MONROE - Monroe's Nick Walker will never forget his Senior Night on the wrestling mat.
The Cheesemakers (8-1, 3-0 Badger South) with an improbable comeback stormed back from a 30-15 deficit in a dual meet against Fort Atkinson Thursday night. Walker at heavyweight pinned Fort Atkinson John Sabo in 1 minute, 2 seconds to tie the match for a moment at 33. The official had to dig deep into the wrestling rulebook and the Cheesemakers won the match 34-33 on an eighth tiebreaker - the total number of first points scored in each match wrestled. The Cheesemakers won the eighth tiebreaker 6-4 to edge the Blackhawks.
"We are not in a position to tie it without Dusty Burkhalter's near fall at the end of his match," Walker said. "Everyone finished very hard. It got everyone jacked up and gave us a chance to tie it."
Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson entering the meet said if everything went right, the Cheesemakers could win the dual and remain unbeaten in the Badger South with meets coming up against Stoughton and Milton.
"I have been in a tie before," Jackson said. "It's the first time I have been in the eighth tiebreaker. It didn't fall the exact same way I thought. Things fell about the way we needed them to get the win."
After forfeiting at 103, the Cheesemakers won three straight matches. Monroe sophomore Jesse Keizer (112) defeated Sam Healy 10-4. Fellow Monroe sophomore Aaron Hesgard (119) edged Dalton Schuerman 4-2. Hesgard sealed the win after scoring on a takedown with 1:12 left in the third period. Sophomore Kevin Klopfenstein at 125 pinned Jacob Held in 1:48 to give the Cheesemakers a 12-6 lead.
Monroe wrestled without sophomore Caleb Rupnow who is sick and the Blackhawks were without junior Brett Bowar (112). After the Cheesemakers forfeited at 135 and 140 due to Rupnow's absence, junior Cody Stamm wrestled up at 145 and lost to Fort Atkinson's Brady Hansen 10-4 and the Blackhawks took a 27-12 lead.
Monroe senior Dylan Schwitz (152) defeated Fort Atkinson's Seth Staude 9-4 sparked by a first period takedown and near fall. Monroe junior Troy Hawkinson (171) pinned Ryan Weedenhoff in 52 seconds. The Blackhawks forfeited at 215 and Walker put the finishing touches on the comeback win.
"I knew we had to make our hay at the top of the lineup," Jackson said. "We had to keep the gap close and thank god we did."
Walker said he hasn't thought about his wrestling season coming to an end on his home mat.
"Schwitz and me just want to close out our high school careers strong," he said.
Jackson said the Cheesemakers would not have been in a position to win the match without freshman Ryan Hughes (160), Hawkinson and Burkhalter's performances even though they didn't win. Burkhalter at 189 scored a near fall on a cradle at the end of the third period and lost a hard fought match 8-4 to Drew Dunkleberger.
"We did a much better job of staying off our back," Jackson said. "That is what needed to happen. They were minor decisions and not major."
With the victory, the Cheesemakers are still in contention to wrestle for a conference title at Milton Jan. 27. The Cheesemakers also have a chance to lock up a second place conference finish by beating Stoughton Jan. 18.
"Now we have a chance to beat Stoughton," Jackson said of the Vikings who defeated Fort Atkinson 31-29 earlier this year and had to win two overtime matches to do so. "It's a big goal for us. It's still attainable and there."
The Cheesemakers (8-1, 3-0 Badger South) with an improbable comeback stormed back from a 30-15 deficit in a dual meet against Fort Atkinson Thursday night. Walker at heavyweight pinned Fort Atkinson John Sabo in 1 minute, 2 seconds to tie the match for a moment at 33. The official had to dig deep into the wrestling rulebook and the Cheesemakers won the match 34-33 on an eighth tiebreaker - the total number of first points scored in each match wrestled. The Cheesemakers won the eighth tiebreaker 6-4 to edge the Blackhawks.
"We are not in a position to tie it without Dusty Burkhalter's near fall at the end of his match," Walker said. "Everyone finished very hard. It got everyone jacked up and gave us a chance to tie it."
Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson entering the meet said if everything went right, the Cheesemakers could win the dual and remain unbeaten in the Badger South with meets coming up against Stoughton and Milton.
"I have been in a tie before," Jackson said. "It's the first time I have been in the eighth tiebreaker. It didn't fall the exact same way I thought. Things fell about the way we needed them to get the win."
After forfeiting at 103, the Cheesemakers won three straight matches. Monroe sophomore Jesse Keizer (112) defeated Sam Healy 10-4. Fellow Monroe sophomore Aaron Hesgard (119) edged Dalton Schuerman 4-2. Hesgard sealed the win after scoring on a takedown with 1:12 left in the third period. Sophomore Kevin Klopfenstein at 125 pinned Jacob Held in 1:48 to give the Cheesemakers a 12-6 lead.
Monroe wrestled without sophomore Caleb Rupnow who is sick and the Blackhawks were without junior Brett Bowar (112). After the Cheesemakers forfeited at 135 and 140 due to Rupnow's absence, junior Cody Stamm wrestled up at 145 and lost to Fort Atkinson's Brady Hansen 10-4 and the Blackhawks took a 27-12 lead.
Monroe senior Dylan Schwitz (152) defeated Fort Atkinson's Seth Staude 9-4 sparked by a first period takedown and near fall. Monroe junior Troy Hawkinson (171) pinned Ryan Weedenhoff in 52 seconds. The Blackhawks forfeited at 215 and Walker put the finishing touches on the comeback win.
"I knew we had to make our hay at the top of the lineup," Jackson said. "We had to keep the gap close and thank god we did."
Walker said he hasn't thought about his wrestling season coming to an end on his home mat.
"Schwitz and me just want to close out our high school careers strong," he said.
Jackson said the Cheesemakers would not have been in a position to win the match without freshman Ryan Hughes (160), Hawkinson and Burkhalter's performances even though they didn't win. Burkhalter at 189 scored a near fall on a cradle at the end of the third period and lost a hard fought match 8-4 to Drew Dunkleberger.
"We did a much better job of staying off our back," Jackson said. "That is what needed to happen. They were minor decisions and not major."
With the victory, the Cheesemakers are still in contention to wrestle for a conference title at Milton Jan. 27. The Cheesemakers also have a chance to lock up a second place conference finish by beating Stoughton Jan. 18.
"Now we have a chance to beat Stoughton," Jackson said of the Vikings who defeated Fort Atkinson 31-29 earlier this year and had to win two overtime matches to do so. "It's a big goal for us. It's still attainable and there."
