160: Gabe Gorecki (RU) over Bret Duncan per fall 1:13.
170: #5 .Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) over Aidan Olson per fall 2:46.
182: Austin Wensmann (RU) over Colton Lindquist per decision 5-1.
195: Deklin Goeden (WCAABE) over #10 Matthew Kasella per fall 3:02.
220: Gage Louden (RU) over Justin Blascyk per major decision 10-1.
285: #10 Mason Novitzki (RUk) over Austin Mattson per fall 0:10.
2/1/20 Long Prairie, MN Park Region Conference Tournament
Saturday the Knights traveled to Long Prairie to participate in the Park Region Conference Tournament. In a field bristled with ranked and accomplished grapplers WCA/A/B-E wrestled a few starters and one weight class short however as with the rest of the season the team performed extremely well. 12 of the 13 wrestlers reached the podium with a pair of champions in Jordan Lohse and Nathaniel Kisgen, five Knights earned third place, a duo of 4th and 5th place finishers and one 6th place. All of those efforts culminated in a runner-up finish for the team whom fended off four other top shelf teams in class A wrestling along with three more scrappy PRC foes. The #1 ranked Wolves from Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville ran away with the team champion honors.
1 #1 LPGE/Browerville 221 points
2 #9 West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 156
3 #17 Ottertail Central Bulldogs 150
4 #20 Royalton-Upsala 138
5 #7 Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie 136
6 #21 United North Central Warriors 127.5
7 New York Mills 91
8 Wadena-Deer Creek 68
9 Osakis 35
106: Hunter Gruchow (23-15) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.
Defeated Nick Peters (NYM) per fall 3:29, Defeated by #6 Braden Thom (LPGEB) per fall 0:58, Defeated Kolby Peters (OTC) per fall 4:35, 3rd Place Match – Defeated Aaron Lake (UNC) per fall 0:58.
113: Adam Lohse (20-15) placed 5th and scored 7.0 team points.
Defeated by Cody Jacobs (OTC) per fall 3:17, Defeated by #8 Cael Lorentz (LPGEB) per tech fall 3:03 15-0, 5th Place Match – Defeated Chris Yoder (NYM) per fall 3:27.
120: Solomon Wales (16-20) placed 4th and scored 9.0 team points.
Defeated by Will Gorecki (RU) per decision 10-3, Defeated Aiden Larson (BHVPP) per decision 3-2, 3rd Place Match – Defeated by Will Gorecki (RU) per fall 1:15.
126: Jeremy Blascyk (4-5) DNP
Defeated by #3 Dane Niemi (NYM) per fall 1:30, Defeated by Hunter Skaro (UNC) per fall 0:38.
132: Ashton Danner (16-20) placed 6th and scored 3.0 team points.
Defeated by Derrik Wegscheid (NYM) per fall 1:09, Defeated by Nathan Kulzer (OSAK) per fall 0:40, 5th Place Match – Defeated by #7 Justin Koehn (BHVPP) per fall 1:11.
138: Anthony Sykora (26-10) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.
Defeated Hank Tellers (UNC) per decision 10-3, Defeated by #8 Jacob Leibold (RU) per decision 10-3, Defeated Reed Leabo (OTC) per decision 8-2, 3rd Place Match – Defeated Kale Drevlow (OSAK) per fall 2:32.
145: Kade Olson (13-7) placed 3rd and scored 15.0 team points.
Defeated by Connor Dirks (WDC) per decision 10-7, Defeated Jaxon Rich (OTC) per decision 5-0, Defeated Christopher Borash (RU) per fall 1:48, 3rd Place Match – Defeated Connor Dirks (WDC) per fall 3:41.
152: #8 Jordan Lohse (34-2) placed 1st and scored 20.0 team points.
Defeated Matt Hendricks (OTC) per decision 5-2, 1st Place Match – Defeated #10 Eion Ness (UNC) per decision 8-1.
160: Bret Duncan (12-17) placed 4th and scored 13.0 team points.
Defeated by Riley Thom (LPGEB) per fall 3:16, Defeated Brayden Kleinke (WDC) per fall 2:44, Defeated Nik Gardin (OTC) per fall 0:57, 3rd Place Match – Defeated by Mason Schroeder (BHVPP) per fall 1:15.
170: #5 Nathaniel Kisgen (34-3) placed 1st and scored 24.0 team points.
Defeated Braxton Saewert (NYM) per fall 1:59, Defeated Aidan Olson (RU) per fall 1:31, 1st Place Match – Defeated Vince Dailey (UNC) per decision 4-2.
182: Colton Lindquist (21-16) placed 3rd and scored 12.0 team points.
Defeated Austin Wensmann (RU) per decision 3-0, Defeated by Cody Wheeler (WDC) per decision 5-0, Defeated Will Ehlert (OTC) per decision 3-0, 3rd Place Match – Defeated Torrey Carlson (UNC) per decision 5-2.
195: Deklin Goeden (25-12) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.
Defeated #10 Matthew Kasella (RU) per decision 7-1, Defeated by Zane Swanson (OTC) per fall 0:59, 3rd Place Match – Defeated #10 Matthew Kasella (RU) per fall 4:00.
220: Justin Blascyk (15-13) placed 5th and scored 7.0 team points.
Defeated Braeden Peterson (NYM) per decision 3-2, Defeated by #9 Levi Line (LPGEB) per fall 0:32, Defeated by Koal Ploutz (BHVPP) per decision 7-5, 5th Place Match – Defeated Murphy Despard (OTC) per decision 5-0.
Coach Gruchow and the Knights will have one final regular season contest to tune up all loose ends as Saturday, February 11th they travel to Morris for the Dr. Busian Invite.
