Wrestling: 5 Road Crew wrestlers advance to state

DETROIT LAKES — Seniors Easton Miller and Corbin Knapp and freshman Parker Zutter all captured titles for the Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus Road Crew at the Section 8-2A individual tournament Saturday, Feb. 25, in Detroit Lakes. The three advanced to the Class 2A state meet, along with section runners-up in senior Trey Tuchtenhagen and junior Riley Peters.

State individual competition is Friday and Saturday, March 3-4, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. First round matches start at 9 a.m., with the quarterfinals and wrestlebacks at 4 p.m. Semifinal matches are 9 a.m. Saturday with the championships at 4 p.m.

“We had a great section individual tournament in a balanced field of teams,” said Road Crew coach Travis Hoffarth, whose squad also advanced to the state team quarterfinals Thursday, March 2. “We had 10 of our 14 wrestlers take home top-six section finishes.”

Zutter, one of the few unbeaten wrestlers in the state, is 44-0 overall and seeded third in the 113-pound bracket. He is currently ranked third as he prepares for his third state appearance. Zutter, who will face Vincente Lopez Marsh of Minneapolis Edison in the first round, finished fifth at state last year at 106.

Miller, 41-2 and ranked 10th, is seeded fifth at 120, and will face Max Carlson of Bloomington Kennedy in the first round in his third state appearance.

Knapp, 40-3 and ranked fourth, is seeded third in the 195, and will face Parker Bothun of Dawson-Boyd-LQP. Knapp, who earned his 150th career win at sections, is making his third state trip.

Tuchtenhagen, 36-7 and unseeded as a first-time qualifier at 182, will face No. 6 seed Hunter Gibson of Morris/Hancock/Chokio-Alberta.

Peters, 37-9 and unseeded at heavyweight, opens against No. 6 seed Heath Parrish of Kasson-Mantorville. Peters, who is making his second state trip, earned his 100th career win at sections.

Also at sections, the Road Crew’s Chance Abraham finished third after losing in the final and then the true-second match at 152. Four Road Crew wrestlers placed for the first time at sections - Trevor Holmberg finished third at 106; Payton Scott, fourth at 220; Brady Ruhl, fifth at 145; and Earl Stockman, fifth at 160 after earning his 50th career win.

Knapp and Ruhl also made the section all-academic team. Knapp also earned the Al Olson Memorial Scholarship Award as well as being named one of eight wrestlers in the state for the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Scholarship recipients. Knapp, who will receive a plaque at state, is the second MWCA scholarship award winner for the Road Crew as graduate Drey Loge also received the award.