Prairie matmen host exciting quad
Sophomore Ryder Koenig uses an arm bar to work a turn against his Stoughton opponent. Koenig would win by technical fall 23-8.
On Friday night, the #6 D2 ranked Blackhawk wrestling team hosted a quadrangular in the Fieldhouse. Not wanting to miss out on great competition in a shortened season, the Hawks invited the likes of Holmen, Sparta, and Stoughton to town. All are D1 schools with some great wrestlers. Holmen was ranked #3 in D1, and Stoughton, the defending D1 State Champs, were ranked #2 in D1.
In the opening dual, the Hawks squared off with Stoughton. The dual would start at 106#, where freshman Mason Baumgartner would get the party started with a couple of takedowns and a second period fall. At 113#, it was a battle of a couple of ranked wrestlers. However, sophomore Ryder Koenig would have no trouble, securing 10 takedowns and three near fall points en route to a 23-8 technical fall. At 120#, sophomore Rhett Koenig would control his opponent with a workmanlike 4-2 decision. At 126#, freshman Drew Hird would battle tough against a ranked opponent, going the distance but coming up short in a 8-2 loss. At 132#, sophomore Maddox Cejka would win an 11-7 decision, with three takedowns and a couple of near fall points. PDC would forfeit at 138#. At 145#, it would be another battle of ranked wrestlers. Sophomore Luke Kramer would come up short however, losing a 9-6 decision. At 152#, senior Matt Rogge would continue his winning ways, with a quick first-period decking of his opponent. At 160#, senior Chase Fisher had the task of wrestling the #1 ranked wrestler in the state, and would be pinned. At 170#, sophomore Brogan Brewer received a forfeit. At 182#, senior Bradyn Saint would keep his record unblemished, with a first period fall. At 195#, freshman Ty Wagner was pinned by a highly ranked wrestler. At 220#, senior Kyle Quick was pinned by the #1 ranked wrestler in the state. At 285#, senior Jayden Johnson was pinned by another highly ranked wrestler. In the end of an exciting dual, Stoughton would eke out the win over the Hawks, by a score of 36-35.
In match two, PDC would throttle Sparta. The dual started at 113#, where Ryder Koenig received a forfeit. At 120#, Rhett Koenig would go to work, scoring four takedowns and three different near fall combinations en route to a 17-2 technical fall. Drew Hird, Maddox Cejka, and Luke Kramer would receive forfeits at the next three weights. At 145#, freshman Jeremiah Avery would wrestle a smart match, and come out with a 5-2 win. At 152# Matt Rogge would score another first period fall. Not to be outdone at 160#, Chase Fisher would also score a first period fall. At 170#, Brogan Brewer would be pinned. At 182#, we’d see a battle of ranked wrestlers, but Bradyn Saint would have no trouble, making his opponent count the lights in period two. At 195#, Ty Wagner was pinned. At 220#, Kyle Quick received a forfeit. At 285#, Jayden Johnson was pinned. At 106#, Mason Baumgartner received a forfeit. Final score: PDC 62, Sparta 18.
In match three, PDC would have a tough test against Holmen, who had just knocked off Stoughton and was fueled by much momentum. The match started at 120#, where the #1 and #2 ranked wrestlers in the state would battle. In a tight match, Holmen would pin Rhett Koenig in the third period. At 126# and 132#, Drew Hird and Maddox Cejka would toe the line with ranked opponents. Unfortunately, both would be pinned. At 138#, Luke Kramer would come up just short, losing a close 2-1 match. At 145#, Jeremiah Avery was pinned by a ranked opponent. At 152#, Matt Rogge would stop the bleeding for the Hawks, securing six takedowns and two near fall combinations for a 20-5 technical fall. At 160#, Chase Fisher would lose a 2-0 decision. At 170#, Brogan Brewer was pinned by a ranked opponent. At 182#, Bradyn Saint would deck his opponent with a first period fall. At 195# and 220#, Ty Wagner and Kyle Quick were pinned. At 285#, Jayden Johnson would win by major decision 13-2. At 106#, and 113#, Mason Baumgartner and Ryder Koenig both collected first period falls. PDC was unable to recover from an early deficit, and would lose to a very good Holmen squad 48-27.
The next action for the PDC grapplers will be the WIAA D2 Regionals, hosted by PDC in the Fieldhouse Saturday with a 9:30 start. This is the start of the WIAA post season tournament series, the first step on the road to State for individuals. PDC is looking to win their fourth consecutive Regional. Along with PDC, other teams competing are: Belmont/Platteville, Cuba City/SW/B, Darlington/Blackhawk, Dodgeville, and Viroqua. Go Hawks!
