MONROE - Cheesemaker freshman Ryan Hughes had butterflies in his first varsity wrestling match at home.
Hughes, at 160 pounds, pulled out a thrilling 9-8 win over Oregon junior Klint Grover in overtime and the Cheesemakers rolled to a 45-30 win over the Panthers Tuesday night. Hughes scored on a reversal with 1 minute, 3 seconds left to tie it at 6. Grover answered with a reversal to take an 8-6 lead. Hughes then scored on a takedown with 8.7 seconds left to force the overtime. He won it in the extra session after Grover was called for stalling after being warned.
"I will win any way I can get it," Hughes said. "It was exciting. We had a big crowd here. I was really nervous. Once I was able to get to my feet, I felt I could get away from him."
The Cheesemakers showed their depth, winning nine of the 12 matches wrestled to beat the Panthers for the second time in three days. Monroe (4-1, 1-0 Badger South) received six pins from sophomore Jesse Keizer (112), sophomore Aaron Hesgard (119), sophomore Kevin Klopfenstein (125), junior Cody Stamm (140), senior Dylan Schwitz (152) and sophomore Trevor Gorr (215).
"I don't know why; maybe it's the coach in me, but I get nervous wrestling a team a second time," Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "We just wanted to come out be aggressive and set the tone."
After forfeiting at 103, the Cheesemakers came through with three straight pins. Keizer at 112 pinned Oregon junior Kyle O'Brien in 5:21. Keizer trailed 7-5 late in the third period before a reversal of fortunate.
"I think the head steal did it," he said. "I was just staying on top and not losing focus."
Keizer is in his second year of wrestling and first on the varsity.
"For my first varsity win at home, it's pretty cool," he said.
Jackson was impressed with how resilient Keizer was after getting behind in the final period.
"There is no quit in him," Jackson said.
Hesgard (119) pinned Oregon freshman Sam Mosiman in 1:52 and Klopfenstein followed by pinning Devon Biter in 57 seconds to give the Cheesemakers an 18-6 lead.
After the Cheesemakers forfeited at 135, the match was again tied at 18. That soon changed when Stamm pinned senior Kevin Schewe in 3:58. Monroe sophomore Caleb Rupnow (145) then defeated Andrew Nyenhuis 9-2 and Schwitz came through pinning Dryson Anderson in 1:35. That set the stages for Hughes' thrilling win in overtime that gave the Cheesemakers a commanding 36-18 lead.
Even though Hughes won on a stalling call, it was a teaching point for Jackson.
"That's a credit to us being aggressive," Jackson said of Hughes. "That's why I always stress to our guys not to back up. You have to wrestle in the middle of the mat. You can't back up and run away. That's wrestling."
The Cheesemakers also received solid performances at the upper weight classes. Gorr pinned Oregon junior Corey Herman in 3:00 and senior heavyweight Nick Walker defeated junior Max Sampson 9-2.
Jackson said the guys he expects to be solid came through with wins including Hesgard, Klopfenstein, Schwitz and Walker. He understood that the Panthers would shakeup their lineup for the second match against the Cheesemakers in less than a week.
"I knew what our team was," Jackson said. "Our guys were really aggressive. They did a good job with the fundamentals."
Hughes, at 160 pounds, pulled out a thrilling 9-8 win over Oregon junior Klint Grover in overtime and the Cheesemakers rolled to a 45-30 win over the Panthers Tuesday night. Hughes scored on a reversal with 1 minute, 3 seconds left to tie it at 6. Grover answered with a reversal to take an 8-6 lead. Hughes then scored on a takedown with 8.7 seconds left to force the overtime. He won it in the extra session after Grover was called for stalling after being warned.
"I will win any way I can get it," Hughes said. "It was exciting. We had a big crowd here. I was really nervous. Once I was able to get to my feet, I felt I could get away from him."
The Cheesemakers showed their depth, winning nine of the 12 matches wrestled to beat the Panthers for the second time in three days. Monroe (4-1, 1-0 Badger South) received six pins from sophomore Jesse Keizer (112), sophomore Aaron Hesgard (119), sophomore Kevin Klopfenstein (125), junior Cody Stamm (140), senior Dylan Schwitz (152) and sophomore Trevor Gorr (215).
"I don't know why; maybe it's the coach in me, but I get nervous wrestling a team a second time," Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said. "We just wanted to come out be aggressive and set the tone."
After forfeiting at 103, the Cheesemakers came through with three straight pins. Keizer at 112 pinned Oregon junior Kyle O'Brien in 5:21. Keizer trailed 7-5 late in the third period before a reversal of fortunate.
"I think the head steal did it," he said. "I was just staying on top and not losing focus."
Keizer is in his second year of wrestling and first on the varsity.
"For my first varsity win at home, it's pretty cool," he said.
Jackson was impressed with how resilient Keizer was after getting behind in the final period.
"There is no quit in him," Jackson said.
Hesgard (119) pinned Oregon freshman Sam Mosiman in 1:52 and Klopfenstein followed by pinning Devon Biter in 57 seconds to give the Cheesemakers an 18-6 lead.
After the Cheesemakers forfeited at 135, the match was again tied at 18. That soon changed when Stamm pinned senior Kevin Schewe in 3:58. Monroe sophomore Caleb Rupnow (145) then defeated Andrew Nyenhuis 9-2 and Schwitz came through pinning Dryson Anderson in 1:35. That set the stages for Hughes' thrilling win in overtime that gave the Cheesemakers a commanding 36-18 lead.
Even though Hughes won on a stalling call, it was a teaching point for Jackson.
"That's a credit to us being aggressive," Jackson said of Hughes. "That's why I always stress to our guys not to back up. You have to wrestle in the middle of the mat. You can't back up and run away. That's wrestling."
The Cheesemakers also received solid performances at the upper weight classes. Gorr pinned Oregon junior Corey Herman in 3:00 and senior heavyweight Nick Walker defeated junior Max Sampson 9-2.
Jackson said the guys he expects to be solid came through with wins including Hesgard, Klopfenstein, Schwitz and Walker. He understood that the Panthers would shakeup their lineup for the second match against the Cheesemakers in less than a week.
"I knew what our team was," Jackson said. "Our guys were really aggressive. They did a good job with the fundamentals."
