An admirable team competition season came to an end Saturday, Feb. 19 as the top-seeded Pequot Lakes/Pine River Backus Road Crew wrestlers were edged by the No. 2 Thief River Falls Prowlers 36-33 in the Section 8-2A championship match.
Earlier in the day, the Road Crew advanced by defeating the Detroit Lakes Lakers 55-15 in the section semifinals.
Against TRF, the Road Crew enjoyed a 33-27 lead going into the final two matches. But the Prowlers’ Jolson Sargent earned a 3-2 decision over Austin Staricha and TRF’s Collin Bruggenman pinned Riley Peters in 2:46 for the win.
“We lost 4 close matches (against TRF) and we were so close in all of them, it just wasn’t meant to be,” said Road Crew coach Travis Hoffarth, whose team won 28 of 30 matches this season. “We lost those two duals by a total of four points. We had a remarkable season, and I’m so proud of how these kids represented our program, communities, and families. The loss stings, and the kids are crushed, but I told them these moments will help shape them as they get older.”
Parker Zutter, Caleb Ruhl, Owen Carlson and Corbin Knapp each registered two pins for the Road Crew.
In the section quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 15, the Road Crew cruised past No. 4 Albany 63-9. Zutter, Easton Miller, Brady Ruhl, Korey Kinyon, Chance Abraham and Trey Tuchtenhagen all had pins for the Road Crew.
The Road Crew are scheduled to compete in the Section 8-2A individual tournament Friday, Feb. 25, at Melrose. Some of the top individual records for the Road Crew are Connor Tulenchik and Zutter, both 41-2, Knapp 37-4, Abraham 36-9, Ruhl 33-12 and Staricha 32-2. Other wrestlers with 15 wins are Tuchtenhagen 28-15, Riley Peters 24-7, Miller 21-5, Karsen Kinyon 20-10, Earl Stockman 20-12, Owen Carlson 19-4, Korey Kinyon 19-17, Brady Ruhl 19-11, Matthew Foster 15-8 and Trevor Holmberg 15-14.
Section 8-2A championship
Thief River Falls 36, Road Crew 33
106: Parker Zutter (PL/PRB) pinned Maverick Iverson 5:12
113: Easton Miller (PL/PRB) pinned Nick Svir 1:47
120: Noah Jacobson (TRF) pinned Tayten Mick 0:36
126: Caleb Ruhl (PL/PRB) pinned Keigan Hermanson 0:46
132: Owen Carlson (PL/PRB) pinned Eli Wilebski 0:17
138: Kale Geiser (TRF) sudden victory over Brady Ruhl 3-1
145: Ethan Lane (TRF) dec. Korey Kinyon 3-1
152: Griffin Lundeen (TRF) pinned Korey Kinyon 4:46
160: Brady Kasprick (TRF) dec. Chance Abraham 10-4
170: Cody Weinen (TRF) pinned Trey Tuchtenhagen 1:39
182: Connor Tulenchik (PL/PRB) dec. Damon Ferguson 4-3
195: Corbin Knapp (PL/PRB) pinned Paul Dehate 4:23
220: Jolson Sargent (TRF) dec. Austin Staricha 3-2
285: Collin Bruggenman (TRF) pinned Riley Peters 2:46
Road Crew 55, Detroit Lakes 15
106: Trevos Holmberg (PL/PRB) major dec. Talan Baker 12-3
113: Parker Zutter (PL/PRB) pinned Jeremy Linn 2:23
120: Tayten Mick (PL/PRB) dec. Beau Somdahl 4-3
126: Caleb Ruhl (PL/PRB) pinned Izaiah Vargas 1:23
132: Owen Carlson (PL/PRB) pinned Cody Bartnes 1:42
138: Brady Swiers (DL) major dec. Brady Ruhl 10-2
145: Tyson Ullyott (DL) tech fall Korey Kinyon 21-6
152: Chance Abraham (PL/PRB) pinned Brock Swiers 1:04
160: Cade Okeson (DL) dec. Earl Stockman 10-4
170: Cade Jackson (DL) dec. Trey Tuchtenhagen 8-7
182: Connor Tulenchik (PL/PRB) pinned Charlie Zok 0:49
195: Corbin Knapp (PL/PRB) pinned Connor Zamzo 1:56
220: Austin Staricha (PL/PRB) pinned Tynan Simpson 1:26
285: Riley Peters (PL/PRB) forfeit
Section 8-2A quarterfinal
106: Parker Zutter (PLPRB) pinned Nathan Kollmann 1:41
113: Easton Miller (PLPRB) pinned Ean Hansen 0:34
120: Tayten Nick (PLPRB) forfeit
126: Caleb Ruhl (PLPRB) pinned Reed Moulzolf 0:17
132: Owen Carlson (PLPRB) dec. Devin Hansen 10-5
138: Brady Ruhl (PLPRB) pinned Joseph Schmitt 3:19
145: Korey Kinyon (PLPRB) pinned Spencer Kollman 2:31
152: Chance Abraham (PLPRB) pinned Cole Moulzolf 1:31
160: Petyon Krumrei (Albany) pinned Earl Stockman 1:42
170: Trey Tuchtenhagen (PLPRB) pinned Cooper Brinkman 1:01
182: Connor Tulenchik (PLPRB) dec. Hunter Tate 9-8
195: Corbin Knapp (PLPRB) dec. Declan Crumley 5-1
220: Austin Stancha (PLPRB) forfeit
285: Jacob Adrian (Albany) dec. Matthew Foster 8-4
