Raiders edge Wildcats in wrestling opener
Arcadia’s Cruz Patzner tried to turn Blair-Taylor’s Gunar Koxlien to his back during their dual last Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
Colton Koxlien of Blair-Taylor tried to get control of Arcadia’s Nicholas Esteban during their dual on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
Forfeits played a part in making what was a close match on the mat into a lopsided win for Arcadia in their season-opener at Blair-Taylor last Thursday.
The Wildcats actually won five of the nine matches that were wrestled, including three pins, but Arcadia received four forfeits as they won the dual 44-25.
B-T (0-1) wrestled again in a tournament at Royall on Saturday and will wrestle next Saturday at Eau Claire North. Arcadia will take on another Dairy-land Conference team in Whitehall this Thursday before competing in a tournament at La Crosse Logan on Saturday.
Arcadia 44 B-T 25
A series of forfeits put Arcadia in the lead and the Raiders held on by winning two of the last three matches.
Three straight forfeits put Arcadia ahead 34-19 with three matches – all to be settled on the mat – remaining. That’s when Nestor Badillo (132) clinched the win for Arcadia by pinning Easton Rogstad in 3:17, giving Arcadia an insurmountable lead with two matches left.
B-T won the next match as Billy Miller (138) pinned David Escalera, but Arcadia closed with a 14-5 win by Hunter Fitzpatrick over Ryan Flynn at 145 pounds.
B-T won four of the first five matches, but — aided by forfeits – Arcadia finished strong.
The home team opened with an 8-6 win by Colton Koxlien (152) over Nicolas Esteban before Arcadia briefly took a 4-3 lead when Cruz Patzner topped Gunar Koxlien, 15-6.
After Gery Lopez received a forfeit for Arcadia, The Wildcats recorded two straight pins when Jackson Shramek (195) struck Martin Aguilar in 5:01 and Dylan Elvaker (220) topped Juan Sandoval in 30 seconds.
Arcadia responded with a pin when Eric Bustos (285) took down Bryan Rogstad in 1:05. After a double forfeit at 106, Arcadia’s Wyatt George (113), Heidi Hernandez (120) and Matthew Badillo (126) received forfeits to put Arcadia ahead 28-19.
B-T had a chance to overcome the forfeits, but Arcadia won two of the final three matches to get the dual victory.
B-T wrestlers ninth at Royall tournament
With one champion and one second-place finisher, the Blair-Taylor wrestling team finished ninth at the Royall Invitational on Saturday.
Jackson Shramek (195) won his eight class as he pinned his first two opponents in the first period before topping Kolten Stibbe of Richland Center 12-6 in the championship match.
Bryan Rogstad (220) finished second. After a first round bye, he won his second match by injury default before being pinned by Teige Perkins in the first period of the championship match. Perkins went 43-7 for Richland Center last year.
None of the other B-T wrestlers placed. The only other wrestlers to win a match that wasn’t a bye or a forfeit was Colton Koxlien, who picked up a pin in the consolation bracket, but his tournament ended when he lost the next match.
