On Dec. 1, the Bulldog wrestling team hosted the Eagles of Dover-Eyota. In addition to being the #11 ranked team in MN Class A wrestling, the Eagles also boasted 5 top-ranked wrestlers in their line-up, including three that were ranked #2 in MN. The Bulldog wrestlers were up to the challenge and battled the talented Eagle squad in a very exciting and entertaining dual meet. 8th grader Cael Marx started off the evening at 106 squaring off with #2 ranked Taylor DeFrang. Marx secured the first takedown to take a 2-0 lead, but DeFrang tied up the match with a reversal, and later took the lead with back-points off of a leg-ride. Marx would lose the match 6-3. At 113 pounds, PEM 8th grader Garrett Olson battled sophomore Teigan Miller. The first period was fairly even, with Olson recording a takedown, but Miller pulled away late to record a 22-7 technical fall. At 120, the Bulldogs got on the board when PEM junior Nick Miller bumped up to pin fellow DE junior Caleb Trogstad in :58. PEM was open at 126 and had to forfeit to the Eagles Spencer Honsey. The team score was D-E 14 PEM 6, when #2 ranked PEM senior Reed DeFrang took the mat and pinned DE’s Blake Badker in 1:56 pulling the Bulldogs within 2 points. At 138, PEM freshman Joe Stucky wrestled a very tough DE opponent in senior Collin Jorde and almost pulled off the victory, but lost 7-6 in the final seconds, stretching DE’s lead back to 5. PEM senior Grant Rubin got 3 of those points back at 145 lbs, when he defeated Dover-Eyota’s Gavin Debbelstein by a score of 8-1, again pulling the Bulldogs within 2 points. While the meet was close at this point, Dover-Eyota’s strentgh was still to come as 4 of their next six wrestlers were ranked among the state’s top 10.
At 152 lbs, PEM sophomore, and first year varsity wrestler Connor Jones was pinned by 10th ranked Michael Nelson of Dover-Eyota, making the score DE 23 PEM 15. At 160 PEM sophomore Dustin Dittrich battled #6 ranked Marcus Otomo in an extremely exciting match, but wound up on the short end, dropping a 7-4 decision. Going into 170, the Bulldogs were down by 11, when junior Austin Rother pinned DE’s Kane Lemke in dramatic fashion to pull the Bulldogs to within 5. Even though the gap was now shrunk, the Bulldogs still had their back against the wall with 2 of the Eagles’ final 4 wrestlers being ranked 2nd in the state.
Up for the Eagles at 182 was #2 ranked senior Keaton Schaefer. The Bulldogs countered with senior Frank Wingert in what would be the most exciting match of the evening. In the first period, Schaefer demonstrated showed the whole gym why he had earned the #2 state ranking, planting Wingert on his back in an extremely tight headlock that would have finished most matches. Wingert put his own grit and determination on display, refusing to give up the pin for well over a minute. As the period was coming to a close, Wingert was able to roll through the headlock, getting off his back and scoring a reversal to make the match score 5-2. Wingert chose down to begin the 2nd period, and after fighting off numerous turn attempts, Wingert reversed Schaefer to his back, scoring a 2 point reversal and a 3 point nearfall as time expired in the 2nd period. Taking a 7-6 lead into the 3rd period, Schaefer chose down, but Wingert put him on his feet making the score 7-7. The two seniors would remain on their feet, with the score knotted at 7 as the match went into the final minute. Wingert pressed the action, shooting a double-leg takedown that Schaefer countered with a sprawl and underhook. Refusing to give up on the scramble, Wingert swung for the fence on a headlock that landed Schaefer on his back on the edge of the mat near the home bleachers, but still in bounds. After 15 seconds of fighting, Wingert was able to tighten the hold enough to record the fall in 5:34, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the night 27-26.
With a re-energized crowd it was time for Frank’s younger brother, PEM freshman, Riley Wingert to take the mat at 195 vs. DE’s Reece Lemke. While the match was far less exciting, the result was the same, as Riley recorded a fall in :48 giving the Bulldogs a 7 point lead. At 220, PEM junior Ryan Liebenow squared off against DE’s final ranked wrestler, #2 ranked 220 lb. specimen Reed Seelhammer, one of the best upper weight wrestlers in MN. Liebenow, fought valiantly into the 2nd period but was eventually pinned in 3:43. At 285 DE did not have a wrestler and PEM freshman Logan Wingert picked up 6 team points in a forfeit victory, making the final 39-32 in a very exciting opening season dual. According to Coach Marx, “this was a fun night for the wrestlers, fans, and coaches. Many high quality, competitive matches were wrestled that will serve both teams as the wrestlers look to improve down the stretch.”
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