December 14, 2018 at 12:52 p.m.
Medford edges Hodags in GNC wrestling opener
Medford edges Hodags in GNC wrestling opener
This time around Medford got revenge in enemy territory. Jake Rau dominated a battle of ranked wrestlers at 220 pounds and the Raiders defeated Rhinelander 41-34 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
The Hodags aren't the same team that won the GNC last year, beating Medford in its own gym in the process. Seven seniors are gone from that squad, but Rhinelander made the Raiders work for the dual meet win. The Hodags jumped out to an 18-0 lead and were still within shouting distance as Medford roared through the strength of its lineup in the middle weight classes.
"We knew this was going to be a tough dual but we expected to win it. That's why it's a little bit tough on me, because I really felt like we were going to win this dual," Rhinelander coach Nathan Piasecki said. "There was a couple of matches where we should have had a pin that we didn't quite get and there was a match or two that we should have had a win we didn't quite get. But, this team is on the verge. They're just going to keep training and getting tougher. I see some of the guys turning corners."
Ben Sinclair's pin of Dalton Klug 43 seconds into the 195-pound bout pulled Rhinelander to within 37-28 with two matches remaining. With Medford scheduled to take a forfeit at 285, a win for Rhinelander at 220 would have at worst tied the match, if not given the Hodags the win outright.
Medford trotted Rau, the seventh-ranked wrestler at 220 in Division 2, according to Wisconsin Wrestling Online, on to the mat. The Hodags, who announced Trevor Knapp as the starter at 220 at the beginning of the evening, made a last-second switch and put Chase Redmond (hon. mention, D1, 220) against Rau.
Redmond could not get anything going against Rau, however. The Medford junior controlled the match, leading 5-0 after one period and 9-0 after two on his way to a 12-0 major decision that clinched the dual for the Raiders.
"Chase is very dangerous and we knew if the opportunity presented itself, if we needed a pin we were going to put Chase there no doubt because he's very, very dangerous," Piasecki said, discussing the choice of wrestlers he had to make at 220. "Trevor's an all-around hard-working guy that's going to be very difficult for anybody to beat - and Trevor could have had a tight match with Rau. Rau's a big 220. He's a big boy, but that was the move we had to make to win the dual and I would do it 100 times out of 100 there just because of what I've seen from Chase the last six or seven matches."
Medford forfeits at 106 and 120 bookended a Tim Fox pin of Colton Dassow 1:18 into the 113-pound match as Rhinelander took a quick 18-0 lead in the dual.
The advantage was short-lived, however. Rhinelander's Will Swanson was pinned by Eli Mahner 2:42 into the 126-pound bout and the Hodags forfeited at 130, 138 and 145, giving Medford a 24-18 lead.
The closest match of the night came at 152, as Medford's Emett Grunwald held off Hodag freshman Gavin Ostermann in a 6-5 decision. Grunwald led 6-2 in the final minute, but Ostermann got a reversal and then was awarded a late stalling point to close within one. Ostermann was never able to put Grunwald to his back, however, as Grunwald held on for the win.
"Gavin, he's wrestling upperclassmen. He's wrestling guys who have winning records and he's only a freshman," Piasecki said. "He's giving it all he's got and he only lost by a point. All but one of his matches have been one-point matches. I'm very proud of him."
Walker Hartman followed with a 12-3 major decision over Medford's Isaiah Heil at 160 to pull Rhinelander within 27-22. Hartman scored the final five points of the match, and had Heil on his back with time running out, but could not quite finish off the pin.
Medford pushed the lead to 15 points as Clay Bowe pinned Eric Grulke at 170 and Hayden Johnson controlled Jesse Mahner in a 10-0 major decision at 182.
"It's a good learning experience," Piasecki said. "The guys know what it feels like to lose a dual at home and they don't want to have it happen again. We'll keep training hard and there are still really good things (possible) for this team. We can still win conference. I expect us to be right in the hunt, I really, really do with some of the guys we're developing."
The Hodags are off until Dec. 28-29 when they take part in the Northern Badger Classic in River Falls.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.