LODI - Since the beginning of the season, Brodhead-Juda wrestling coach Tim Colden knew his team's strength was in the upper weights. That strength was apparent at a Division 2 sectional in Lodi Tuesday, as the Cardinals won six matches at 160 and up. However, it wasn't enough, and the tenth-ranked Cardinals narrowly lost to Dodgeville 36-34, thus ending their run as a team this season.
"It played out kinda how I thought it would," Colden said, "but we gave up too many pins."
The meet started at 170, with Brodhead-Juda's Hunter Colden, ranked second in the Division 2 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, receiving a forfeit.
Up 6-0, the Cardinals went to work and continued to build on the lead.
Sophomore Gavin Baade, ranked ninth at 182, nearly had a pin against Dodgeville's Austin Olson but won by an 11-1 major decision, giving the team four points.
The near pin may have been a sign of things to come, as Brodhead-Juda reeled off three straight pins behind junior Tyler Davis (195), sophomore Reave Lincoln (220) and fourth-ranked heavyweight Logan Maurer.
Maurer punctuated the run of pins, beating Dodgeville's Matt Gorgen in just 10 seconds.
Through five matches the Cardinals' upper weights put the team out front 28-0. However, with the lower weights coming up, momentum would quickly swing in the other direction.
At 106, Dodgeville's Zach Nelson pinned Jacob Rhyner in 13 seconds, and ninth-ranked Trevor Wunnicke (113) cut Brodhead's lead even more with a 9-2 decision over sophomore Justin Sangermano.
Brodhead-Juda forfeited at 120, and after Dodgeville's Tyler Wunnicke (126) won by a narrow 8-7 decision over Coty Knudtson, the Cardinals' lead was down to 28-18.
Brodhead-Juda senior Dalton Oborne (132), wrestling in the last match of his high school career, halted Dodgeville's rally, with a 9-7 decision over Payton Grunow. However, the Dodgers quickly went back on the offensive.
Just as the Cardinals had done earlier, Dodgeville rattled off three straight pins at 138, 145 and 152, giving them their first lead of the meet, 36-31, with one match to go.
Just as his brother had started the match, Brodhead-Juda's Brady Colden (160) looked to end it, needing a pin against Brett Binsfeld: a wrestler he had beaten by 15-10 decision in Belleville on Dec. 8.
He couldn't get the pin, though, and defeated Binsfeld by 11-5 decision. With the decision Dodgeville advanced to the sectional final, where they lost to seventh-ranked Mauston.
"I knew it would be hard for (Brady) to pin him," Tim Colden said, recalling his match against Binsfeld from December. "We wrestled hard. We've had a good season, that's for sure."
While Brodhead-Juda will not move on as a team, the season is not yet over for some.
Several Cardinals will join other local wrestlers looking to keep their state tournament hopes alive at the individual sectional tournament Saturday in Richland Center.
Among the local wrestlers still alive in the postseason are Brodhead-Juda's Sangermano, Knudtson, Brady Colden, Hunter Colden, Baade, Lincoln and Maurer, as well as Monroe's Jesse Keizer (126), Aaron Hesgard (132), Kevin Klopfenstein (138, 4th), Ryan Hughes (160), Dusty Burkhalter (182), Trevor Gorr (220, 4th), and 10th-ranked heavyweight Brett Zimmerman. Sugar River juniors Young-Chul Vetterli (152) and Jak Nelson (195) will also be looking to advance to the state tournament.
All 16 of the local sectional qualifiers are from teams whose seasons have already ended, and Tim Colden said the fact that they're still wrestling is a unique benefit of the sport.
"That's kind of the beauty of wrestling," he said. "It's individual, but it's still a team sport."
As for the Cardinals, the sectional trip will be the first for Sangermano, Knudtson and Baade, and Tim Colden said the triumvirate is looking forward to the next-level experience Saturday.
"I think they're pretty excited," he said.
As for next year? Tim Colden thinks the Cardinals will have a strong team coming back.
"We're losing two seniors, and we got a lot coming back," he said. "Those (young) kids have a ton of experience. I think we will be pretty competitive next year."
That said, Tim Colden knows he still has seven wrestlers still competing, so next season will have to wait.
Said Colden, "We always say, 'we'll worry about November in November.'"
"It played out kinda how I thought it would," Colden said, "but we gave up too many pins."
The meet started at 170, with Brodhead-Juda's Hunter Colden, ranked second in the Division 2 Wisconsin Wrestling Online poll, receiving a forfeit.
Up 6-0, the Cardinals went to work and continued to build on the lead.
Sophomore Gavin Baade, ranked ninth at 182, nearly had a pin against Dodgeville's Austin Olson but won by an 11-1 major decision, giving the team four points.
The near pin may have been a sign of things to come, as Brodhead-Juda reeled off three straight pins behind junior Tyler Davis (195), sophomore Reave Lincoln (220) and fourth-ranked heavyweight Logan Maurer.
Maurer punctuated the run of pins, beating Dodgeville's Matt Gorgen in just 10 seconds.
Through five matches the Cardinals' upper weights put the team out front 28-0. However, with the lower weights coming up, momentum would quickly swing in the other direction.
At 106, Dodgeville's Zach Nelson pinned Jacob Rhyner in 13 seconds, and ninth-ranked Trevor Wunnicke (113) cut Brodhead's lead even more with a 9-2 decision over sophomore Justin Sangermano.
Brodhead-Juda forfeited at 120, and after Dodgeville's Tyler Wunnicke (126) won by a narrow 8-7 decision over Coty Knudtson, the Cardinals' lead was down to 28-18.
Brodhead-Juda senior Dalton Oborne (132), wrestling in the last match of his high school career, halted Dodgeville's rally, with a 9-7 decision over Payton Grunow. However, the Dodgers quickly went back on the offensive.
Just as the Cardinals had done earlier, Dodgeville rattled off three straight pins at 138, 145 and 152, giving them their first lead of the meet, 36-31, with one match to go.
Just as his brother had started the match, Brodhead-Juda's Brady Colden (160) looked to end it, needing a pin against Brett Binsfeld: a wrestler he had beaten by 15-10 decision in Belleville on Dec. 8.
He couldn't get the pin, though, and defeated Binsfeld by 11-5 decision. With the decision Dodgeville advanced to the sectional final, where they lost to seventh-ranked Mauston.
"I knew it would be hard for (Brady) to pin him," Tim Colden said, recalling his match against Binsfeld from December. "We wrestled hard. We've had a good season, that's for sure."
While Brodhead-Juda will not move on as a team, the season is not yet over for some.
Several Cardinals will join other local wrestlers looking to keep their state tournament hopes alive at the individual sectional tournament Saturday in Richland Center.
Among the local wrestlers still alive in the postseason are Brodhead-Juda's Sangermano, Knudtson, Brady Colden, Hunter Colden, Baade, Lincoln and Maurer, as well as Monroe's Jesse Keizer (126), Aaron Hesgard (132), Kevin Klopfenstein (138, 4th), Ryan Hughes (160), Dusty Burkhalter (182), Trevor Gorr (220, 4th), and 10th-ranked heavyweight Brett Zimmerman. Sugar River juniors Young-Chul Vetterli (152) and Jak Nelson (195) will also be looking to advance to the state tournament.
All 16 of the local sectional qualifiers are from teams whose seasons have already ended, and Tim Colden said the fact that they're still wrestling is a unique benefit of the sport.
"That's kind of the beauty of wrestling," he said. "It's individual, but it's still a team sport."
As for the Cardinals, the sectional trip will be the first for Sangermano, Knudtson and Baade, and Tim Colden said the triumvirate is looking forward to the next-level experience Saturday.
"I think they're pretty excited," he said.
As for next year? Tim Colden thinks the Cardinals will have a strong team coming back.
"We're losing two seniors, and we got a lot coming back," he said. "Those (young) kids have a ton of experience. I think we will be pretty competitive next year."
That said, Tim Colden knows he still has seven wrestlers still competing, so next season will have to wait.
Said Colden, "We always say, 'we'll worry about November in November.'"
