A night of elite wrestling

Last Friday night was a clash.  A clash of three Minnesota ranked teams. 

The stage was set. Literally. Simley’s main gym flooded over Christmas break when a water line broke, so this elite night of wrestling was moved into their auditorium. The wrestling mats were rolled out onto their stage. With theatrical lighting and selected walk-out songs, these three teams faced off in a triangular of state rankings.

Kasson-Mantorville vs Simley was the first showdown of the night. Simley is ranked #1 in Class AA and the KoMets are ranked #2. Simley is also currently ranked #2 in the country. Amongst the high school Guillotine rankings, KM entered the night with six ranked wrestlers to Simley’s 13 ranked weights, including five D1 recruits. 

Luke Swanson put up a hard fought battle at (106). He lost by decision in SV, 9-4, to Movari. Devin Andrist (113) hung with Spychalla, but fell 4-0. Cody Fleck (120) and Joey Kennedy (126) both lost by pin fall to R. Nelson and Raymond. Nelson has committed to wrestle at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. 

Dominic Mann (132) lost by a narrow margin, 3-1, to Schrandt. Henry Paulson (138) met defending state champion and Oregon State recruit, DeBlaere, where he lost by pin fall. 

With Simley taking a hefty lead 27-0, Logan Vaughan (145) would be the first one to get the KoMet’s on the board. L. Vaughan looked sharp with his TF over Vistrol Short. 

Dylan Baker (152) fell to Cornell recruit, defending state champion, Sokol, by pin fall.  Cole Glazier (160) scrambled through several positions before falling by decision, 3-2, to another defending state champion, Harvard recruit, Berg. 

The KoMets, trying to close the gap, would grab the next two wins. Kail Wynia (170) won by decision, 7-1, over Smith. Bennett Berge (182) grabbed a major, 16-4, over DuVal. 

Jackson Kennedy (195) met up with Wyoming recruit, Quayin Short, where he fell by a major, 18-6.  Simley would finish out the match winning the last two weights. Anthony Moe-Tucker (220) fell to G. Nelson, 13-4.  Reed Parrish (Hwt) lost by pin fall to defending state champion, and Gopher recruit, Tabor. Final score 50-12. 

“We knew going into the Simley match that it was going to be tough,” Coach Jamie Heidt said . “Our main goal was to wrestle hard and put a sting on them. I feel like we didn’t do that. We gave up a lot of bonus points. A lot of our guys were right there with their guys.” 

“After the dual, Jamie talked to us and basically said we’re right there with them.  He told us going into the next match to wrestle hard. I feel like that’s what we did and we got the win.”  said Junior Logan Vaughan. 

Next up was Stillwater. Stillwater is currently ranked #1 in Class AAA. Maybe it was what head coach, Jamie Heidt, said to them? Maybe it was the sting of the loss from Simley? The KoMets stepped out onto the mat against Stillwater and did just what Heidt asked, they wrestled hard. 

The match would roll out as a pin or be pinned dual. Stillwater entered the dual with eight ranked wrestlers for Class AAA. 

Three KoMets fell in a row to pin falls. Swanson (106) fell to D. Dauffenbach, Andrist (113) fell to C. Tuttle, and Fleck (120) fell to Bethke.  Joey Kennedy (126) stopped the Ponnie’s momentum and grabbed a pin fall himself, against Urbanski, putting the KoMets on the board, 6-18. 

Mann (132) fell by pin fall to DII St. Cloud State recruit, Hogue.  Stillwater’s 4x defending state champion, Ballantyne, was out with an injury. Paulson (138) received a forfeit.  L. Vaughan stayed undefeated with a TF over Colagovanni. Baker (152) would follow suit with a TF against Hanlon. 

If you ask a former wrestler, or a die- hard wrestling fan, on what has evolved the most in the sport of wrestling, one would tell you the scrambles. Wrestlers today scramble through some of the toughest positions. Glazier (160) did just that Friday night before falling by decision, 6-2, to A. Tuttle. 

The KoMets and Ponies would finish out the match alternating pin falls. Wynia (170) would fall to Ryder Rogotzke. Berge (182) and Jackson Kennedy (195) both grabbed pins against Hunter and N. Dauffenbach.  Moe-Tucker (220) lost by pin fall to defending state champion and SDSU recruit, Roman Rogotzke.

With the KoMets trailing 34-39 heading into Hwt, Parrish would need a pin for the KoMets to win. A tie breaker would go to Stillwater by criteria. In an exciting finish, Parrish pinned Rantila (0:58) for the KoMet win, 40-39!

Simley went on to beat Stillwater, 48-19.

The KoMets will next head to Fairmont on Saturday for a triangular with Fairmont-Martin County West and Morris Area. FMCW is currently ranked #4 for Class AA. 

“Now for Fairmont. We will just come back on Monday and get ready for every dual like usual. We learned from that loss (Simley), but that’s behind us now .Time to just focus on the next dual,” said Vaughan. 

Simley 40 Kasson-Mantorville 12

106: Brandon Morvari (SIM) over Luke Swanson (KM) (SV-1 9-4)

113: Peyton Spychalla (SIM) over Devan Andrist (KM) (Dec 4-0)

120: Reid Nelson (SIM) over Kody Fleck (KM) (Fall 0:35)

126: Cash Raymond (SIM) over Joseph Kennedy (KM) (Fall 0:42)

132: Kaiden Schrandt (SIM) over Dominic Mann (KM) (Dec 3-1)

138: Chase DeBlaere (SIM) over Henry Paulson (KM) (Fall 0:44)

145: Logan Vaughan (KM) over Vristol Short (SIM) (TF 21-6 4:59)

152: Ryan Sokol (SIM) over Dylan Baker (KM) (Fall 3:14)

160: Cael Berg (SIM) over Cole Glazier (KM) (Dec 3-2)

170: Kail Wynia (KM) over Travis Smith (SIM) (Dec 7-0)

182: Bennett Berge (KM) over Landan Duval (SIM) (MD 16-4)

195: Quayin Short (SIM) over Jackson Kennedy (KM) (MD 18-6)

220: Gavin Nelson (SIM) over Anthony Moe-Tucker (KM) (MD 13-4)

285: Bennett Tabor (SIM) over Reed Parrish (KM) (Fall 1:13)

Kasson-Mantorville 40 Stillwater 39

106: Dylan Dauffenbach (STW) over Luke Swanson (KM) (Fall 3:50)

113: Cittadino Tuttle (STW) over Devan Andrist (KM) (Fall 2:11)

120: Sam Bethke (STW) over Kody Fleck (KM) (Fall 1:10)

126: Joseph Kennedy (KM) over Brody Urbanski (STW) (Fall 2:00)

132: Matt Hogue (STW) over Dominic Mann (KM) (Fall 1:42)

138: Henry Paulson (KM) over (STW) (For.)

145: Logan Vaughan (KM) over Ben Colagiovanni (STW) (TF 26-11 5:54)

152: Dylan Baker (KM) over Otto Hanlon (STW) (TF 16-0 4:46)

160: Antony Tuttle (STW) over Cole Glazier (KM) (Dec 6-2)

170: Ryder Rogotzke (STW) over Kail Wynia (KM) (Fall 1:10)

182: Bennett Berge (KM) over Zachariah Hunter (STW) (Fall 5:02)

195: Jackson Kennedy (KM) over Nicholas Dauffenbach (STW) (Fall 3:20)

220: Roman Rogotzke (STW) over Anthony Moe-Tucker (KM) (Fall 1:58)

285: Reed Parrish (KM) over Andrew Rantila (STW) (Fall 0:58)