W/ML/B-O sweeps triangular

WORTHINGTON — Inbetween their first and second duals, the Windom/Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin Cobras coaches went up and down the locker room challenging each one of their wrestlers to bring more intensity to the mat the second time around.

The strategy worked, and W/ML/B-O defeated Worthington in the final match of a triangular meet 45-21 to finish the night 2-0.

The Cobras had defeated Luverne earlier in the evening 52-27, but 24 of those points came from forfeits and the coaching staff felt the squad didn’t wrestle to its full potential.

Worthington also defeated the Cardinals 49-16 Thursday.

“We wrestled a lot better in dual two than we did in dual one,” W/ML/B-O coach Brad Schlomann said. “We came out a little flat, but we came a long way from match one to match two. Our intensity starting right at the first match in the Worthington dual was really nice.”

Freshman Jared Willaby led the attack for the Cobras, recording two pins on the night.

Willaby, who was ranked No. 10 in the Class AA 113-pound weight class and No. 9 at 120-pounds at the start of the season, recorded the pinfall just 28 seconds into his match against Luverne’s Jonathon Smid at 120-pounds. He then pinned Worthington’s Vince Riley just 38 seconds into the 126-pound match.

Although Willaby is only a freshman, Schlomann said he is one of the most experienced wrestlers on the team — he started wrestling as a preschooler and joined the varsity squad his first year of eligibility as a seventh-grader.

And now, as a ranked grappler, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

“I think I did pretty good,” Willaby said. “Two pins, not bad, I guess.

“I don’t really worry about being ranked. I actually kind of use it more. I like to think it might scare the guy I’m going against. So I’ll probably just use it to my advantage.”

The biggest upset of the night came in the Trojans duel against W/MLBO. Worthington’s Blake Schroeder took on the Cobras’ Tim Larson, who was ranked No. 9 in Class AA at 170 pounds entering the season.

Schroeder was trailing Larson 7-2 entering the third round, but Schroeder racked up a handful of back points in the final minute of the match to defeat his ranked opponent 12-8.

“That’s a huge confidence booster for him,” Worthington coach Mark Prunty said of Schroeder. “That’s exactly what he needed. The kids need matches likes that. To be honest, even if it was a loss it would’ve been kind of a moral victory for him, but to pull it out and put a good kid on his back is awesome.”

Worthington’s Jared Kinley also had a good night, pinning each of his opponents to go undefeated in the triangular.

Luverne had three grapplers go 2-0 as well. 152-pounder Spencer Oeltjenbruns recorded a win against W/MLBO and pinned Worthington’s Omar Leon. Wyatt Aubert (160 pounds) had a major decision and pin on the night and DJ Reker (220 pounds) had two pins.

W/MLBO’s Drake Borsgard, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 138-pounds, remains to sit out with a concussion suffered during football season.

“He’s working his way back and things are improving,” Schlomann said. “It’s a slow process. It’s tough on him, but he’s handling it great.”

W/MLBO 52, LHS 27

106 Stevens (W/MLBO) fall 1:21 Natte, 6-0

113 Fischenich (W/MLBO) fall 4:21 Nielsen, 12-0

120 J. Willaby (W/MLBO) fall 0:28 Smid, 18-0

126 Hess (L) fall 2:23 Ramirez, 18-6

132 Dooyema (L) fall 2:49 Kneeland, 18-12

138 Spinks (W/MLBO) forfeit, 24-12

145 Hockel (W/MLBO) fall 4:48 Gillette, 30-12

152 Oeltjenbruns (L) dec. 9-7 Junker, 30-15

160 Aubert (L) fall 2:50 A. Larson, 30-21

170 T. Larson (W/MLBO) maj. dec. 10-2 Johnson, 34-21

182 M. Willaby (W/MLBO) forfeit, 40-21

195 Johnson (W/MLBO) forfeit, 46-21

220 Reker (L) fall 2:46 Flatgard, 46-27

Hwt. Litfin (W/MLBO) forfeit, 52-27

WHS 49, LHS 16

106 Pwae (W) dec. 16-12 Natte, 3-0

113 Michelson (W) maj. dec. 16-7 Nieson, 7-0

120 Luft (W) forfeit, 13-0

126 Riley (W) dec. 9-8 Hess, 16-0

132 Zavala (W) forfeit, 22-0

138 Kinley (W) fall 5:05 Dooyema, 28-0

145 Clarke (W) dec. 5-3 Gillette, 31-0

152 Oeltjenbruns (L) fall 3:21 Leon, 31-6

160 Aubert (L) maj. dec. 12-3 Kempema, 31-10

170 Schroeder (W) forfeit, 37-10

182 Hagen (W) forfeit, 43-10

195 Riemersma (W) forfeit, 49-10

220 Reker (L) fall 4:33 Abraham, 49-16

W/MLBO 45, WHS 21

106 Quiring (W/MLBO) tech fall Pwae, 5-0

113 Luft (W) dec. 4-2 Stevens, 5-3

120 Fischenich (W/MLBO) tech fall Michelson, 10-3

126 J. Willaby (W/MLBO) fall 0:38 Riley, 16-3

132 Kinley (W) fall 3:21 Kneeland, 16-9

138 Spinks (W/MLBO) fall 3:10 Zavala, 22-9

145 Hockel (W/MLBO) maj. dec. 8-0 Clarke, 26-9

152 Junker (W/MLBO) maj. dec. 18-4 Leon, 30-9

160 Kempema (W) fall 5:19 Blomgren, 30-15

170 Schroeder (W) dec. 12-8 T. Larson, 30-18

182 M. Willaby (W/MLBO) dec. 8-2 Hagen, 33-18

195 Johnson (W/MLBO) forfeit, 39-18

220 Riemersma (W) dec. 4-1 Flatgard, 39-21

Hwt. Litfin (W/MLBO) forfeit, 45-21

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