The Crookston Pirates wrestled one of their best matches of the year and Ethan Bowman won a big match at 132 pounds and Layten Fuentes had a huge win by pin at 195 pounds on their way to a 43-29 victory over the #1 seed Frazee Hornets. Crookston lost to Frazee last Thursday by a 42-33 score. “I am really proud of the guys. They have worked so hard and put a lot of years into this,” said Pirate Coach Wes Hanson. “We are one step closer of reaching our goal.” Frazee had to wrestle without a couple of their starters tonight because of a Covid close contact and the flu.Â
Frazee won the 106-pound match with Cade Nagel winning by a 14-2 decision to five the Hornets a 4-0 lead.Â
Nolan Dans started a four-match Pirate winning streak with a pin with four seconds left in the first period. “That was huge,” said Coach Hanson. “The first minute or so it was back-and-forth and then Nolan was able to get a takedown and went to work and got the pin.”
At 120-pounds, Carter Coauette was back at 120-pounds and he dominated his match and led 8-0 before he won by a pin. “Carter had his opponent on his back for a majority of the match,” said Coach Hanson. “Carter was able to get the pin and the move back to 120 worked well.”
Zach Brown won a 3-2 thriller over Christain Carlson. After the first period, the match was scoreless. Brown took a 1-0 lead after an escape. In the third period, Carlson took a 2-1 lead, but within 13 seconds Brown scored two points to take a 3-2 lead and held on the rest of the way for the victory. “That was a huge win. Those two have battled in the section finals a time or two,” said Coach Hanson. “He kept wrestling and was able to come away with a huge win for us.”
Crookston elected to move Ethan Bowman and his 30-0 record down to 132-pounds, looking to win a match they lost last time they wrestled Frazee. The move worked, but it wasn’t easy. The match was scoreless after the first period. Bowman scored two points on a reversal in the second period for a 2-0 lead going into the third. Bowman dominated the third period and pulled away for a 9-1 victory to give Crookston a 19-4 lead. “That was a huge win for us,” said Coach Hanson. “Ethan really wore down his opponent and to get a big victory in a match like that was pivotal for us.”
Frazee won the next three matches to get within a 19-17 deficit.
Crookston’s Hunter Knutson took a 4-0 lead before getting a win by pin to give the Pirates a 25-17 lead. “You get put in that situation and you are excited and Hunter was able to get the takedown,” said Coach Hanson. “Hunter finished strong and got a big win by fall.”
Crookston had to forfeit at 170 pounds and lost by a pin at 182 and Frazee took a 29-25 lead with three matches remaining.
At 195-pounds, Layten Fuentes won by a pin in the second period to give the Pirates a huge win to regain the lead 31-29. “Layten went out there and was in control and hit the big move for the pin,” said Coach Hanson. “He dropped his opponent and got the pin and that was big with Ethan Boll coming up next.”
Crookston knew a win by pin would get them the team victory and they had the #2 ranked Ethan Boll up next with his 28-2 record. Boll came out strong and got a quick takedown and steamrolled his opponent onto his back for a pin in 72 seconds to solidify a trip to the section championship. “Ethan knew the implications of the match and it was a good opportunity,” said Coach Hanson. “Ethan took care of business.”
Greg Gonzalez won his match by pin at heavyweight and Crookston won the match 43-29. “That was a good match for Greg,” said Coach Hanson. “He was in control and he went for the move and got the pin.”
Crookston improves to 21-10 on the year and will wrestle Badger/Greenbush-Middle River in the Section 8A championship on Saturday in Cass Lake. KROX is planning on Live Video Steaming the match(es) on Saturday. “It feels really good,” said Coach Hanson. “Going into the season this was our goal and to come down here and get the win is great and the guys are excited.” Whoever wins the Section 8A Championship will have to wrestle again on Saturday, against the Section 7A champion to advance to the state wrestling tournament.Â
| # | Crookston-43 | Frazee-29 | Win | Results |
| 106Â | Evin Trudeau | Cade Nagel | FRA | 14-2 |
| 113Â | Nolan Dans | Sebastian Sonnenberg | Crox | Pin 1:56 |
| 120 | Carter Coauette | Brody Borah | Crox | Pin 2:57 |
| 126 | Zach Brown | Christian Carlson | Crox | 3-2 |
| 132Â | Ethan Bowman | Jake Nagel | Crox | 9-1 |
| 138Â | Cam Weiland | Kaden Heimenz | FRA | Pin 1:24 |
| 145Â | Braxton Volker | Tyler Moe | FRA | 14-5 |
| 152Â | Spencer Ness | Preston Mayfield | FRA | 9-6 |
| 160Â | Hunter Knutson | Derek Zitzow | Crox | Pin 3:39 |
| 170Â | OPEN | Brock Barlund | FRA | Forfeit |
| 182Â | Cade DeLeon | Max Rue | FRA | Pin :55 |
| 195Â | Leyton Fuentes | Eric Rodelo | Crox | Pin 2:34 |
| 220Â | Ethan Boll | Howard Solem | Crox | Pin 1:12 |
| 285 | Greg Gonzalez | Bryon Kropuenske | Crox | Pin 4:34 |
