By Chad Koenen

Publisher

With eight wrestlers at the state meet on Friday afternoon, there was plenty for Frazee Hornet wrestling fans to cheer about at the Xcel Energy Center. In fact, at one point on Friday Max Rue, Tyler Moe and Jake Nagel were wrestling at the same time on three of the eight mats set up on the floor of the Xcel Energy Center.

While Preston Mayfield was the lone Hornet to win his opening round matchup, several Frazee wrestlers were able to advance to the second day of wrestling through the wrestle backs.

Cash Osterman lost a tough first round match against Miklo Hernandez of Pipestone in their 106 lbs. opening round match. The ninth ranked Hernandez took a 2-1 lead in the first period by earning a takedown, before Osterman secured an escape with just 19 seconds remaining in the period to cut the score to 2-1. 

In the second period, Osterman started in the upper position, but Hernandez earned an escape and take down, before Osterman got his second escape of the match to cut the lead to 5-2 in favor of Hernandez. In the third period, Osterman started in the bottom position and needed just 12 seconds to get an escape to cut the deficit to just 5-3. Unfortunately, he was unable to secure a takedown to tie the match and fell by a score of 5-3. 

In the first round of the wrestle backs, Osterman advanced to the second day of wrestling when he defeated second ranked and top seeded Reggie George of Osakis by injury. 

In the wrestle back quarterfinals, Osterman came up just one match short of placing at state as he fell to Brady Murphy of WEM-JWP by an 11-6 decision. Murphy led 5-0 at the end of the first period and 8-2 at the end of the second period after Osterman secured a two-point reversal with 30 seconds remaining in the period. Osterman secured a reversal and takedown in the third period, but was unable to put Murphy on his back to end his season with a record of 33-10. Osterman is a freshman for Frazee.

At 120 lbs., Blake Sonnenberg fell to second ranked and eventual state champion Donovan Schmid of Mille Lacs in the opening round by a fall with 28 seconds remaining in the first period. He went on to fall to seventh ranked and eventual fifth place finisher Benito Diaz of Sibley East by a 10-0 major decision in the wrestle backs to end his seventh grade season with a record of 13-28. 

Diaz took a 5-0 lead at the end of the first period by securing a takedown and earning 3 near fall points at the end of the period. After a scoreless second period, in which Sonnenberg started in the bottom position, Diaz secured a reversal and 3 point near fall late in the period to win by a 10-0 major decision. 

Frazee sophomore and 10th ranked Bailey Peichel fell to third ranked and eventual state champion Thomas Freking of Jackson County Central in the opening round at 138 lbs. by a 12-2 major decision. Peichel earned an escape in both the second and third periods for his 2 points. 

In the wrestle backs, Peichel advanced to the second day of the state meet by securing a 7-5 decision over Ryan Palmer of Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area. Peichel took a 2-1 lead after earning a takedown with 48 seconds remaining in the first period, before Palmer got an escape just 9 seconds later. 

In the second period, Peichel started in the down position and earned an escape and a takedown, before Palmer got a reversal of his own with just 1 second remaining in the period to make the score 5-3 heading into the final period. 

Palmer started the period in the down position and got an escape, before Peichel gave himself some breathing room by getting a takedown with 1:19 to go to make the score 7-4. Palmer got another escape with 43 seconds remaining, but Peichel held on for a 7-5 decision.

In the wrestle back quarterfinals, Peichel fell to eventual fourth place finisher and sixth ranked Solomon Wales of West Central Area by a 7-0 decision. Wales took a 5-0 lead at the end of the first period, before the pair got into a scoreless second period. Wales secured a takedown late in the third period to come away with the 7-0 decision and end Peichel’s season with a record of 31-12. 

At 152 lbs., Frazee junior Tyler Moe fell to the eventual third place finisher Zack Fier of Minneota, who was ranked second in the state, by a 7-0 decision. 

In the wrestle backs, Moe advanced to the second day of wrestling with a tough 3-1 decision over 160 lbs. sixth ranked Mitchell Mallak of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead. After a scoreless first period, Moe started the second period in the down position. He earned an escape in just 8 seconds and a takedown as time expired in the second period to take a 3-0 lead. In the third and final period, Mallack started in the bottom position and earned an escape just 14 seconds into the period. Moe hung on and wrestled on his feet for the remainder of the period to come away with the 3-1 decision.

In the wrestle back quarterfinals, Moe fell to the eventual fifth place finisher in Sawyer Simmons of Royalton-Upsala by a 5-0 decision. Simmons earned a reversal just 9 seconds into the second period after starting in the down position and earned a point in the third period for stalling and a takedown to come away with the 5-0 decision.

The loss ended Moe’s season with a record of 32-13. 

At 160 lbs., Frazee senior and second ranked Jake Nagel took a commanding 5-0 lead over Tucker Zigan of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville in the opening round after securing a takedown and a 3-point near fall. However, Zigan cut into that lead in the second period by getting an escape and a takedown late in the period to make the score 5-3 in favor of Nagel.

In the third period, Nagel started in the bottom position and earned an escape, before Zigan caught Nagel and got a takedown to make the score 6-5. He was eventually able to turn Nagel and get 3 near fall points that proved to be the difference in an 8-6 upset win over the second ranked Nagel. 

Zigan, who was ranked fourth in the state, eventually took sixth place.

In the wrestle backs, Nagel fell to seventh ranked DJ Rock of Luverne by a fall at the 1:25 mark of the match to end his season with a record of 35-6. 

In his opening round match, eighth ranked Preston Mayfield took a 2-0 lead in the second period when he secured a two-point near fall midway through the period. Mayfield started the third period in the down position and earned a quick escape, before Hudson Mann of Mille Lacs got a takedown with 56 seconds remaining in the period. Mayfield quickly turned the tide and got an reversal to take a 5-2 lead. Mann got a late reversal of his own, but Mayfield hung on for the 5-4 win. 

In the quarterfinals of the 170 lbs. tournament, Mayfield fell to the eventual state champion Maximus Hanson of BBE by a 9-3 decision. Hanson, who was ranked third in the state, led 4-1 heading into the final period where he earned a pair of take downs and an escape, while Mayfield was able to get a pair of escapes of his own. 

In the wrestle backs, Mayfield had his season come to an end by Sam Rock of Luverne by a fall at the 3:39 mark of the match. The Frazee junior ended his season with a record of 35-5. 

At 182 lbs., Max Rue ended his senior season with a loss to the eventual fifth place finisher in Tate Twardowski of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville in the opening round. Twardowski, who was ranked third in the state, won by a fall at the 4:16 mark of the match. Rue ended his senior season with a record of 29-11.

The final Frazee wrestler to take to the mat on Friday afternoon was heavyweight Xander Kohler. 

Kohler earned an early takedown and secured 2 near fall points over the third ranked and eventual third place finisher Makota Misgen of New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in the first period. Unfortunately, Misgen got a reversal with 37 seconds to go in the first period and eventually pinned Kohler with 8 seconds remaining in the period to come away with the win.

In the wrestle backs, Kohler fell to the eventual sixth place finisher in Brandon Mugg of Royalton-Upsala by a 7-4 decision. Mugg, who was ranked sixth in the state, took a 2-1 lead after the first period and a 5-2 lead after the second period to end Kohler’s junior season with a record of 21-14.