Governors Suffer First Loss Against #2 Ranked Aberdeen

Over the past two years, two Class A Wrestling teams have engaged in direct competition to earn the team title at the South Dakota High School State Tournament.  During the 2013-14 season, the Aberdeen Golden Eagles produced one of its most dominate teams to date, earning their first Class A title, and defeating the Pierre Governors in two duals that year after they had won back-to-back State Championships.  The following year, the top rated Golden Eagles secured an early dual victory over the Governors at the Watertown Invitational along with a win during their ESD matchup later that season.  However, despite capturing the team title for the Region 3 tournament, the Governors generated enough team points at the State Class A Tournament to earn the state title by just 1 1/2  points.  Tensions carried forward again during the 2015-16 season where despite a lopsided victory over the Golden Eagles in the opening Watertown Invitational, Aberdeen was able to make a number of critical lineup changes to narrow the gap in late December to only 12 points.  The Governors went on to win the State Class A Tournament last year.  With this recent history as background, these two teams brought considerable firepower into tonight's contest with the hopes of establishing the top dual team in South Dakota.  In reviewing the rankings, the two teams boasted seven #1 ranked wrestlers and 12 others ranked in the top eight at their respective weights.

#1 ranked Lincoln Turman squares off against Daymon Stueck at 113lbs.  Turman earned a first period pin to tie the dual at 6-6.

Overall this matchup held true to its top billing, and demonstrates how important the coin toss can be in tight duals.  Number 1 ranked Jacob Moore put Aberdeen on the board with a first period pin over #6 Jack Van Camp, and that was followed up by a pin for #1 ranked Lincoln Turman against Daymon Stueck in 1:24.  Tied going into the 120lbs match, #2 ranked William Turman pinned Ethan Allen in :36 allowing the Governors to take the 12-6 lead.  One of the most important matchups of the night was at 126lbs between #6 Cade Hinkle and Victor Padilla.  In the Governors and Golden Eagles first matchup during the opening weekend of competition, Hinkle earned a pin over Steuck which allowed the Governors to establish a 18-4 lead.  However, the insertion of Padilla into the lineup resulted in an important swing for the Golden Eagles with a 4-0 win. Number 1 ranked Michel Lusk squared off against #6 Will Jarrott at 126lbs, with Jarrott staving off the major decision with an escape late in the third period. 

#1 ranked Michael Lusk works to hold #6 Will Jarrott on the mat during their 132lb matchup.  Lusk went on to win the match 11-4.

A shift in the lineup at 138lbs also resulted in a significant point swing for the Eagles as #3 Austin Senger pinned Garrett Mitzel in 1:32, as Aberdeen shifted Austin Cihak to 145lbs who then pinned Logan Meyer in 1:13.  In the opening dual Senger earned the pin over Cihak, and Aric Williams won by fall against Garrett Mitzel in the first period.  In the hopes of securing a swing win at 152lbs, the Governors bumped #1 Aric Williams to face off against #4 Collin Haar, with Williams earning an important 3-1 victory with a takedown as time expired in the closing period.  "It was a big matchup going into the dual" said Aric Williams.  "I knew I had to stick to what I do best.  Push the pace and keep going on my offense.  Collin is a good friend as we have competed together in the off-season, but we both know that when we step on the mat it is a different story."

#3 ranked Austin Senger works to secure a pin over Garrett Mitzel during the first period of their matchup at 138lbs.

The Governors took a 24-15 lead going into the 160lb matchup against Clayton Rernleitner, and moved Maguire Raske up a weight class with hopes of a swing match from the previous dual (Riley Kruger had last to Rernleitner 11-6 previously), but the size differential appeared to be too significant for Raske who lost in an 8-5 decision advancing the score to 24-18.  Assistant Coach John Wayne Kalda noted after the dual that "What's fun and frustrating at the same time about a dual like this is different approaches that teams could make.  We knew coming in their strategy to win had to include winning more matches in the lower weight classes than they lost last time. However, we felt comfortable with our fire power down low to get the job done.  The one aspect we couldn't control was the coin flip.  We would have liked the option to have them show at the first weight classes so we could make our move.  Unfortunately, it didn't fall our way."

Maguire Raske works to earn a reversal during his 160lb match against Clayton Rernleitner. 

For the remainder of the dual, both teams wrestled straight up at each weight class.  Wins by #1 Bradley Nelson over Lucas Stoltenburg at 170lbs in 1:11, and then a late pin by #1 Braiden Nelson against #8 Gage Gehring at the 5:31 mark resulted in a 30-24 lead for Aberdeen.  Spencer Sarringar ranked #1 at 195lbs defeated #3 Jake Flakus 5-3 to inch the Governors back closer to a 30-27 score.  In the Watertown Invitational #4 Trajan LaRocque won by major decision over #5 Levi Stoltenburg.  However, despite being thrown to his back in the opening period, Stoltenburg gained the advantage early in the second period and earned the pin in 2:56 putting the Governors in the lead 33-30 going into the 285lb matchup.  "Levi is a fighter," commented head coach Shawn Lewis after the conclusion of the dual.  "Both wrestlers rely upon huge throws and big moves.  After battling off his back early, he started to push the pace.  That ended up being the difference maker in the match." 

#5 ranked Levi Stoltenburg earns the pin over #4 Trajan LaRocque to place the Governors in the lead following the 220lbs match.

To decide the dual, #8 Ty Paulsen faced off against #5 Austin Maunu in a matchup that took three overtimes to decide earlier this year.  After going 0-0 in the first period, Maunu scored an early escape and then a takedown on the edge of the mat to lead 3-0 going into the final period.  Paulsen chose down but was unable to escape resulting in a team score of 33-33. The South Dakota High School Athletic Association uses a series of criteria to determine a winner in the event of a tie which are noted below.  Following a lengthy discussion by the officials which caused them to drop down to the 8th criteria on the list, it was deemed that Aberdeen had secured the win due to a 17-9 differential in the first points scored in each individual match. 

1.  The team whose opposing wrestlers or team personnel has been penalized the greater number of team points for flagrant misconduct or unsportsmanlike  conduct;
2. The team whose opposing head coach has been penalized the greater number of team points for coach misconduct;
3. The team whose opposing wrestlers were penalized the greater number of match points for unsportsmanlike conduct;
4. The team having won the greater number of matches (including forfeits);
5. The team having accumulated the greater total number of falls, defaults, forfeits, and disqualifications;
6. The team having the greater number of technical falls;
7. The team having the greater number of major decisions;
8. The team having the greater number (total match points) of first-points scored;
9. The team having the greater number of points for near-falls;
10. The team having the greater number of takedowns;
11. The team having the greater number of reversal;
12. The team having the greater number of escapes;
13. The team whose opponent has been penalized the greater number of points for stalling;
14. The team whose opponent has been warned more often for stalling;
15. The team whose opponent has the greater number of penalties for all other infractions;
16. If none of the above resolves the tie, a flip of a disk will determine the winner.

In reflecting on the dual, coach Lewis noted "We had four matches that we thought were pivotal including 126lbs (Hinkle vs. Padilla), 145lbs (Meyer vs. Cihak), 152lbs (Williams vs. Haar), and 160lbs (Raske vs. Rernleitner), but unfortunately we only secured one win during those matches with a well wrestled match by Williams despite giving up the weight advantage." Once the final tie-breaker criteria had been decided, Aberdeen was awarded one point to secure the dual which resulted in a 34-33 win for the Golden Eagles.  "We told the team to hold their heads high," said Lewis.  "We battled every match and we must always remember we win as a team and lose as a team.  We cannot sit and dwell on the hundreds of things we did wrong because we did a hundred more things right tonight as well.  We take a loss like this and use it as motivation to work harder in the room and keep preparing for February."  The match-by-match breakdown for the entire dual can be found below:

• 106bls - #1 Jacob Moore won by fall over #6 Jack Van Camp
• 113lbs - #1 Lincoln Turman won by fall over Daymon Steuck
• 120lbs - #2 William Turman won by fall over Ethan Allen
• 126lbs - Victor Padilla won by 4-0 decision over #6 Cade Hinkle
• 132lbs - #1 Michael Lusk won by 11-4 decision over #6 Will Jarrott
• 138lbs - #3 Austin Senger won by fall over Garrett Mitzel
• 145lbs - Austin Cihak won by fall over Logan Meyer
• 152lbs - #1 Aric Williams won by 3-1 decision over #4 Collin Haar
• 160bls - Clayton Rernleitner won by 8-5 decision over Maguire Raske
• 170bls - #1 Bradley Nelson won by fall over Lucas Stoltenburg
• 182lbs - #1 Braiden Nelson won by fall over #8 Gabe Gehring
• 195lbs - #1 Spencer Sarringer won by 5-3 decision over #3 Jake Flakus
• 220lbs - #5 Levi Stoltenburg won by fall over #4 Trajan LaRocque
• 285bls - #5 Austin Maunu won by 3-1 decision over #8 Ty Paulsen

In reflection on the outcome of the dual coach Kalda noted "What I am impressed with most about tonight was the attitude of the team.  This loss left a bad taste in our mouth and there is no doubt we will come back stronger from it.  We are a very aggressive team and sometimes that can put us in some dangerous situations.  When you start looking at close duals like we saw tonight, sometimes the difference doesn't come from how we win but also how we lose."  Pending the approaching weather system, the Governors will be in action again at the Elk-Point Jefferson Tournament on December 17th.  Following the Christmas break the team will travel to Rochester, MN to compete at The Clash with initial dual team seeding to be released on December 16th.