Rapid City

     An early test on the wrestlers is the annual trip to Rapid City. They wrestle in a triangular on Thursday night against Rapid City Central then Sturgis before participating in the always tough Rapid City Invite. Not only is this a difficult one to make weight three days in a row but it's a meat grinder of a tournament with impressive competition from SD, ND, CO and WY featuring ranked wrestling in the country at various weights.
     RCC was our first opponent and the home team was ready to wrestle, defeating Aberdeen 52-18. Although the Eagles had some early success the momentum swung in the Cobblers direction and we couldn't get it back. Brenden Salfrank started things off with a dominating victory at 106. After recording a takedown and 9 points in Near Fall he pinned his opponent in the 2nd period.  Brock Martin wrestled an impressive match gaining a takedown in all 3 periods to win 7-3. Jacob Moore won by a decision at 126 to make the team score 12-6 Eagles, That was it for victories until Kaden Johnson's forfeit at 285.
     The Scoopers were next and the results were similar. Sturgis won 45-29. Salfrank got us off to a good start again with an 8-2 win over Kaden Olsen. Although the rankings aren't out yet I would expect to find these two at the top of the weight class. This was a nice win for Brenden. Our next win was from Jacob Moore who earned a first period fall before Sturgis would rattle off 5 straight wins. Will Jarrott would end the Scooper streak with a first period pin of his own and Dillon Stoebner would follow with a tough fought 6-2 decision. Kaden Johnson would get a fall of his own in the first period to end the dual.
     As a fan I can think of many reasons why we didn't wrestle well but knowing Coach Bowden , (who didn't attend the trip because his first child is due to be born any day now) he won't accept any excuses and knows we can do better and will do better.
     Better is definitely what we did the next two days during the tournament finishing in 5th place out of 36 teams with 147.5 points which is 8.5 points ahead of Sturgis and 16.5 ahead of RCC. The team responded well placing 6 kids in the tournament with 2 champions, a runner up, a 3rd a 4th and an 8th place finish. We had 5 kids in the semifinals bested only by the team from Windsor CO who had 6 in the semi's.
     Salfrank continued his early season success by dominating the 106 lb weight class. The number one seed got 2 pins then a major decision in the quarter finals followed by a 10-3 decision in the semi finals against Parker from Windsor before earning a major decision over the previously mentioned Olsen in the finals becoming the Rapid Invite Champion
     Drew Salfrank at 113 had a tough draw but did some nice things out there. He bounced back in the second chance tourney going 1-1. The experience this 8th grader is getting is invaluable and will pay dividends down the road.
     At 120 lbs for the Eagles was Brock Martin, the freshman lost his first match before gutting out 3 straight wins to finish in the top 12 and make it to day two. Unfortunately his opening match was to the eventual 3rd place finisher from Rapid City Stevens. You can see the experience from last year and so far this year really paying dividends for Brock. Look for him to have a nice season and a good career for the Eagles.
     Senior Jacob Moore worked his way to the semi finals at 126 by getting a pin, then a tech fall and a decision before losing to the two time CO state champ and Junior All-American Will Vombaur from Windsor. He would bounce back in his next match defeating Collin Powell from Chamberlain. This was a potential state finals matchup as well. One would expect to see them ranked 1 and 2 when the SD Class A rankings come out. Jacob's final match was against a familiar foe in ND State Champ Laken Boese from Bismarck. Jacob beat Laken last year in the semi finals and the previous year in the finals at this tournament. This year, wrestling for 3rd place, the University of Mary recruit beat Jacob 2-0. Look for these two to meet again at the Rumble on the Red tourney in Fargo or the Bismarck Rotary tournament.


     The Beadle brothers are at 132 and 138 for Central. Older brother Logan went 1-2 while younger brother, Calvin, showed a lot of grit and competed hard. Both had a good showing in the second chance tourney. As did 145 pounder Dillon Schaunaman. Who wrestled tough but drawing the top seed in the tourney was a tall order for the freshman.
    Garrett Mitzel made a nice run at 152. The unseeded Junior won his first match 4-2 then got a pin in 27 seconds to advance to the quarter finals. There he fell to the 3 seed from Douglas before he bounced back in the "Blood Round". Garrett got a turn for a 5 count in the second period to go up 3-0 and would hang on for the 3-1 victory. He lost the 7th place match by 1 point. Garret was down early but came storming back narrowly missing a take down as time expired.
     Sam Calvert at 160, who moved here from Alaska, drew the 2 seed in the opening round. He is adjusting to the difference in styles here in the Midwest compared to Alaska, but the Sophomore has talent and will be contributing greatly as the season progresses.
     170 features Will Jarrot who became our second champion of the tournament capping off an overtime victory over the top seed Riley Mitchell from Wyoming. Mitchell gained a late escape to tie the match and send it to overtime. Early in the period will got in on a single leg and finished it to earn the title. Will opened the tournament with two straight pins then a decision in the quarter finals before facing Wyatt Jungclaus of RCC. Jungclaus pinned Will during Thursday's nights triangular but the senior wouldn't have any of that this time around pancaking Jungclaus to his back earning 3 Near Fall points in the second period. That was the difference in the match as he won 5-4.
     Also wrestling at 170 was Junior Dillon Stoebner. Dillon pinned Huron's Tyson Lien before injuring himself in his second match. Although he went out for his third match the injury proved too much for him to overcome. I'm hopeful it is just a minor setback and he will be back on the mat soon.
     Brock Baker at 182 also put together an impressive run to the finals. Earning a pin in the first round, the second round, the quarter finals and a 3rd period fall in the semi finals against Leesman from Pierre. 4 straight pins got him to the finals where he would succumb to the top seed, and two time state champ, Isaiah Salazar, from Windsor CO and earn a runner up finish.
     Sophomore, Alex Hopfinger, who earned a varsity spot this year at 220 had a tough draw but was competitive. As he adjusts to varsity level wrestling he will see more victories come his way.
     Our last of 5 semi finalists is 285 pounder Kaden Johnson. Kaden was the 3 seed and has pinned every opponent so far leading into the tourney. He continued his pinning ways earning falls in the 1st, 2nd and quarter final rounds before falling in the semi finals to his opponent from Bismarck, Chase Dockter. Dockter wrestled a style Kaden isn't used to. Look for him to make adjustments the next time they meet. Kaden bounced back with two more pins including a 2nd period fall over Pierre's Preston Taylor to earn 3rd place.