MADISON - Three area wrestlers are still in medal contention, after Friday night action at the state tournament.
Monroe's senior duo of Kevin Klopfenstein (138 pounds) and Trevor Gorr (220) will compete today, having to wrestleback through the consolation bracket.
On Friday, Klopfenstein lost his quarterfinal match to Valders senior Stetson McCulley (42-2) by a narrow 2-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Klopfenstein ended the second period up 1-0. The third went scoreless until the end, when McCulley scored two points on a reversal with 28 seconds left to take the lead and the match.
McCulley later won his semifinal match and will wrestle in the championship match tonight. Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said the difference between being in the consolation bracket and wrestling on the main mat is very small.
"Kevin's that close to being in the finals himself," he said.
In his first consolation match, though, Klopfenstein rallied back and defeated Somerset senior Bobby LeRoy (38-5) by 5-0 decision, setting up a Saturday match against Mauston senior Colin Dolata (41-6): the 2011 state champion.
"It's gonna be a tough match," Jackson said. "Kevin already wrestled him in the sectional final, and he got beat."
That said, Jackson said Klopfenstein can win if he wrestles like he did against LeRoy.
At 220, Gorr (46-2) defeated Amery junior Kenny Gates (31-10) in the quarterfinals by a 5-2 decision, after scoring three unanswered points in the third period to break a 2-2 deadlock.
Jackson said the key was Gorr's aggressiveness, which he says is his key to winning matches.
Gorr advanced to take on Freedom senior Reed Ambrosious (45-3) in the semifinals Friday night. Ambrosious scored four unanswered points through the first two periods. Gorr battled back in the third, but Ambrosious held on for the 7-3 decision.
Gorr will take on Sheyboygan Falls senior Drew Setzer (37-9) on Saturday.
Elsewhere, undefeated Brodhead-Juda senior Hunter Colden (47-0) won his quarterfinal match over senior Alex Richey (29-10) by 11-3 decision, racking up two takedowns and two nearfalls.
"He pretty much controlled the match from the get-go," said Tim Colden, Hunter's father and coach.
Hunter Colden advanced to the semifinals, where he squared off against Luxemburg-Casco senior Jordan Pardowsky (35-14). Pardowsky jumped out to an early lead with a takedown in the first period, before Colden scored with an escape. Pardowsky extended his lead to 6-3 after the second period and held off Colden in the third, to win by 6-4 decision and hand Colden his first loss of the season.
Colden, who was the No. 3 seed in the bracket, will take on Saint Croix Central senior Carl Moll (34-7), the No. 1 seed, on Saturday.
"It's definitely a winnable match for us," Tim Colden said, "but we got to bring our A-game."
Brodhead-Juda heavyweight Logan Maurer lost his quarterfinal match to Little Chute senior Brandon Elrick (43-6). In Maurer's wrestleback against Kiel junior Matt Halverson, Maurer started the first period with a takedown to go up 2-0. It was all Halverson from then on, though, and Maurer was eliminated from medal contention by 5-2 decision.
"I think it was a pretty good learning experience for him," Tim Colden said. "He was disappointed, but after he sat back and looked at the season he had ... sometimes you learn more from a loss than you do with a win."
Consolation wrestlebacks are set to start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Kohl Center, beginning with the lower weight classes, so the season is not yet over for Klopfenstein, Gorr and Colden.
Jackson said his two guys are ready to go.
"I think their mindset is good," Jackson said. "But I keep trying to remind them that there's no reason to leave anything on the mat ... and I think they're ready to do that."
For the Coldens, it will be the last day of Hunter's high school career and Tim's last day as his coach.
"When it's all said and done, it's going to be emotional for all of us," Tim Colden said. "It's been a pretty good run."
Monroe's senior duo of Kevin Klopfenstein (138 pounds) and Trevor Gorr (220) will compete today, having to wrestleback through the consolation bracket.
On Friday, Klopfenstein lost his quarterfinal match to Valders senior Stetson McCulley (42-2) by a narrow 2-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Klopfenstein ended the second period up 1-0. The third went scoreless until the end, when McCulley scored two points on a reversal with 28 seconds left to take the lead and the match.
McCulley later won his semifinal match and will wrestle in the championship match tonight. Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson said the difference between being in the consolation bracket and wrestling on the main mat is very small.
"Kevin's that close to being in the finals himself," he said.
In his first consolation match, though, Klopfenstein rallied back and defeated Somerset senior Bobby LeRoy (38-5) by 5-0 decision, setting up a Saturday match against Mauston senior Colin Dolata (41-6): the 2011 state champion.
"It's gonna be a tough match," Jackson said. "Kevin already wrestled him in the sectional final, and he got beat."
That said, Jackson said Klopfenstein can win if he wrestles like he did against LeRoy.
At 220, Gorr (46-2) defeated Amery junior Kenny Gates (31-10) in the quarterfinals by a 5-2 decision, after scoring three unanswered points in the third period to break a 2-2 deadlock.
Jackson said the key was Gorr's aggressiveness, which he says is his key to winning matches.
Gorr advanced to take on Freedom senior Reed Ambrosious (45-3) in the semifinals Friday night. Ambrosious scored four unanswered points through the first two periods. Gorr battled back in the third, but Ambrosious held on for the 7-3 decision.
Gorr will take on Sheyboygan Falls senior Drew Setzer (37-9) on Saturday.
Elsewhere, undefeated Brodhead-Juda senior Hunter Colden (47-0) won his quarterfinal match over senior Alex Richey (29-10) by 11-3 decision, racking up two takedowns and two nearfalls.
"He pretty much controlled the match from the get-go," said Tim Colden, Hunter's father and coach.
Hunter Colden advanced to the semifinals, where he squared off against Luxemburg-Casco senior Jordan Pardowsky (35-14). Pardowsky jumped out to an early lead with a takedown in the first period, before Colden scored with an escape. Pardowsky extended his lead to 6-3 after the second period and held off Colden in the third, to win by 6-4 decision and hand Colden his first loss of the season.
Colden, who was the No. 3 seed in the bracket, will take on Saint Croix Central senior Carl Moll (34-7), the No. 1 seed, on Saturday.
"It's definitely a winnable match for us," Tim Colden said, "but we got to bring our A-game."
Brodhead-Juda heavyweight Logan Maurer lost his quarterfinal match to Little Chute senior Brandon Elrick (43-6). In Maurer's wrestleback against Kiel junior Matt Halverson, Maurer started the first period with a takedown to go up 2-0. It was all Halverson from then on, though, and Maurer was eliminated from medal contention by 5-2 decision.
"I think it was a pretty good learning experience for him," Tim Colden said. "He was disappointed, but after he sat back and looked at the season he had ... sometimes you learn more from a loss than you do with a win."
Consolation wrestlebacks are set to start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Kohl Center, beginning with the lower weight classes, so the season is not yet over for Klopfenstein, Gorr and Colden.
Jackson said his two guys are ready to go.
"I think their mindset is good," Jackson said. "But I keep trying to remind them that there's no reason to leave anything on the mat ... and I think they're ready to do that."
For the Coldens, it will be the last day of Hunter's high school career and Tim's last day as his coach.
"When it's all said and done, it's going to be emotional for all of us," Tim Colden said. "It's been a pretty good run."
