Crimson Wrestlers Continue their Historic Season with a Section 5AAA Championship
Press Release 22 February 2010
Osseo-Maple Grove Press
NWCT Channel 12
Crimson Wrestlers Continue their Historic Season with a Section 5AAA Championship
At the beginning of the season, the Maple Grove Crimson seniors dedicated the season to their teammate, Will Tresvant, who lost a battle to cancer; and the team wrote their goals on a poster which, until this past Saturday, had two key items that had not been achieved – beating Centennial and going to the state tournament. They would have the opportunity to do both in one match at the finals of the Section 5AAA team tournament held at Maple Grove High School on February 20th.
Back in December, Maple Grove was just one match shy of beating Centennial; and since the school opened, the team had only been to one section finals. This year, after its most successful season with a 14-7 record, Maple Grove was seeded 2nd at the section tourney. In the first round, the team met #7 seed Champlin Park, and in the second round, they met #3 seed Moundsview.
The day consisted of a true team effort as Maple Grove used 18 wrestlers through the three rounds to compete in the 14 weight classes, with many wrestlers battling up or down a weight class to get the best match ups for the team.
Maple Grove beat Champlin Park in the first round with a score of 53-10. Recording pins for the Crimson were junior Jacob Halverson (103#), sophomore captain Zack Gawboy (112#), senior Ryan O’Kane (119#), junior Reid Weiland (130#), sophomore Alex Gray (189#), and senior captain Joe Borchardt (215#). Gawboy’s match was a come from behind thriller between the top two 112 pounders in sections, which Gawboy tied up with 10 seconds left in the match, then went into overtime where he took down his opponent straight to his back for the pin. Winning by decisions were sophomore Jonny Dill (125#), senior captain Adam Whirley (145#), sophomore Jeremy Borchardt (152#), and junior Dan Rekuski (171#). Junior Frank Cramer (135#) accepted a win by forfeit.
To get to the finals, Maple Grove would have to get past Moundsview who had beaten them in the semis in last year’s Sections. Moundsview wrestled a great dual and cut the difference in the score from the teams’ regular season meeting by over half, but Joe Borchardt, wrestling at 215#, put the dual away, decisively, with a pin. Maple Grove won 34-25. Other wrestlers recording a pin were sophomore Austin Dean (112#), O’Kane, and senior Tommy Jacobsen (160#). Halverson (103#) won a major decision, and the following won by decision: Weiland (130#), and senior captain Zach Quam (140#).
By the time the top two seeds made their way to the mat for the final round, the gym was buzzing with anticipation. All week long the coaching staff prepared the boys at each weight class for what was needed and expected of them for the team to accomplish their goals, and the team was peaking at the right time. Since a close conference match loss to Elk River on January 21st, the team had won 12 of 13 duals going into the section finals, losing only to the #1 ranked team in the country, Apple Valley.
In the dual between Centennial and Maple Grove during the regular season, the two teams split the match wins 7-7 but Centennial won on bonus points. To win this final, Head Coach Troy Seubert knew he would need to win 8 of 14 matches, scoring bonus points. To complicate matters, the Crimson would need to do this without injured two time state entrant senior captain Justin Piche (HWT), or his backup senior Chad Thompson, who has been 16-2 since replacing Piche.
In the first match, Halverson gave up a close decision to his favored opponent, but kept the team points within reach. Then at 112#, Gawboy, sent the crowd to its feet with a stunning pin in 18 seconds giving the Crimson a 3 point lead. O’Kane added 3 more points to that lead with a decision at 119#. In one of many pivotal matches of the meet, Dill, who had lost to his opponent in the regular season dual, pinned his opponent in 42 seconds, giving Maple Grove a 15-3 lead. Then Weiland, who was put on his back in the 1st period, escaped from getting pinned and worked his way back over the next 2 and a half periods to win by decision. Cramer completed the first step of the team strategy, when he won his match 3-2, giving Maple Grove 5 wins after 6 matches and a 21-3 lead.
At 140#, Quam wrestled strong but lost to a #6 ranked wrestler, and at 145#, Crimson sophomore Marshall Swenson gave up the team’s first pin to their #3 ranked wrestler, bringing the score to MG 21, Centennial 13. In another key matchup, at 152#, Whirley achieved a key middle weight victory. Junior John Herbes (160#), wrestled tough and avoided the pin. At 171#, Rekuski came through with the 7th win for the Crimson! They were now leading 27-17.
Gray, stepping in from a successful JV season at 189# had a 1st period lead on his higher rated opponent, before giving up a decision; and then the Crimson moved previous state runner-up Borchardt at 215# to the Heavyweight spot and put senior Sharif Usenov in against the #1 rated 215lb wrestler in the state. Usenov wrestled well but was overpowered, and the meet was going to come down to the final match with the score Crimson 27, Centennial 26.
Borchardt was matched up against the Cougars state entrant heavyweight and the crowd was on its feet cheering for a win. Borchardt got the first takedown, but got reversed, and then escaped to lead 3-2 after the 1st period. In the 2nd period, he began to take control and the fans were sensing the upset. When he pinned his opponent at 3:09, the crowd erupted!
Through the hard work of the season, this team has come together sharing the effort to achieve a single purpose and creating a brother like bond. Within the team are two sets of brothers who have been critical to the Crimson success. Joe and Jeremy Borchardt wrestle at 152 and 215, respectively; and Zach and Andy Quam, who wrestle at 135 and 119, respectively. And a bond that was forged 3 years ago when the Crimson sent their first ever entrants to the 9th grade state meet, with the "Fab 5" freshman, of Borchardt, Piche, Quam, Tresvant, and Whirley, was evident on Saturday, when Will’s picture was raised alongside the section championship trophy.
Join the Crimson as they continue their historic run when they compete this Friday and Saturday at the Section 5AAA individual tournament at Irondale Senior High and then the state meet at the Xcel Energy Center which runs from 3-6 March.
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"Maple Grove Crimson win their first Section 5AAA title and will move on to state team competition 3-6 March. Individual sections are this weekend."
Submitted by:
Brad Gawboy
763-420-9747 W
952-240-1813 C
Mike Dill
612-661-8126 W
612-269-0996 C
mikeandshellydill@comcast.net
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