Pierz downs Rabbits

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

ST. PAUL -- In Wabasso's first two Class A team wins at the state tournament, the Rabbits wrestlers didn't make a big fuss; neither did they make a big fuss when they took second place to Pierz by just four points Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center.

"Some guys are gonna carry their emotions on their sleeves, and some are going to hide it, but they all feel it," Wabasso coach Gary Hindt said.

Perhaps it was also because they didn't know how to feel.

The Rabbits felt that second place was a big accomplishment, but they also lost the championship match 28-24.

"If we're gonna have to lose once, this is where we'd want to do it," Hindt said.

"It still feels good, even if we lost," senior Chad Altermatt said.

Altermatt lost a close 3-2 decision at 135 as the Rabbits went down 19-15, before Derrick Jenniges won a 7-2 decision at 160 to make it 19-18. "I know we could have done it -- they're maybe a little better than we are.

"I mean, we knew they were really good, really high caliber," he said. "We knew we had to wrestle the best match of the season."

AJ Jenniges (103) and Corey Schunk (145) won major decisions for Wabasso, and Derek Guetter and Derrick Jenniges each won decisions.

The match was tight throughout, neither team getting more than a five point lead until Pierz got three straight wins at 171-215 to up the lead to 28-18 and guarantee a victory.

Although the heavyweight bout could not affect the outcome of the match, Wabasso's Clayton Rudenick brought the Rabbits as close to Pierz as he could, pinning Tyler Stumpf in 2:07.

Hindt had confidence in Rudenick to get a win for the Rabbits at the end.

"It was over, but he wanted to prove that we blong here," Hindt said. "I said before it started, that if it comes down to heavyweight, it'll be good."

Another key bout turned out to be Jesse Schroepfer's match against Pierz' Zach Solinger at 171. Schroepfer had come from behind to tie it three times, but Solinger won 13-11 in overtime after he got a takedown.

From there, either Dan Mathiowetz (189) or Tyler Maertens (215) or both would have had to win for Wabasso to get a victory, even with Rudenick's pin.

Mathiowetz lost by 7-4 decision and Maertins lost 5-1.

"You‚'ve got to keep at an even keel -- when we won, the guys weren't jumping around like was Christmas," Hindt said after Friday's team win. "If we win [Saturday], we'll be excited; if we lose, we'll still be excited.

"I hope they can put [the loss] behind them," he said Saturday. There'll be a lot of 'What ifs,' but soon, it will change to 'Look what we did.'"

Championship

Pierz def. Wabasso, 28-24

103 -- Adam Jenniges (Wab) major dec. Hank Virnig, 11-2 112 -- Kyle Bednar, (Pierz) pinned Adam Ourada, 5:02 119 -- Scott Janson (Pierz) def. Dan Hatch, 6-2 125 -- Brandan Schunk, (Wab) def. Jon Andres, 4-2 130 -- Derek Guetter, (Wab) major dec. Joe Hyatt, 11-3 135: Warren Gall, (Pierz) def. Mitchell Altermatt, 5-0 140 -- Craig Luberts, (Pierz) major. dec. Justin Irlbeck, 21-9 145 -- Corey Schunk, (Wab) major dec. Tony Andres, 13-5 152 -- Kyle Girtz, (Pierz) def. Chad Altermatt, 3-2 160 -- Derrick Jenniges, (Wab) def. Nathan Britz, 7-2 171 -- Zach Solinger, (Pierz) def. Jesse Schropfer, 13-11 OT 189 -- Jesse Zajac, (Pierz) def. Dan Mathiowetz, 7-4 215 -- Matt Mrnak, (Pierz) def. Tyler Maertens, 5-1 Hwt -- Clayton Rudenick, (Wab) pinned Tyler Stumpf, 2:07