Seniors’ final time under the spotlight
By Casey Krautkramer
Stratford senior wrestler Brandon Knetter was understandably emotional after his team easily beat Phillips, 71-6, on Thursday during Parents and Senior Night. He was one of eight Tiger seniors recognized between Auburndale’s 68-9 win against Phillips and Stratford’s match against the Loggers. He didn’t get to physically wrestle underneath the spotlight on the home mat because he received a forfeit win against Phillips, but nonetheless, he was still choked up that it was his last high school home match.
“It means a lot for our team to be able to get a final win under the lights in Stratford,” he said before joining the team’s other seniors to sign posters in the commons after the match victory against Phillips. “It means a lot to have all the parents and friends come out to watch us and show their appreciation.”
Stratford and Auburndale were awarded forfeit match wins against Chequamegon because the Screaming Eagles didn’t show up to wrestle because of the high winds on Thursday.
Knetter began Stratford’s match against Phillips with a forfeit win in the 157pound weight class to give the Tigers six team points. Tigers sophomore John Mews wrestled Loggers sophomore Derek Pisco in a competitive 165-pound match that was close until the end. Mews led 7-4 at the end of the first period but Piska tied the score at seven points apiece at the conclusion of the second period. Mews ended up losing a 10-7 decision to Piska at the end of third period to give Phillips three team points.
Stratford senior Jack Tubbs won a 17-2 technical fall against Phillips sophomore Maccoy Deleasky at 175 pounds to give the Tigers five team points. Tigers sophomore Tyler Budtke received a forfeit win at 190 pounds. Tigers senior Carter Lueck obtained his 101st career pin against Loggers senior Josh Nutt at 215 pounds. Stratford junior Drew Gage scored a quick three-point takedown before pinning Phillips freshman Storm Heizler at 285 pounds.
Stratford freshman Kolton Haupt received a forfeit win at 106 pounds. Tigers freshman Jayden DeFoe scored a takedown against Loggers freshman Gage Casey at 113 pounds for a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period before eventually securing a pin to give Stratford a commanding 41-3 team lead against Phillips.
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SENIOR WRESTLERS’ LAST PARENT’S NIGHT - Stratford senior wrestler Brandon Knetter takes a stroll with his parents, Troy and Sonja Knetter, while they are announced before Thursday’s home dual match against Phillips. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
TUBBS DOMINATES HIS OPPONENT- Stratford senior wrestler Jack Tubbs is shown working on an easy 17-2 technical fall win against Phillips sophomore Maccoy Deleasky on Thursday at home.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
TIGERS FRESHMAN GETS A WIN- Stratford freshman grappler Jayden DeFoe ends up pinning Phillips freshman Gage Casey in Thursday’s 113-pound match.
STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER Wrestling
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Tigers senior Trenton Cournoyer was given a forfeit win at 120 pounds, sophomore Colin Cournoyer received a forfeit at 126, Aaron Knetter received a forfeit at 132 and junior Lucas Forrest received a forfeit at 138.
Stratford senior Cayden Leonhardt wrestled a competitive match against Phillips junior JJ Adomaitis at 144 pounds. Adomaitis took down Leonhardt for a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period. Adomaitis scored a one-point escape in the second period before Leonhardt secured a three-point takedown. Adomaitis scored a two-point reversal for a 6-3 lead at the end of the second period. Adomaitis scored another three-point takedown in the third period for a 9-3 decision win.
Tigers junior Matthias Kaiser received a forfeit win at 150 pounds to end the match against the Loggers. Stratford finished its Marawood Conference dual meet schedule with an undefeated record. The Tigers have now won 12 consecutive conference dual meet championships. Brandon Knetter said winning both the conference dual meet and tournament championships is great but he has a larger goal in mind like helping Stratford advance to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament this season after losing to Cumberland in sectionals last season.
“I think we have a good shot at state, honestly,” he said.
Athens, Edgar, Marathon and Stratford wrestlers will compete in the WIAA Division 3 regional at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Feb. 15, at Edgar High School. The top two teams at the regional will advance to sectionals at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, in Clear Lake.
The first-place team at the Edgar regional will wrestle the second-place team at the Cumberland regional and the firstplace team at the Cumberland regional will wrestled the second-place team at the Edgar regional. The winning teams in both sectional semifinals matches will wrestle each other in the sectional finals match that will start approximately 20 minutes after the semifinals matches are finished.
Last season, Marathon lost to Cumberland in the sectional semifinals match and Stratford lost to Cumberland in the sectional finals match. Brandon Knetter said he and his Stratford wrestling teammates are better prepared to face Cumberland should the two teams wrestle each other in sectionals again this season.
“We have a good shot against them,” he said. “We have pretty much the same lineup as last year and we aren’t sick this year like we were against Cumberland last year.”
Stratford head wrestling coach Adam Davison confirmed that his team was sick toward the end of last season.
“We had a stomach bug rip though the team last year right before that week of regionals,” he said. “We had a couple of kids who we thought would be individual sectional qualifiers who didn’t make it to sectionals. We didn’t wrestle our best. If you look at the way we wrestled at team sectionals compared to the way we wrestled at individual sectionals that next Saturday, we performed much better.”
He also believes the Tigers have a good shot at returning to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament this season after not getting back there last year.
“I think we’ve wrestled really well in some tournaments so far but I don’t think we have wrestled our best yet,” Davison said. “I think we have some big days ahead of us. There are some really talented kids on this team. We have great senior and junior classes that lead us. They want it and they remember two years ago when we made it and they remember last year when we didn’t, so I think that helps drive them because they want to get back there and avoid that feeling. We need to work hard and stay healthy as those are big parts of it but this team is capable.”
Red Raiders at Tomah quad
Marathon’s varsity wrestling squad finished 2-1 at Thursday’s Tomah quad with match wins against Somerset and Tomah and a loss to Chippewa Falls. Marathon beat Somerset, 35-21. Red Raiders gaining competitive wins were junior Blake Underwood pinning Nate Bodlovick at 120 pounds, senior Levi Krautkramer with a 19-3 technical fall against Alvin Peterson at 138, junior Tate Sonnentag pinning Thomas Sweeney at 157, junior Grant Salber with a 3-1 decision against Matheo Ngbemeneh at 165 and sophomore Mason Lawrence pinning Jimmy Churchich at 175.
The Red Raiders edged the host Tomah Timberwolves, 39-36. Marathon wrestlers gaining competitive wins were Underwood pinning Karl Finch at 120 pounds, Krautkramer with an injury default against Cordell Iverson at 138, Sonnentag pinning Jayden Hoffman at 157, Salber pinning Aydenn Rogers at 165, sophomore Jace Ostrowski pinning Timothy Solaita at 175 and junior Alex Poppe pinning Landon Crego at 285.
Marathon lost to Chippewa Falls, 51-24. Red Raiders gaining competitive wins were Underwood with a 10-3 decision against Connor Bruhn at 120 pounds, Krautkramer pinning Uriyah Bowe at 138, Sonnentag with a 4-1 decision against Johnathan Kroger at 157, Lawrence pinning Landon Berrier at 190 and Poppe pinning Carson Parker at 285.
Merrill girls tournament
Edgar’s varsity girls wrestling team took fifth place among 19 teams competing in Friday’s tournament in Merrill. The Athens girls placed 17th.
Wildcats sophomore Blaynne Crawford, 33-5, won the 120-pound weight class. Edgar senior Alyson Kolano took fourth place at 152 pounds and sophomore Alyssa Kolano placed ninth at 132.
Athens freshman Jendry Cruz-Perez took ninth place at 100 pounds and junior Taylor Hein placed 10th at 120. Athens girl wrestlers will compete in the WIAA regional at 4 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 14, at Merrill High School.
Edgar, Marathon and Stratford girl wrestlers will compete in the WIAA regional at 5 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 14, at Wautoma High School.
A FUN NIGHT IN STRATFORD - These four Stratford wrestlers enjoyed a laugh after beating Phillips, 71-6, on Thursday to win the program’s 12th consecutive Marawood Conference regular season dual meet championship. Wrestlers pictured, from left to right, are junior Mathias Kaiser, senior Carter Lueck and juniors Drew Gage and Jaegar Ormond. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
