ZACH BROWN FINISHES IN SECOND PLACE AT THE BIG BEAR TOURNEY IN CASS LAKE

Zach Brown finished in second place at 120 pounds as the lone Crookston Pirate wrestler to reach the second day of the 39 team Big Bear tournament in Cass Lake.
After winning all three matches in convincing fashion on the first day of the Tournament, Zach entered Saturday just two wins away from winning the championship. Zach won his semi-final match 1-0 to advance to the Big Bear Championship match. “Zach wrestled really well in the semifinal match,” said Crookston head coach Wes Hanson. “The key was not allowing any points to be scored. The third period came, and he had a one-point lead after getting an escape in the second and was just really physical on top and able to ride out his opponent the entire period and hold on for the victory.” In a rematch of last year’s first round of the Minnesota High School State Wrestling tournament last March, which Carter Meiners won 9-7 at 106 pounds, Meiners won the Big Bear championship match 4-2 and Zach finished runner-up in the 39-team event. “Zach was in on a couple of attacks early,” explained Hanson. “His opponent got in on a single-leg and Zach was countering pretty well. He gave up two at the end of the first and was rode out. His opponent was able to get a reversal and had a 4-0 lead, but Zach battled back hard. He picked up an escape point and then a stall point and was kind of pushing the action which was fun to see. It was an opponent we were familiar with and he’s ranked number one for a reason, but Zach was right in that match so we’ll keep game-planning and hopefully get another rematch down the road.”
Crookston returns to the mat on Tuesday when the Pirates travel to Grafton for a triangular with Devils Lake and Grafton beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a dual against Devils Lake before taking on the hosts in another dual.

Zach Brown on the award stand (picture submitted by Coach Hanson)

TEAM STANDINGS (Top 10 and area teams)
1. Hutchinson     177
2. Detroit Lakes  174
3. Thief River Falls  167
4. Minnewaska Area  138
5. Badger-G-MR    119
6. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa  117
7. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle   112.5
8. Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale   107
9. Pierz    99
10. Cass Lake-Bena-Blackduck  98
Lakeville North        98
13. Frazee    85.5
16. United North Central   74.5
17. Roseau   74
18. Park Rapids   73
25. Barnesville  53.5
28. Crookston   49.5
32. Fosston-Bagley  37
35. Fertile-Beltrami  25
Mahnomen-Waubun  25
38. Walker-H-A    17