Wildcats win forfeit-filled affair with North Branch

by CHUCK FITZER Not too long ago, the dual meet between the Chisago Lakes Wildcats and the North Branch Vikings was the highlight of the regular season for both teams. Whether the meet was held at Chisago Lakes High School or North Branch High School, fans of both packed the gym for what usually turned out to be a loud, raucous affair. And while the Wildcats has won the last three years, the matches had been relatively close, with Chisago Lakes winning by less than 10 points. But low numbers, an injury and an illness caused the Vikings to field a lineup that was forced to forfeit five matches against the Wildcats Thursday, December 18.

The Chisago Lakes gym contained few fans other than the wrestlers’ parents, and the sparse crowd was mostly quiet as the Wildcats cruised to a 60-15 win over the Vikings. Despite the lopsided score, there was some excitement at a few weights. Jack Anderson (106) led for the Vikings with a 6-1 win over Isaiah Sistrunk. The teams exchanged forfeits and the Vikings led 9-6.

Wildcat Teddy Pierce (126) had a quick takedown against Luke Nadeau. Pierce was awarded a two point near fall at 1:20 and completed the pin 10 seconds later to put the Wildcats up 12-9. The Wildcats’ Grant Brown (132) dove at the legs of Viking Aaron Robillard about 40 seconds into the first period. Brown grabbed on, picked up Robillard and stood up. He set Robillard down almost gently for the takedown and then cradled Robillard for the pin at 1:22. And at 138, Wildcat Aaron Sistrunk relentlessly went after James Peltier. Sistrunk took down Peltier at 20 seconds and finished a pin at 1:04. After three pins in a row, the Wildcats led the Vikings 24-9.

The Vikings forfeited the next two weights to put the Wildcats up 36-9. In the match at 160, the Wildcats’ Kyle Schoenecker grabbed Viking Cameron Sampson’s right arm and right leg and took him down at 15 seconds for a 2-0 lead. After a couple of near falls, Schoenecker led 7-1 at the end of the first period. Schoenecker started on the bottom in the second period. He completed a reversal at 2:32 and pinned Sampson at 2:44. The Wildcats now led 42-9. The match at 170 between Viking Arik Steele and Wildcat Nathan Graeve turned out to be the match of the evening. Steele tried an early takedown, but Graeve reversed it and grabbed Steele’s ankles. As Steele tried to dive out of bounds, the referee awarded Graeve a takedown and he led 2-0. Steele managed a reversal later in the period, and the score was tied 2-2 after one. The wrestlers started in the up position in the second period. At 2:30, Steele took down Graeve for a 4-2 lead and Graeve immediately reversed him to tie the match at 4-4. Steele then reversed Grave at 3:12 to take a 6-4 lead. At 3:40, Steele picked up Graeve and slammed him down, but Graeve hung on for the rest of the period and Steele maintained his 6-4 lead after two. In the third period, Graeve started on the bottom. The two wrestlers rolled around until Graeve completed a reversal at 4:30 to tie the score at 6-6. Graeve immediately let Steele stand up and Steele led 7-6. At 5:32, Graeve went low and grabbed Steele’s ankles. But this time Steele was able to hop out of bounds before Graeve could get him into a takedown position and Steele maintained a 7-6 lead. Graeve made one more dive for Steele’s ankles with just seven seconds remaining in the match, but Steele jumped out of the way and hung on for a 7-6 win. The Wildcats now led 42-12. After two more forfeits by the Vikings, the Wildcats’ Adam Klick faced Viking Cody Forse at 220. Klick took down Forse almost immediately and completed the pin at 17 seconds, before the referee had even had a chance to award points to Klick for the takedown. The 285 pound match featured Bailey Adams of North Branch against Jax Ebbenga of Chisago Lakes. At 51 seconds, Adams made the first real attempt by either wrestler and completed a takedown to lead 2-0. Ebbenga worked an escape at 1:46 and Adams led 2-1 after one. Adams started on the bottom in the second period. He escaped at 2:49 to take a 3-1 lead. At 3:45, Ebbenga tried a head grab move and looked to have Adams in a vulnerable position, but Adams slipped his head clear and turned it into a takedown of his own to go up 5-1. Ebbenga started on the bottom in the third period. Adams spent the period trying to turn Ebbenga on his back, but Ebbenga’s strength kept Adams from even getting close to a pin. But Adams did hold Ebbenga down for the entire period and came away with a hard fought 5-1 win, making the final score Chisago Lakes 60 North Branch 15.

Individual Results 106 - Jack Anderson (NB) decisioned Isaiah Sistrunk (CL) 6-1 113 - Derrick Kluge (CL) won by forfeit 120 - Kody Strohmayer (NB) won by forfeit 126 - Teddy Pierce (CL) pinned Luke Nadeau (NB) (1:30) 132 - Grant Brown (CL) pinned Aaron Robillard (NB) (1:22) 138 - Aaron Sistrunk (CL) pinned James Peltier (NB) (1:03) 145 - Dylan Connell (CL) won by forfeit 152 - Dustin Kluge (CL) won by forfeit 160 - Kyle Schoenecker (CL) pinned Cameron Sampson (NB) (2:44) 170 - Arik Steele (NB) decisioned Nathan Graeve (CL) 7-6 182 - Mike Bliskowski (CL) won by forfeit 195 - Gabe Taylor (CL) won by forfeit 220 - Adam Klick (CL) pinned Cody Forse (NB) 0:16 60-12 285 - Bailey Adams (NB) decisioned Jax Ebbenga (CL) 5-1