Gators Route Rams in Season Opener

By: Ryan Bergeron

The Gator wrestling team travelled about 20 miles down the road to open the 2015-16 season against the same opponent they do every year, the Roseau Rams. Recording six pins, the Gators came away with another solid opening victory over the Rams, this time by a 61-15 margin in front of many Gator fans.

“I thought the kids wrestled with a lot of energy and were excited to get on the mat. We need to continue to put in the hard work everyday and keep improving,” Coach Bergeron said. “We have a lot of hard-working kids and a lot of kids fighting for positions, which make for a very competitive wrestling room.”

With the Rams now a fellow Section 8A opponent beginning this year, these matches meant a little more than bragging rights, having an effect on section seeding. Several Gators took advantage against a short-handed Rams team, winning 11 total matches, including not just six pins, but also three forfeits, a major decision and one decision.

Three matches highlighted the night, one resulting in a Gator victory and two Rams’ victory. The first highlight match featured two varsity wrestlers from last season, the Gators’ Owen Novacek and the Rams’ Riley Eidsmoe at 120.

After a scoreless first period, Novacek surrendered an early second period escape to give Eidsmoe the 1-0 lead. Just like the first period, Novacek continued to stay on the offense, attempting numerous shots, forcing the referee to call Eidsmoe for a stall warning; Novacek still trailed 1-0 heading to the final period.

Choosing down to start the period, Novacek got up to the standing position a little less than midway through the final period. Eidsmoe eventually took him back to the mat, but not before getting called again for stalling, giving Novacek a point and tying the match at one. Novacek would get a crucial reversal to take a 3-1 lead. He almost allowed Eidsmoe to reverse him late in the period, but returned him to the mat to hang on for the 3-1 victory.

At 126, the Gators’ Austin Maurstad and the Rams’ Ben Olson battled against one another in an emotional affair. Despite Olson’s early aggressiveness, Maurstad took a 4-0 lead into the second period. Ridden out the entire period, Maurstadhad this same lead into the final frame.

Olson chose both up, setting up a crazy final period. Maurstadtook Olson down and to his back, coming close to a pin, but things quickly turned. Leading 9-0, Maurstad allowed Olson to fightoff his back, get the reversal and takehimto his back all in the same move; Olson recorded the pin not long after with 1:12 remaining in the final period, bringing the Ram fans to their feet.

The final highlight match came at 132 featuring the Gators’ only returning state entrant, seniorIsaakIsane, and a strong state-hopeful wrestler, Chandler Mooney. Isanescored a well-earned takedown for an early 2-0 lead. Heading into the second period up 2-1, he allowed Mooney to tie the score on a quick second period escape. Not long after, Isane surrendered a takedown, and Mooney rode him out the entire period; Isane trailed 4-2 heading into the final period. The Gator senior chose down, but allowed Mooney to ride him out and record some late back points after a reversal attempt for the 7-2 victory.

The Gators may have experienced two tough losses, but had more than enough firepower to defeat the Rams, courtesy of those pins. Bryce Bergeron (113), Trevor Undeberg (138), Nick Kaml (145), DominikVacura (170), Collin Berard (182) and Ely Novacek (285) recorded those pins. A seventh grader, Vacura recorded his pin in his first career varsity win. Also, of note, Berard recorded a pin in just 10 seconds.

Tony Olson (106), a seventh grader having recorded his first varsity victory, Tyler Isane (152) and Cody Olson (160) picked up the Gator forfeit wins.

Besides surrendering a second period reversal, Devin Pries (195) controlled his match from start to finish en route to a 12-2 major decision for the Gators.

Derrick Corneliusen and Zach Evans recorded victories in the only two JV matches of the night.

The Gators returned to the practice room for just one day before travelling to Wadena to compete in the highly competitive annual Dennis Katz Memorial Wolverine WrestlingInvitational on Saturday, December 5. Following this tournament, the Gators headed again back to practice on Monday before their first home action of the season, a triangular dual versus two Section 8A opponents in Mahnomen-Waubun and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton on December 8. These hard-working boys will look for Gator Nation support as their schedule hits high gear. Go Gators!