Wrestlers win four titles in Bonduel

By Greg Seubert

Amherst’s Sylas Schaberg takes on Menominee Indian’s Joe Perez in a 113-pound match at the Central Wisconsin Conference meet in Bonduel. Perez ended up pinning Schaberg and the Falcons went on to place eighth and had a pair of conference championships in Bryce Holderman and Max Villnow at 195 and 220, respectively. Greg Seubert Photo

Four individual championships added up to a conference meet title for the Weyauwega-Fremont wrestling team.

Carter Greening, Easton Groskreutz, Logan Kicherer and Justin Kempf won championships at 106, 113, 126 and 132 pounds, respectively, Feb. 4 at the Central Wisconsin Conference meet in Bonduel.

The Indians also had three second-place finishers in Cian Fischer (120), Tyler Wetzel (152) and Dylen Kicherer (220).

W-F won the 10-team meet with 220 points, followed by Shiocton (205.5), Menominee Indian (144), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (137), Bonduel (113), Tri-County (86), Rosholt (79.5), Amherst (58), Manawa (57) and Almond-Bancroft/Pacelli (18).

Amherst had a pair of champions in Bryce Holderman (195) and Max Villnow (220), while Manawa’s Garrett Bristol placed second at 138 and Zach Johnson (160) and Trent Zabel (285) finished fourth.

W-F had champions in four of the first five title matches, Greening handed Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s Chad Moegenburg a 4-1 defeat at 106, Groskreutz beat Shiocton’s Ethan Flannery 8-5 at 113, Logan Kicherer beat Rosholt’s Adam Charnecke 5-1 at 126 and Kempf outscored Shiocton’s Sawyer Theobald 6-4.

The Indians would have had the first five champions, but Bonduel’s Jordan Boldt beat Fischer 10-7 in the 120 championship match.

“We came into the tournament with two dual meet losses during the regular season against Shiocton and defending champion Wittenberg-Birnamwood,” coach Tim Potratz said. “In order to win the title, we would have to beat both those teams head-to-head at the conference tournament and did exactly that.

“All 14 wrestlers won at least one match and all 14 placed in the top six at their weight class,” he added. “We wrestled aggressively all day, coming from behind in matches, winning the close matches and leading all teams in pins with 16 for the day.”

Tri-County’s Brandon Peckham pinned Wetzel in 5:09 in the 152 championship match and Villnow beat Dylen Kicherer 10-1 at 220. Kyle Loehrke also placed fourth at 170 for the Indians after dropping a 12-2 decision to Menominee Indian’s Elliot Miller in the third-place match.

“We put seven wrestlers in the finals and came away with four champions,” Potratz said. “This was by far the best our team has wrestled all season. The kids have worked very hard and it showed. They believed they could win this tournament and be conference champions and they did it together.

“When all 14 boys on a team contribute wins in a tournament, it is tough to beat that team,” he said. “We are so proud of the way this group of kids wrestled to become champions.”

Shiocton’s Sam Van Straten pinned Bristol in 2:27 in the 138 title match. Shiocton’s Trevor Young beat Johnson 10-5 in the third-place match at 160 and Bonduel’s Seth Matz pinned Zabel in 1:38 in the third-place match at 285.

“I thought we were a year away from being champs,” Potratz said. “On a personal note, this was my 11th conference title as head coach. It feels good, especially as I get older. I appreciate it more.”