Make it four straight

Published 10:24 am Monday, February 23, 2009

 The Albert Lea wrestling team continued its reign of southern Minnesota wrestling supremacy Saturday at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester with a 35-18 win over Owatonna in the Class 3A, Section 1 championship.

The No. 3-ranked Tigers (28-7) were able to lay claim to their fourth consecutive section crown due in large part to the efforts of its seniors.

“Our seniors really came through,” said Albert Lea head coach Larry Goodnature. “It was a team effort, but our seniors came through, they didn’t want to be denied. It was a very intense, exciting match all the way through.”

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Seniors Jordan Holland and Adam Kermes came through with pivotal victories that clinched a state berth for Albert Lea.

The outcome of the match hung in the balance when Holland and Coyte Kuefner took to the mat in the 189 pound match. No. 6-ranked Owatonna (49-6) trailed by 14 but with its top two wrestlers waiting on deck, the possibility of an upset remained.

Two weeks earlier Kuefner and Holland wrestled in Albert Lea and Holland handed Kuefner his first defeat of the season in a 10-8 decision.

It’s was clear the two still had unfinished business from the first bout as they came out with a lot of force. Holland remained the aggressor though and took control in the second period en route to a 14-8 decision that sealed the victory.

“I knew it would be a turning point in the match, but I didn’t let it really get to me,” Holland said. “I went out there and wrestled for a win just like any other match. It never leaves the back of your head, but you go out there with 100 percent determination and you wrestle for every one of your teammates in our program so we can be represented up at state.”

The crowd roared as Holland scored a near-fall at the end of the third period as the outcome was no longer in doubt.

“Knowing that we had sealed the deal, it meant the world,” Holland said.

Kermes delivered a momentum-shifting victory at 145 pounds with his 5-4 decision over Zach Schreiber that gave the Tigers a 19-8 lead.

“I told the guys, ‘Two even teams, whoever wants it more is going to get to the state tournament,’” Goodnature said. “Kermes proved that point right there. He wanted it a little more than Schreiber did and made that last 15 second burst and it paid off, he got the takedown.”

Kermes trailed by one with time running out and got a takedown with 11 seconds left for the win and handed Schreiber his second 5-4 defeat in the waning seconds against Albert Lea wrestler. Trevor Rasmussen accomplished the same feat Feb. 7.

“I just never gave up and it worked out for me at the end,” Kermes said. “It’s a great accomplishment because it’s the first time we’ve ever gone four times in a row.”

It was a match everyone was sweating out as it went along.

“I was sitting on the bench and Ryan and I said we gotta have this one, or else we’re going to be trouble,” Goodnature said.

It was pretty much smooth sailing for the Tigers from there on out.

Logan Kortan extended the lead to 23-8 at 152 with his 14-5 major decision victory over Taylor Hedberg and Matt Tiegs earned an 11-5 decision over Tyler Thomas at 160 for a 26-8 lead.

Jordan Gnerer got a major decision victory against Eric Espe at 171 and cut the Tiger lead to 26-12.

The Huskies bumped Dalton Henderson, ranked No. 2 at 171, up to 215 to take on Ethan Reed. Henderson was giving up more than 30 pounds to Reed, but held his own, putting Reed on his back.

Reed proved too powerful for Henderson and pinned him at 5:04 in one of the most exciting matches of the dual.

“I think they had to make some drastic moves and try to change things around with a score like we beat them before,” Goodnature said.

Albert Lea won 10 of the 14 weights once again, but Owatonna made it close earlier.

“We just had a lot of good matches and we had to fight them all the way through the time,” Kermes said. “We won a lot of matches toward the end of the period.”

The Tigers didn’t earn nearly as many bonus points in the lower weights as they had last time against the Huskies.

At 112, Cory Hansen had a technical fall victory against Scott Summer in the first dual, but only earned an 11-4 decision Saturday.

Cody Hansen, who had pinned his man in the first meet, earned a major decision over Bowen Schultz and Owatonna was able to keep the meet close.

The Huskies drew the match to 10-8 after No. 3-ranked Hector Millan scored a 25-10, technical fall victory over Kyle Kriewall at 130, but the Tigers took the next five matches to start to seal the victory.

Albert Lea was just as stingy with giving up bonus points. Only one Tiger wrestler was pinned and two matches involved bonus points.

“They didn’t give up the pins, they kept it close and that’s going to be a key in all your meets and they (Owatonna) did the same thing,” Goodnature said.

It was Albert Lea’s eighth consecutive win over Owatonna.

The Tigers defeated John Marshall 57-15 in the semifinals and Owatonna beat Mayo 50-15.

The state tournament begins March 5 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul at 9:30 a.m.

Albert Lea 35, Owatonna 18

103 — Trey Hable (AL) dec. Nick Scheffert, 5-4, 112 — Cory Hansen (AL) dec. Scott Summer, 11-4, 119 — Dillin Schultz (O) dec. Dalton Westerlund, 7-2, 125 — Cody Hansen (AL) maj. dec. Bowen Schultz (O), 11-1, 130 — Hector Millan (O) tech. fall Kyle Kriewall, 6:00, 135 — Carter Kortan (AL) dec. Matt Dinse, 5-0, 140 — Trevor Rasmussen (AL) dec. Jake Fox, 8-2, 145 — Adam Kermes (AL) dec. Zach Schreiber, 5-4, 152 — Logan Kortan (AL) maj. dec. Taylor Hedberg, 14-5, 160 — Matt Tiegs (AL) dec. Tyler Thomas, 11-5, 171 — Jordan Gnerer (0) maj. dec. Eric Espe, 10-2, 189 — Jordan Holland (AL) dec. Coyte Kuefer, 14-8, 215 — Ethan Reed (AL) pinned Dalton Henderson, 5:04, 285 — Casey Dehn (O) pinned Alex Nielsen, 1:31.

Albert Lea 57, John Marshall 15

103 — Trey Hable (AL) pinned Carter Williamson, 1:36, 112 — Cory Hansen (AL) tech. fall Charlie Stellpflug, 3:28, 119 — Garrett Steiger (JM) pinned Lucas Hansen, 125 — Dalton Westerlund (AL) pinned Austin Giordano, 2:54, 130 — Cody Hansen (AL) pinned Jake Bosshart, 2:38, 135 — Travis Rasmussen (AL) maj. dec. Luke Robison, 12-0, 140 — Carter Kortan (AL) pinned Ryan Williamson, 1:25, 145 — Adam Kermes (AL) pinned Tim Moore, 2:50, 152 — Logan Kortan (AL) pinned Ryan Galvin, 1:15, 160 — Matt Tiegs (AL) dec. Alex Evan, 11-4, 171 — Taylor Giordano (JM) dec. Eric Espe, 3-1, 189 — Jordan Holland (AL) dec. Tyler Lande, 8-6 SV1, 215 — Ethan Reed (AL) pinned Jared Schuster, :56, 285 — Pen Maclin (JM) pinned Alex Nielsen, :21.