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Following a very long 10 month period since their last moments on the mat, the West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville (WCAABE) Knights and the rest of the Minnesota High School League grapplers commenced their seasons last week.
During a both mental and physically draining period for everyone (the entire year of 2020), we find ourselves in a paradox. The only real known we have had for a long time is that tomorrow is unknown. Because of this, it becomes so uplifting when a handful of normalcy is laid our way. One such “normal” that we have come to know is that Head Coach Brandon Gruchow and his Knight wrestlers have vested themselves as a staple of accomplished and respected competition on the mat.
This season begins much the same as recent years past, the Knights sport a solid state ranking at #14 in class A and have a handful of wrestlers who have earned a top ten spot. Those young men are (in order to weight class)...113 lb. #7 Hunter Gruchow (8th gd) injured, 145 lb #10 Anthony Sykora (10th), 160 lb. #2 Jordan Lohse (12th), 182 lb. #3 Nathaniel Kisgen (12th). As great as the current accolades are it is to be sure that Mr. Gruchow, his staff and the Knight wrestlers have higher sights than the ones currently posted.
Friday, January 15th marked the first day of competition. The Knights hosted the AA Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Raiders and the Breckenridge Cowboys. Both duals resulted in victories and each of those contests resulted in a few eye brow raising moments. Against the Raiders the light weights came out strong, building a 12 point lead following four consecutive decisions to start the match. This was most welcome as both Carter Lohse and Mason Richter picked up their first varsity wins in live competition. A great look for the future! After dropping a bout at 132 the Knights went on a scoring spree winning the next six matches in a row and gathering 43 points and the win in the process. The Cowboys came to the mat with just a handful of wrestlers but those that they did produce provided game competition and put the Knights to the test. In the end WCAABE out-legged Breckenridge not just in victories wrestled but by sheer attrition of numbers. Handing over just two victories to the Cowboys the Knights won by a landslide, 69-9.
This season, the publication will provide a ‘Wrestler of the Week’, based on performance on the mat. The first selection was earned by Anthony Sykora. Sykora is a sophomore at West Central Area and is currently ranked 10th in the state in his weight class. In his first match he dominated his DGF opponent and gathered a fall in :47 seconds. In his second outing he faced #9 ranked Aiden Ruddy from Breckenridge. Sykora rose above his competition and controlled nearly every moment of the match, dispatching Ruddy by a score of 10-3.
The Knights will resume action this week starting with another triangular at home on Tuesday, Jan. 19th vs the Staples-Motley Cardinals and the United North Central Warriors. Thursday the team travels and will wrestle in Barnesville vs the hometown Trojans and the Frazee Hornets. All wrestling will begin at 5 pm.
All numbers following hashtags represent the current rankings via the ‘Guillotine’ wrestling website.
#14 WCAABE 43, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (DGF) 18
106: Carter Lohse (WCAABE) over Gabe Schmitz per decision 7-4.
113: Mason Richter (WCAABE) over TJdl Fuller per decision 7-2.
120: Adam Lohse (WCAABE) over Austin Lenhart per major decision 12-4.
126: Solomon Wales (WCAABE) over Roy Rude per decision 10-4.
132: Camden Mustachia (DGF) over Grant Lindquist per decision 9-6.
138: Ashton Danner (WCAABE) over Dawson Zutz per fall 3:37
145: Dierk Goeden (WCAABE) over Colton Zutz per overtime decision 8-6.
152: #10 Anthony Sykora (WCAABE) over Casey Macziewski per fall 0:47.
160: #2 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Caleb Johnson per fall 1:52.
170: Kade Olson (WCAABE) over Logan Johnson per decision 7-3.
182: #3 Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) over Thomas Thureen per fall 1:12.
195: Preston Johnson (DGF) over Beau Robinson per fall 4:56.
220: Hunter Fischer (DGF) over Colton Lindquist per decision 3-1.
285: Blake Cota (DGF) over Justin Blascyk per fall 3:02.
#14 WCAABE 69, Breckenridge (BREC) 9
106: Matt Noll (BREC) over Carter Lohse per decision 4-0.
113: Mason Richter (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
120: Adam Lohse (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
126: Solomon Wales (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
132: Grant Lindquist (WCAABE) over Alex Martel per fall 3:25.
138: Ashton Danner (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
145: Dierk Goeden (WCAABEwon per forfeit.
152: #10 Anthony Sykora (WCAABE) over #9 Aidan Ruddy per decision 10-3.
160: #2 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
170: Kade Olson (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
182: #3 Nathaniel Kisgen (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
195: Beau Robinson (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
220: #3 Daniel Erlandson (BREC) over Justin Blascyk per fall 1:53.
285: Colton Lindquist (WCAABE) over Wyatt Differding per fall 2:17.