6 Knights Place at MN USA Folkstyle Tournament

Ashlyn Lohse wins state title!

Levi Larkin Makes it to the Finals!

Drake Swanson with 6th place!

There were 13 Knight wrestlers participating in the Mn USA Folkstyle State Tournament March 7th-9th. These wrestlers accounted for part of the grand total of 1793 competitors.  There was a total of 3290 total bouts among all the age groups.  Our Placers included Ashlyn Lohse 1st in the girls peewee division, Levi Larkin 2nd in the schoolboy division, Colbe Tappe 4th in the Bantam Division, Owen Gruchow 5th in the Peewee division, Anthony Sykora 5th in the Intermediate division, and Drake Swanson 6th in the Cadet division.   Other wrestlers that competed were Kaleb Getz, Hunter Gruchow, Chris Onstad, Tyler Onstad, Jake Nohre, Adam Lohse, and Jordan Lohse.  This is a great experience for our wrestlers.  It gives them a chance to wrestle in a large venue with huge brackets.  There are a lot of talented wrestlers.  Some would argue this is the toughest tournament in the state for our MN Wrestlers.  I am proud of our wrestlers for going out and trying there best.  Taking the time to gain valuable experience is going to pay off somewhere down the line.  They all wrestled well and should be proud of there efforts!

Colbe Tappe taked 4th place!

Anthony Sykora taked 5th place!

Owen Gruchow takes 5th place.

Fick Places 5th at State

By: Kevin Fick

St. Paul, MN

Several months ago the first recap of the 2014 wrestling season was posted.  In it the wrestling season was compared to a book.  Just like any book there are chapters that develop characters, describe plots and set the tone with the necessary drama to keep followers interested.  The chapters were in the form of weeks of competition, the wrestlers themselves starred as the main characters with a supporting cast of coaches and other teams.  The plots developed as the weeks passed with the team setting itself up for a conference title and a deep into section playoffs.  There was plenty of drama and as with any sports team there were highs and lows.  Goals were set and sometimes met while other times the team fell just short.  Individually wrestlers set their personal goals which ranged from milestone wins to reaching and placing in the state tournament.  Just like any story there is always an ending, a last chapter that is the pinnacle of the tale…..in this storyline that ends with the Minnesota High School State Wrestling Tournament.

The state tournament is held at the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.  Thursday, February 27^th it all began with a day of team wrestling.  The top teams from all eight sections in all three classes compete to find out what team is top dog in its class in the state of Minnesota.  In class A, which is where West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville wrestles, section 6 was represented by Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale.  The Raiders were dispatched by Frazee whom lost to Chatfield.  Chatfield defeated Atwater/Cosmos/Grove City for the team championship.  Class AA was won by Simley and Apple Valley secured AAA. 

The individual tournament took place Friday, Feb. 28^th and Saturday March 1^st.  In all it took 1,050 matches to find the place winners in all 14 weight divisions for the three classes.  That is a lot of wrestling.  If a person thinks there is intensity and emotions at the section level that individual should take a trip to the state competition.  These kids leave it all on the mat each time they get a chance.  The level of talent is obviously incredible as is the will of each wrestler to win.  Having viewed what was going on before during and after the matches a large amount of credit is given to the coaches who are able to keep their boys calm and cool enough to compete in the next match.  Most of these boys at this level are not used to losing and it can be devastating at the worst possible moments.  There isn’t much time after a loss to think about it, the wrestler needs to quickly focus and be ready for the next person and not look past him to the next person.  That may all sound fairly simple but these kids, who look like men, rely heavily on their coaches to guide them through emotionally while they pit everything they’ve got physically against their opponents.  Sometimes it’s enough, sometimes it’s not.  No matter what the outcome any competitor should feel honored to wrestle with the best of the best as the top 16 athletes in each weight class go toe to toe.  For each of the five WCAAE entrants there is plenty of room to improve next year and goals are already being set. 

Jake Nohre wrestled at 106 lbs.   In Jake’s first match he was defeated by # 4 ranked Tanner Pasvogel (Sibley East) per decision 7-0.  Jakes second match in wrestle backs ended in a defeat to Ethan Cota (Kenyon-Wanamingo) per decision 7-1. 

Coach Brandon Gruchow…”Although Jake didn’t finish the way he wanted he wrestled hard and pushed the pace against both of his opponents.  He definitely wants to and will improve. I know he is already planning his off-season tournaments which will help him find a place high on the podium next season.”

Levi Larkin wrestled at 113 lbs.  Levi Caught a bit of a break in his first match as #3 ranked Tanner Reetz (Frazee) didn’t make weight.  Levi’s second match was in the quarter-finals against #4 ranked Jared Goldsmith (Chatfield).  Levi was defeated by fall in :44.  Levi next wrestled in the wrestle backs against Lucas Reiplinger (Blackduck/Cass Lake-Bena).  Levi won his match 4-2 .  Levi was next defeated by #2 Trenton Coyer (Osakis) per decision 5-1. 

Coach Gruchow…”Levi  may have had a little luck involved in getting him to the spot he had but he sure wrestled like he belonged in the state tournament.  He didn’t back down to anyone.  I was really impressed with the eighth graders composer over the course of the tournament.  He will be ready to repeat his appearance and watch out, he is going to be older and stronger.”

Jake Larkin wrestled at 138 lbs.  Jakes first match was a defeat to Ryan Engfer (Osakis) per decision 4-1.  Jake’s opportunity to compete in wrestle backs ended when Engfer lost in the quarter-finals. 

Coach Gruchow…”Jake pushed through some serious and nagging pain from a torn meniscus injury for the last month of the season.  It’s not the tournament you want to enter injured… kudos to Jake for pushing through the pain and trying his best.  I can’t wait to see his finish next year when he is healthy and back in tip top shape!”

Royal Crow wrestled at 152 lbs.   Royal defeated Jake Magnell (Red Lake County Central) per decision 2-1.  Royal was defeated in the quarter-finals by #4 Brady Bos (Pipestone) per decision 4-1.  In the wrestle backs Crow was defeated by Devin Meagher (Paynesville) per fall 4:52. 

  Coach Gruchow…”Crow battled fiercely against some tough competition.  I know Royal was giving it his all out there.  He will be another one you can bet that will be putting in many extra hours training, wrestling, and improving in the offseason.  He knows some of his techniques he wants to improve on.  I am confident he will work and improve on them so that he can take home some hardware in next season’s state tournament.”

Hunter Fick wrestled at 195 lbs. placing 5^th in the tournament.  Fick opened with a win over Tanner Templin (Blackduck/Cass Lake-Bena) per decision 7-2.  In his quarter-final match Fick beat #10 Derek Ludwig (Paynesville) per decision 8-2.  Hunter lost in the semi-finals to #4 Vince Johnson (Windom/Mountain Lake) per decision 4-3.  In the consolation semis Hunter went down to #2 Tyler Patron (New York Mills) per decision 6-3.  In his final match Hunter defeated #6 Jake Denn (Madelia/Truman/Martin Luther) per decision 6-4 to secure 5^th place. Coach Gruchow…”Hunter Fick had an outstanding tournament and wrestled better than he has all year.  Falling just a point short in the semi-finals really has given Hunter a whole new outlook on how he wants to finish next season.  In Hunter’s 5th place finish (very deserved) he just plain out wrestled well.  Goals have already been set to be the #1 wrestler at 195 pound for Class A in the 2015 state tournament.  What a great expectation to have going into a new season.  I am so happy and proud of his accomplishments.”

Coach Gruchow goes on to say…”What a weekend!  Talk about emotional.  With 5 wrestlers competing it’s a much  different experience than 1 or 2 that  we have been taking recently, with the exception in 2010 when we had 5 guys as  well.  We wrestled pretty well.  We got some wins, brought home some hardware (which hasn’t been done since 2010), and made some more memories that will continue to drive the future success of our wrestlers and program.

Thanks boys for all your hard work, perseverance, and dedication you have shown throughout this season.  You are all very deserving of your accomplishments this season.  These 5 wrestlers have set a good base for next year’s expectations.   This year’s state entrants along with the twenty-two other members of the 2014 team and next year’s incoming 7th graders have some high expectations to fill in 2015.  Once again…I can’t wait for next season to begin!

It’s crazy to think the high school wrestling season is over. I feel like the season just started.  I guess that’s what happens when you are having fun.  I feel like we accomplished so many great things this season as both a team and as individuals. I can already feel an emptiness starting to develop; it’s a feeling I get every year at the end of the season.  I know the feeling will hit extra hard with all the improvements, memories, and fun we have put together this season.  Come Monday, there won’t be any JV/Varsity practice to attend.  It will be different but thank goodness I have the Elementary and MN USA Club wrestling to keep me busy while I anticipate next season to start.”

Place winner from section 6A

106 lb. Anthony Kern (Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale) 6^th place

120 lb. Cameron Sykora (Border West) 1^st place

120 lb. Conrad Kondos (Breckenridge) 3^rd place

145 lb. Devin Barthel (Wadena-Deer Creek) 6^th place

170 lb. Austin Maanum (Border West) 4^th place

195 lb. Tyler Patron (New York Mills) 4^th place

195 lb. Hunter Fick (West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville) 5^th place

220 lb. Dillon Card (Bertha Hewitt/Verndale) 3^rd place

Area Place Winners

113 lb. Trenton Coyer (Osakis) 6^th place  Class A

120 lb. Brenden Coyer (Osakis) 5^th place  Class A

160 lb. Dane Ringquist (Fergus Falls) 5^th place Class AA

195 lb. Abram Aho (Fergus Falls) 5^th place Class AA

195 lb. Justin Cumberbatch (Alexandria) 1^st place Class AAA

5 WCAAE Wrestlers Advance to State

By: Kevin Fick

“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is willpower that is most important.”                                      Junko Tabei 1975 after climbing Mount Everest

Friday, Feb. 21^st and Saturday, Feb. 22^nd

With the conclusion of team wrestling last week all that was left of the season was the Section 6A Individual Tournament.  This tournament is a bit different than others throughout the year as only the section champions and runners-up advance and the rest stay home.  It is a very final moment for most seniors who have put in years of hard work.  The action is intense, emotions run high and competitors leave it all out on the mat as the prize for the final two is a trip to the Minnesota State Tournament.

The WCAAE team wrestled a fantastic 2014 campaign and had high hopes of sending multiple individuals to state.  The grapplers were true to form and at the end of the tournament five wrestlers fought, clawed and scratched, used technique and ability, but in the end willed their way to a trip to state.  The following is a list of the weight classes and wrestlers followed by their win/loss record who earned a state berth…  106 lb. Jake Nohre  36-6, 113 lb. Levi Larkin  27-13, 138 lb. Jake Larkin  22-10, 152 lb. Royal Crow  34-5, 195 lb. Hunter Fick  33-7.  These young men will compete Friday, Feb. 28^th at the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul along with the other 15 wrestlers left in their respective weight classes.  Action will begin at 9 am.  Congratulations wrestlers and good luck at ‘State’!

Section 6A is composed of ten teams.  The teams are listed below and the number behind represents the number of wrestlers each team is sending to the next level.

Barnesville                                                       (2)

Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale                              (5)

Border West                                                    (5)

Breckenridge/Campbell-Tintah                   (1)

New York Mills                                                (1)

Pelican Rapids                                                 (3)

Prairie Valley                                                   (3)

Staples/Motley                                               (2)

West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville         (5)

Wadena-Deer Creek                                       (1)

Coach Brandon Gruchow, who was earlier named Park Region Conference ‘Coach of the Year’, picked up another accolade being voted in by his peers as Section 6A ‘Coach of the Year’.  Congratualtions Coach Gruchow, you have put together a fantastic season!  About the weekend Coach Gruchow states….”All the hard work and dedication these boys and families have put towards the wrestling program has really paid off.  Overall, all the guys wrestled well and wrestled with heart.  It would have been nice to have a few section champs but runner- up provides a trip to the state tournament as well.  Just like sections, I like to think of the state tournament as a new season and a fresh start.    Not only am I proud of the 5 guys who took second I am also proud of the 9 other guys who threw it all out on the mat and wrestled with heart and intensity the last 2 days.  There were a lot of emotions; some real highs and some lows.  Some guys finished happy and others not so much.  One thing is for sure….we have a great group of kids who work hard, are dedicated, take care of their classroom duties.  They make coaching fun and are a pleasure to work with.”

106 lb. Jake Nohre (9)  2^nd place

Defeated Nick Hendrickx (NYM) per fall 1:47, defeated Brady Tweeton (BRNL) per dec. 7-1, defeated by Anthony Kern per fall 5:55

113 lb. Levi Larkin (8)  2^nd place

1^st round bye, defeated Brady Martz (BRNL) 6-0, defeated by Danny Franco (PR) per dec. 4-3

120 lb. Keaton Long (9)  3^rd place

1^st round bye, defeated by Conrad Kondos (BRK) per fall 2:37, defeated James Riley (BRNL) per fall 2:20, defeated Gage Brown (SM) per fall 5:29

126 lb. Tyler Onstad (9)

Defeated by Justin Gordon (BHV) per fall 4:50, defeated by Lee Hotakainen (WDC) per dec. 9-2

132 lb. Aiden Winter (8)

Defeated by Kyler Votova (BRNL) per fall :43, defeated by Dakota Pixley (PR) per fall 2:15

138 lb. Jake Larkin (10)  2^nd place

Defeated Johnny Flynn (NYM) per fall 2:57, defeated Holten Truax (BHV) per dec. 4-0, defeated by Rylee Anderson (BRNL) per dec. 4-0

145 lb. Kyle Mickelsen (11)

Defeated by Eric Schwagel (BW) per injury default

152 lb. Royal Crow (11)  2^nd place

1^st round bye, defeated Alex Diaz (PR) per major dec. 14-4, defeated by Dylan Pullis (BW) per dec. 6-4, defeated Andrew Cihlar (BHV) per dec. 5-0 true 2^nd match

160 lb. Braedon Long (12)

Defeated by Hobet Diaz (PR) per fall 1:20, defeated Blaine Snyder (WDC) 11-0, defeated by Hayden Truax (BHV) per fall 3:55

170 lb. Koel Seifort (11)

Defeated by Nick Bennett (BHV) per fall, defeated by Nathan Johnson per major dec. 14-5

182 lb. Sid Kamrath (10)

Defeated by Maverick Brady (BRNL) per dec. 3-2, defeated by Cormick Combellick (BW) per fall 3:42

195 lb. Hunter Fick (11)  2^nd place

Defeated Zach Hasse (BRK) per fall :56, defeated Andy Bounds (BHV) per fall 5:47, defeated by Tyler Patron (NYM) per fall 3:14

220 lb. Buzz Miller (10) 4^th place

Defeated Cole Graybow (NYM) per major dec. 11-0, defeated by Dillon Card (BHV) per dec. 7-0, defeated Caleb Monson (WDC) per fall 3:16, defeated by Dana Berg (BRNL) per fall 5:56

285 lb. T.J.Waskosky (10)  5^th place

Defeated by Brandon Monson (WDC) per major dec. 10-0, defeated by Alex Settlemeyer (BRNL) per fall :55, defeated Jesse Roberts (NYM) per fall 3:31

Wrestlers Finish Dual Season 17-5

By: Kevin Fick

The 2014 West Central  Area/Ashby/Evansville Knight wrestlers have concluded their ’14 dual campaign.  As with many teams it ended in a loss which happened in the semi-finals at team sections but let’s first look at this team and their accomplishments over the year with a comparison to last season.

The WCAAE Knights found themselves in a unique situation at the start of this season as unlike most high school teams they did not lose a single senior to graduation last year.  With all returning starters and a JV that was able to insert adequate athletes when needed the Knights turned last seasons dismal record of 7-13 into a very respectable mark of 17-5!  Coach Brandon Gruchow did a marvelous job at not just keeping his athletes healthy and ready but played a very strategic game of shifting wrestlers in and out of weight classes to best put his team in the most favorable position on the mat.  His efforts were rewarded as the Park Region Conference ‘Coach of the Year’.  Coaching aside the grapplers themselves are the players that get the work done on the mat.  There are no teammates, no coaches out there to help when in a wrestling match.  It is one on one and the opponent isn’t exactly cooperative in regards to an individuals efforts to score and win.  The Knights put up an astounding number of points on opponents as the boys in red scored a section leading average of 50 points per dual!  That is a 42% increase from last season in which the team scored 29.4.  Defensively the wrestlers did their duty also allowing just 21.7 points scored on them per match.  Compared to last seasons 43.9 that is a difference of 51%.  These efforts allowed for the following…runner up in the Park Region Conference, final four finishers in Section 6A, 3^rd place in the Grant County 10 team tournament, 17^th place in the 33 team Big Bear Tournament, and 3^rd place in the eight team Morris Invitational, all improvements over last year. 

There are individuals who view wrestling as an individual sport, there are indeed individual efforts and accolades that happen within wrestling but make no mistake in thinking that the team aspect does not hold importance to the athletes and coaches.  This team has accomplished a considerable turn around and the communities of West Central Area, Ashby and Evansville can be quite proud of their wrestlers.

The wrestlers competed twice this past week with team section action against Staples-Motley and Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale.  The Knights turned in their most dominant performance of the year Tuesday the 11^th against the 7-5 Cardinals with a 51-16 home victory in the opening round of playoffs.  This pitted the Knights against the BHV Raiders for the third time this season in Pelican Rapids. The WCAAE team competed valiantly against the heavily favored Raiders but fell a couple matches short.  The six WCAAE wins simply did not match up with the eight Raider victories in a 26-39 loss.  Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale went on to win the section by beating Border West and will represent Section 6A at the state tournament.

Tuesday, Feb 11^th    Barrett, MN

WCAAE 51,  Staples-Motley 16

106 lb. Jake Nohre (WCAAE) defeated Eric Lisson per dec. 8-1

113 lb. Levin Larkin (WCAAE) defeated Blake Gerard per dec. 5-0

120 lb. Keaton Long (WCAAE) defeated Dalton Holmberg per fall 1:24

126 lb. Tyler Onstad (WCAAE) defeated Gage Brown per dec. 9-5

132 lb. Jake Swendsrud (SM) defeated Aiden Winter per fall :28

138 lb. Jake Larkin (WCAAE) defeated Alex Erpelding per fall 1:51

145 lb. Kyle Mickelsen (WCAAE) defeated Jeremy Miller per dec. 2-0

152 lb. Royal Crow (WCAAE) won per forfeit

160 lb. Braedon Long (WCAAE) defeated Braden Tyrell per fall 1:00

170 lb. Nathan Johnson (SM) defeated Koel Seifort per fall 5:23

182 lb. Drew Peterson (SM) defeated Blake Amundson per major dec. 15-4

195 lb. Sid Kamrath (WCAAE) defeated Dillon Massey per dec. 6-2

220 lb. Hunter Fick (WCAAE) defeated Mike Moxley per fall :39

285 lb. Buzz Miller (WCAAE) defeated Brian Mitts per fall 1:34

Saturday, Feb. 16^th   Pelican Rapids

WCAAE 26,   BHV 39

“We took a risk and changed things up a bit” stated Coach Brandon Gruchow…” somethings we were able to do after winning the flip.  Having wrestled BHV twice this season and losing both times, we knew we had some points to stretch. Adding Drake Swanson to the line-up and bumping up from there would help make up some of the points.  The lighter weights got it done and we were on track.  BHV pulled off a couple of big wins and started stretching the points back out on us.  They just had a little more pinning power than we did.  I thought we wrestled fairly well, we just needed to get more of the wins by pins and that didn't happen. These boys should be proud of their accomplishments.  They got to the final four which was one the goals they set back in July at camp.  They changed as a team.  They grew and transformed into a great team....which surprised a lot of people.  They got better and better as we went deeper into the season.  I am proud of their efforts and dedication they demonstrated. We will get back to the mat on Monday with a different perspective and goals in mind as we try to get our guys prepared for the individual section tournament and another chance to make it down to the State Tournament individually.  Thanks for all the support we received from the people in the WCAAE area throughout the season.”

106 lb. Drake Swanson (WCAAE) defeated Jarret Kveaton per fall :45

113 lb. Jake Nohre (WCAAE) defeated Anthony Kern per dec. 3-1 in OT

120 lb. Justin Gordon (BHV) defeated Levi Larkin per dec. 7-0

126 lb. Keaton Long (WCAAE) defeated Marshall Willis per injury default

132 lb. Zach Waln (BHV) defeated Tyler Onstad per fall 4:44

138 lb. Jake Larkin (WCAAE) defeated Holton Truax per dec. 8-2

145 lb. Ethan Kimber (BHV) defeated Kyle Mickelsen per dec. 4-0

152 lb. Royal Crow (WCAAE) defeated defeated Nick Cihlar per major dec. 14-3

160 lb. Hayden Truax (BHV) defeated Braedon Long per fall 2:47

170 lb. Nick Bennett (BHV) defeated Blake Amundson per fall 2:55

182 lb. Charlton Nienaber (BHV) defeated Sid Kamrath per dec. 5-4

195 lb. Hunter Fick (WCAAE) defeated John French per major dec. 8-0

220 lb. Dillon Card (BHV) defeated T.j.Waskosky per fall :46

285 lb. Dalton Baker (BHV) defeated Buzz Miller per fall :56

Jake Nohre was KKOK’s ‘Wrestler of the Match’ for defeating #3 state ranked Anthony Kern in their overtime bout.

The WCAAE Knights will resume action in Wadena Friday, Feb 21^st and Sat. the 22^nd competing  in the Section 6A Individual Tournament.  Wrestling action will begin at 2 pm.  All the marbles will be cast as the top two placers in each weight class advance to the state tournament.  Best of luck Knights!