The Hatchet grapplers crushed Lakeland 60-18 last Thursday, and for an encore, posted a 4-1 runner-up record at Saturday’s DePere Invite to improve to 18-3 in duals for the season.
Tomahawk’s only loss on Saturday was in a 51-23 semi-final with the Reedsville, a state HM team in D3.
But the Hatchets rallied with a 48-21 triumph over Green Bay West/Southwest. They had opened by rocking Milwaukee Hamilton (51-12) and Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas (58-9), before besting their hosts 39-27.
“Our kids wrestled really well,” THS coach Bob Garrou said. “Reedsville is way better than us and it showed. The rest were fairly equal and we beat them.
“Considering how average we are, we’re 18-3 in duals. That’s amazing the way the kids step up and beat teams they probably shouldn’t. This is the most dual wins Tomahawk has ever had and we’ve had teams that were way better. The kids are stepping up at the right times.”
Kevin Zurfluh (113) and Austin Bellile (195-220) posted 5-0 records, while Cullen Wegener (106) and Henry Helland (170) were 4-1. Ryan Kuehn (138) and Adam Fau­Fau (220) finished 3-1, and Nate Flohr (126) and Slade Erdman (152) went 3-2. Quinton Wallenfang (145) and Jake Borchardt (182) were 2-2, and Mitch Schauer (285) was 2-3. Dane Borchardt (182) and Dylan Schiltz (195) were 1-1, Jake McGuire (126) was 1-3, Kaleb Kaminski (160) was 1-4, and Dakota Tomek (132) and Keagan Jach (145) went 0-1.
“We bumped Austin up to 220 against a (DePere) kid (Isaiah Hayes) that was 5th in (D1) state last year, and Austin really mauled him before (Hayes) had to injury default,” Garrou said. “I think that turned that match around.”
T-Birds toppled
Every match paid maximum points on Thursday. THS collected six pins with Kaminski (2:51), Bellile 1:27), FauFau (:29), Zurfluh (1:26), McGuire (5:50) and Flohr (3:29), while Helland, Schauer, Kuehn and Erdman picked up forfeits. There was a double forfeit at 120.
“Lakeland’s struggling a little bit,” Garrou said. “(Coach) Adam (Bremer)’s trying, but he was only able to give us nine matches.”
J. Borchardt (1:35), Wegener (3:52) and Wallenfang (1:10 gave up falls.