Friday, January 25 the West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville Knight wrestling team traveled to Browerville to participate in a dual tournament. The annual competition that appears on this night is astounding and the teams that showed up in 2019 were no different. It gives the Knights ample opportunity to face top shelf talent, which is what is needed to improve both as a team and as individuals. 

The first dual pitted the Knights with a team from northern Minnesota that they do not get an opportunity to face very often. The Blackduck-Cass Lake-Bena Bears. The Section 7 Bears typically produce solid talent and gave the Knights everything they would want. It took a shift in the lineup from Coach Brandon Gruchow to get favorable match-ups and a come from behind flurry of falls from (Fresh) Colton Lindquist, (Sr) Wyatt Olson and (Jr) Devin Stone to bring the Knights victory in a come from behind win. 

The second match of the evening was with a AA powerhouse, the #7 ranked Foley Falcons. Foley flexed they muscle early and often. Racking up bonus points in seven out of their ten wins. The Knights simply were unable at this time to match-up firepower with the Falcons. 

Finally WCAABE had the opportunity to wrestle the best class A team in the state. The hometown Long Praire-Grey Eagle/Browerville Wolves. The Wolves are an impressive dual team. In the sport of wrestling a murderers row applies to a string of three athletes who are virtually impossible to get around without giving up big points. Teams who have this are in fortunate positions. The Wolves have a string of seven out of their first eight grapplers who all apply to this term. It is almost hard to believe this much talent sits on one squad. As with the dual against Foley, the Knights gave up massive bonus points. 10 out of the 11 losses surrendered extra scores. The Wolves dispatched the Knights with relative ease however, this was a good lesson for Mr. Gruchows young matmen. To set lofty goals it sometimes necessary to face this type of ability. It is opportunity to measure where one is at and see the level of where one needs to get to be where they want to be in the future. The Knights are a young team this year that is light on varsity experience, Coach Gruchow and his assistants will use competition such as this as tools to build on. It provides valuable experience that will hopefully put this WCAABE team back in contention for hardware at state tournaments to come. 

Wyatt Olson reached a milestone Friday night as he gathered in his 75th career victory.  3-0 Knight wrestlers at the Browerville duals were (So) Jordan Lohse, Wyatt Olson and Devin Stone. 

Coach Brandon Gruchow responded to the evening like this: “It was a tough tournament. I was happy we were able to adjust the lineup against BCLB and pick up a solid team win. Foley and LPGE-B are solid all the way through their lineups. It was tough to get any momentum going in those duals. I do feel that the team knows these are the teams that are going to help us reach our goal at the end of the season. They are starting to understand the meaning of fighting for every point.” 

The schedule finds the Knights diving head first into the meat of their season as they are in action three times this week. Tuesday night they will host the #7 ranked Frazee Hornets, Thursday the team is home again competing in a triangular with the #5 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Jaguars and the #21 Royalton/Upsala Royals. Saturday the team travels to Wadena for the Park Region Conference Tournament. 

#19 WCAABE 39, Blackduck-Cass Lake Bena (BCLB) 32. 
106: Shad Swanson (WCAABE) over Carter Pater per fall 3:00.
113: Christian Pater (BCLB) over Ashton Danner per fall 1:38.
120: #3 Trevor Janssen (BCLB) over Dierk Goeden per fall 1:24.
126: Landon Gross (BCLB) over Hunter Hanson per decision 9-6.
132: Reubens Swanson (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
138: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Xayvion Rodgers per decision 7-2.
145: Trenten Juelson (BCLB) over Kaleb Getz per decision 16-9.
152: Logan Dobmeier (BCLB) over Bryce Lien per major decision 11-3.
160: Bret Duncan (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
170: #4 Ian Frenzel (BCLB) over Hunter Mickelsen per major decision 14-5.
182: #7 Mason Smid (BCLB) over Deklin Goeden per fall 2:34.
195: Colton Lindquist (WCAABE) over Colter Humphrey per fall 3:13.
220: #3 Wyatt Olson (WCAABE) over Tyreese Goodman per fall 0:48.
285: Devin Stone (WCAABE) over Billy Roberts per fall 2:20.

#7 AA Foley (FOL) 50, #19 WCAABE 15. 
106: #4 Levi Jacobson (FOL) over Shad Swanson per fall 3:56.
113: Evan Milejczak (FOL) over Ashton Danner per fall 5:39.
120: Ethan Oswald (FOL) over Dierk Goeden per fall 0:57.
126: Logan Thorsten (FOL) over Hunter Hanson per technical fall 15-0 4:31.
132: Alex Vait (FOL) over Reubens Swanson per decision 5-3.
138: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Noah Keller (FOl) per fall 5:20.
145: Michael Rothfork (FOL) over Kaleb Getz per decision 8-4.
152: #8 Mark Dierkes (FOL) over Bryce Lien per fall 4:45.
160: #8 Connor Thorsten (FOL) over Hunter Mickelsen per decision 6-1.
170: Bret Duncan (WCAABE) over Max Henne per decision 5-0.
182: Max Lefebvre (FOL) over Colton Lindquist per fall 0:59.
195: #3 Wyatt Olson (WCAABE) over Hunter Gorecki per decision 8-4.
220: Devin Stone (WCAABE) over Carter Svihla per decision 3-2.
285: Elijah Novak (FOL) over Austin Mattson per fall 2:20. 

#1 LPGE-Browerville Wolves (LBW) 56, #19 WCAABE 15. 
106: #4 Cael Lorentz (LBW) over Shad Swanson per technical fall 16-0 5:37.
113: #4 Carter Meiners (LBW) over Ashton Danner per technical fall 20-3 5:02.|
120: #10 Justin Crandall (LBW) over Dierk Goeden per fall 1:28.
126: #8 Landon Gode (LBW) over Hunter Hanson per fall 1:25.
132: #2 Mason Gode (LBW) over Reubens Swanson per technical fall 17-2 3:25.
138: #8 Jordan Lohse (WCAABE) over Nye Becker per decision 3-0.
145: #10 Ted Stacey (LBW) over Kade Olson per fall 5:58.
152: #10 Riley Thom (LBW) over Kaleb Getz per fall 5:24.
160: Austin Carr (LBW) over Bryce Lien per major decision 11-3.
170: Gabe Pesta (LBW) over Hunter Mickelsen per major decision 9-0.
182: Caleb Pesta (LBW) over Colton Lindquist per decision 5-1.
195: #3 Wyatt Olson (WCAABE) won per forfeit.
220: Devin Stone (WCAABE) over Levi Line per fall 3:42.
285: Adam Lindquist (LBW) over Austin Mattson per fall 0:28.