MONROE - Despite wrestling at the same 160-pound weight class this year, Monroe sophomore Patrick Rielly and his cousin Darlington senior Grady Rielly haven't had to face each other.
Grady Rielly said they talk about wrestling at times and wonder who would get bragging rights if they faced each other on the mat.
"We do talk with each other and if we wrestle each other, we would find out who would win," Grady said. "Luckily, we haven't had to do that. We definitely want the best for each other."
Patrick's also not sure who would win if they faced each other.
"It would probably be a close one," Patrick said.
The reason they won't face each other in upcoming sectionals Saturday is because they are in different divisions. Grady Rielly, a member of the Black Hawk-Darlington team that is ranked 10th in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online state poll, will wrestle in the WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional. Patrick Rielly will wrestle in the WIAA Division 2 Richland Center sectional. Both are looking forward to having an opportunity to punch their tickets to the state tournament at the Kohl Center.
The Riellys come from a family with strong wrestling roots. Their uncle, Keith Rielly, a 1988 Darlington High School alumnus, was a state qualifier in high school and went on to wrestle for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Grady has been a three-sport athlete at Darlington playing football, wrestling and running track and field. He took fourth at the Division 3 state track meet in the 300-meter hurdles and fifth in the 110 high hurdles. He's considering running track and field next year at UW-Platteville.
Grady wrestled at 152 earlier this year, but bumped up to 160 late in the season and for the postseason.
"When you have a really talented group of wrestlers and make it to the team sectional like we did, it's just the way it worked out," he said.
Grady (24-11) faces a loaded weight class at the sectional. Three of the eight wrestlers in his weight class are ranked in the state's top 12. The ranked wrestlers at 160 in the Mineral Point sectional include Iowa-Grant-Highland senior Max Maylor (39-1), ranked No. 1, Brookwood senior Ben DeWitt (28-2, No. 4) and Fennimore sophomore Will Ahnen (31-15, No. 10).
"I'm definitely the underdog," he said. "I just have to go out there, wrestle hard and give it my all. That's all I can do."
For the Cheesemakers, Patrick Rielly, ranked No. 12 in Division 2 at 160, faces a similar challenge in Richland Center Saturday. There are three other wrestlers ranked in the top 12 in the state in Patrick's weight class - Prairie du Chien senior Nick Rogge (41-5, No. 6), Dodgeville senior John Phelan (35-9, No. 7) and Brodhead-Juda senior Kaleb Erb (26-8, No. 11).
Patrick started wrestling with the Monroe Mat Rats when he was in kindergarten and had two goals at the start of the season.
"One goal was to cut my losses in half and the other was to make it to the sectional and maybe qualify for state," Patrick said. "To know I have a chance now, it's making me want to get to the next level."
He posted a 20-18 record at 152 last season and enters the Richland Center sectional with a 34-8 mark this year. Patrick will wrestle West Salem-Bangor's Joe Wopat in a first-round sectional match Saturday. Earlier this year, Patrick's cousin Grady beat Wopat 11-2.
He hasn't sought advice from Grady about Wopat's wrestling style.
"I'm just ready to go out and beat him," he said. "To beat Joe, I will just have to wrestle hard all the way through and wrestle smart."
Grady said the other challenge is learning how to wrestle in a close match.
The competition in the Monroe wrestling room with seniors Travis Wolf (152), Sam Kind (170) and Dempzy Foley (182) has been a driving force for Patrick.
"It's given me a lot of different views and wrestling styles that have helped me," he said. "They challenge me at practice and make me better."
Monroe coach Tom Witt said one of the biggest areas Patrick has improved on is wrestling on his feet.
"He's done a better job on his feet of taking kids down when he has the opportunity, and he's getting taken down less this year," Witt said.
Patrick has 36 takedowns this year, which is an increase from his freshman year, Witt said.
Before his freshman year, Patrick received pointers from Grady about what to expect from high school wrestling.
"He (Grady) gave me the insight of how it would be in high school because it's a lot different than middle school and youth wrestling," Patrick said.
There are challenges when middle school wrestlers make the transition to high school.
"The pace is different," Grady said of one of the pointers he gave Patrick last year. "In middle school the periods are just one minute, and in high school the periods are two minutes. It takes some time learning how to wrestle with pace."
Grady Rielly said they talk about wrestling at times and wonder who would get bragging rights if they faced each other on the mat.
"We do talk with each other and if we wrestle each other, we would find out who would win," Grady said. "Luckily, we haven't had to do that. We definitely want the best for each other."
Patrick's also not sure who would win if they faced each other.
"It would probably be a close one," Patrick said.
The reason they won't face each other in upcoming sectionals Saturday is because they are in different divisions. Grady Rielly, a member of the Black Hawk-Darlington team that is ranked 10th in the Wisconsin Wrestling Online state poll, will wrestle in the WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point sectional. Patrick Rielly will wrestle in the WIAA Division 2 Richland Center sectional. Both are looking forward to having an opportunity to punch their tickets to the state tournament at the Kohl Center.
The Riellys come from a family with strong wrestling roots. Their uncle, Keith Rielly, a 1988 Darlington High School alumnus, was a state qualifier in high school and went on to wrestle for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Grady has been a three-sport athlete at Darlington playing football, wrestling and running track and field. He took fourth at the Division 3 state track meet in the 300-meter hurdles and fifth in the 110 high hurdles. He's considering running track and field next year at UW-Platteville.
Grady wrestled at 152 earlier this year, but bumped up to 160 late in the season and for the postseason.
"When you have a really talented group of wrestlers and make it to the team sectional like we did, it's just the way it worked out," he said.
Grady (24-11) faces a loaded weight class at the sectional. Three of the eight wrestlers in his weight class are ranked in the state's top 12. The ranked wrestlers at 160 in the Mineral Point sectional include Iowa-Grant-Highland senior Max Maylor (39-1), ranked No. 1, Brookwood senior Ben DeWitt (28-2, No. 4) and Fennimore sophomore Will Ahnen (31-15, No. 10).
"I'm definitely the underdog," he said. "I just have to go out there, wrestle hard and give it my all. That's all I can do."
For the Cheesemakers, Patrick Rielly, ranked No. 12 in Division 2 at 160, faces a similar challenge in Richland Center Saturday. There are three other wrestlers ranked in the top 12 in the state in Patrick's weight class - Prairie du Chien senior Nick Rogge (41-5, No. 6), Dodgeville senior John Phelan (35-9, No. 7) and Brodhead-Juda senior Kaleb Erb (26-8, No. 11).
Patrick started wrestling with the Monroe Mat Rats when he was in kindergarten and had two goals at the start of the season.
"One goal was to cut my losses in half and the other was to make it to the sectional and maybe qualify for state," Patrick said. "To know I have a chance now, it's making me want to get to the next level."
He posted a 20-18 record at 152 last season and enters the Richland Center sectional with a 34-8 mark this year. Patrick will wrestle West Salem-Bangor's Joe Wopat in a first-round sectional match Saturday. Earlier this year, Patrick's cousin Grady beat Wopat 11-2.
He hasn't sought advice from Grady about Wopat's wrestling style.
"I'm just ready to go out and beat him," he said. "To beat Joe, I will just have to wrestle hard all the way through and wrestle smart."
Grady said the other challenge is learning how to wrestle in a close match.
The competition in the Monroe wrestling room with seniors Travis Wolf (152), Sam Kind (170) and Dempzy Foley (182) has been a driving force for Patrick.
"It's given me a lot of different views and wrestling styles that have helped me," he said. "They challenge me at practice and make me better."
Monroe coach Tom Witt said one of the biggest areas Patrick has improved on is wrestling on his feet.
"He's done a better job on his feet of taking kids down when he has the opportunity, and he's getting taken down less this year," Witt said.
Patrick has 36 takedowns this year, which is an increase from his freshman year, Witt said.
Before his freshman year, Patrick received pointers from Grady about what to expect from high school wrestling.
"He (Grady) gave me the insight of how it would be in high school because it's a lot different than middle school and youth wrestling," Patrick said.
There are challenges when middle school wrestlers make the transition to high school.
"The pace is different," Grady said of one of the pointers he gave Patrick last year. "In middle school the periods are just one minute, and in high school the periods are two minutes. It takes some time learning how to wrestle with pace."
