Six Crookston Pirate Wrestlers are competing in the Minnesota State High School League State Class A Individual Wrestling tournament at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul. Ethan Boll dominated his first two matches, and the #2 ranked wrestler at 195 pounds has advanced to the semi-finals at 220 pounds. Gavyn Hlucny lost his first-round match, but won his second match to stay alive. Evin Trudeau and Carter Coauette lost two matches each and were eliminated. but are alive in wrestlebacks. Ethan Bowman and Hunter Knutson lost their first matches and were eliminated.
Ethan Boll is guaranteed to place and Gavyn Hlucny is one win away from placing. Both will wrestle Saturday morning.
ETHAN BOLL
Ethan Boll was the only Pirate to win his first match at state. Ethan took on Cashmere Hamilton-Grunau of Minneapolis North. Ethan scored two points with a takedown eight seconds into the match. He allowed his opponent to escape before scoring two more points on a takedown 18 seconds into the match. Boll let his opponent escape and six seconds later scored two points on a takedown for a 6-2 lead. 38 seconds later, Boll won by a pin to advance to the state quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Boll wrestled Byce Holm of Royalton/Upsala (43-10). Boll didn’t waste any time and scored two points on a takedown seven seconds into the match. 10 seconds later, he allowed Holm to escape, and Ethan scored another takedown four seconds later for a 4-1 lead. Boll allowed Holm to escape and followed with another takedown for a 6-2 lead. Boll allowed another escape, and eight seconds later, he scored two more points with a takedown and two nearfall points to take a 10-3 lead at the end of the first period. In the second period, Boll started down and scored two points on a reversal eight seconds into the period. He followed up with two nearfall points halfway through the period for a 14-3 lead going into the final period. Holm scored on an escape before Boll countered with a takedown four seconds later. After another escape, Boll had a takedown 13 seconds later for an 18-6 lead. Boll gave up another escape with a takedown, followed by one more escape and a takedown with eight seconds left in the match for a victory by Tech Fall 22-7 at 5:52 to advance to the 220 pounds state semi-finals on Saturday.
Boll, who improves to 44-1 on the year, will wrestle Jaxon Behm, a senior from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City with a record of 41-4.
GAVYN HLUCNY
At 120 pounds, Gavyn Hlucny took on the #1 seed Kie Anderson of Jackson County Central. There wasn’t any scoring until Anderson got a takedown about 32 seconds into the match, and he was able to pin Hlucny five seconds later to win by pin at 1:23.
Hlucny will get a wrestleback match after Anderson won his quarter-final match by a pin. Hlucny wrestled Brady Kiecker of BOLD (33-15). There was no scoring in the first period until Hlucny scored two points with a takedown with 45-seconds left, but Kiecker responded with an escape and a takedown all in the final 20-seconds to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. Kiecker started the second period on the bottom and scored two more points on a reversal 16 seconds into the period for a 5-2 lead. Hlucny battled and scored two on a reversal with 30 seconds to go in the second period to get within a 5-4 deficit. Halfway through the third period, Hlucny scored two on a takedown for a 6-5 lead and got a pin at 4:05 to advance in the wrestlebacks.
Gavyn will wrestle Peyton Gilland (36-9) of Minneota in wrestlebacks on Saturday morning.
EVIN TRUDEAU
At 106 pounds, Evin Trudeau took on Braxton Lange of Caledonia. Lange took a 2-0 lead with a takedown halfway through the first period and had the lead going into the second period. In the second, Lange started down and scored a point on an escape eight seconds into the period. Lange added two more points in the third periwith a takedown with 31 seconds left in the match and won 5-0.
Trudeau will get a wrestle back match after Lange won his quarter-final match.
In the wrestlebacks, Evin wrestled Reggie George of Osakis (39-10). The first period was a good battle and nobody scored until George caught Trudeau with a takedown with 15 seconds left in the opening period. Trudeau started the second period with an escape to get within a 2-1 deficit. George countered with a takedown 11 seconds later and Trudeau was able to get an escape with 42 seconds left in the period to get within a 4-2 deficit. The third period didn’t have any scoring and Trudeau lost 4-2. Trudeau is eliminated from the state tournament and ended the season with a 41-13 record.
CARTER COAUETTE
At 138 pounds, Carter Coauette took on Charley Elwood of Medford. Medford scored two points with a takedown 24 seconds into the match and almost 40 seconds later scored three nearfall points for a 5-0 lead. Elwood added three more nearfall points to take an 8-0 lead. In the second period, Elwood started on the bottom and scored two more points with a reversal eight seconds into the period for a 10-0 lead. Carter scored his first point with an escape to trail 10-1 going into the third period. Carter had a tremendous third period as Elwood was called for stalling his second and third time, and two points were awarded to Coauette to get within a 10-3 deficit. Carter scored two more points with a takedown with eight seconds left, and it wasn’t enough as he fell 10-5.
Coauette will get a wrestleback match after Elwood won his quarter-final match by a pin. Coauette took on Thomas Freking of Jackson County Central (43-11). Carter started the match on top and gave up an escape to trail 1-0. With 55 seconds left in the period, Freking scored two on a takedown and followed with three nearfall points and he took a 6-0 lead into the second period. Nobody scored in the second period. Carter scored two points with a takedown with 50 seconds left in the match, but Freking was too freaking good and he finished with an escape and a takedown to win the match 9-2. Coauette was eliminated and finished the year with a 35-16 record.
ETHAN BOWMAN
At 145 pounds, Ethan Bowman wrestled Zack Fier of Minneota. There was no scoring in the first period. Fier started down in the second and scored on a reversal with 1:18 left in the period. Bowman countered with an escape 18 seconds later to get within a 2-1 deficit. Fier responded with a takedown with 26 seconds left for a 4-1 lead. There was no scoring in the third period, and Fier held on to win 4-1.
Fier lost his quarter-final match, so Bowman was eliminated.
HUNTER KNUTSON
At 182 pounds, Hunter Knutson took on Peyton Hemmesch of Paynesville. Hemmesch came out strong and scored two points on a takedown with 1:16 left in the period and 31 seconds later won by pin.
Hemmesch lost his quarter-final match, so Knutson was eliminated.
LISTEN TO THE REPORT WITH ROD OLSON – CLICK HERE
# | Pirates | Opponent/Result | Place |
106 | Evin Trudeau | Braxton Lange -Caledonia L 5-0 Reggie George – Osakis L 4-2 |
DNP |
120 | Gavyn Hlucny | Kie Anderson-JCC L 1:23 Brady Kiecker – BOLD W 6-5 Peyton Gilland – Minneota |
|
138 | Carter Coauette | Charley Elwood-Medford L 10-5 Thomas Freking – JCC L 9-2 |
DNP |
145 | Ethan Bowman | Zack Fier – Minneota L 4-1 | DNP |
182 | Hunter Knutson | Peyton Hemmesch-Paynes L :45 | DNP |
220 | Ethan Boll | Cashmere Hamilton-Mpls W :55 Bryce Holm – Upsala W TF 5:52 Jaxon Behm – ACGC in semis |