Category: Match Previews

Badger Conference Preview

Since its founding in 1952, the Badger Conference has built a proud and enduring tradition of excellence in wrestling. That legacy is reflected in 44 combined team state appearances and 147 individual state champions. While honoring its storied past, the conference continues to thrive today, boasting 31 state-ranked wrestlers, including four ranked No.1 and four ranked No.2 in their respective weight classes.

Individual State Champions:
  • Baraboo – 8
  • Beaver Dam – 2
  • DeForest – 11
  • Fort Atkinson – 4
  • Milton – 18
  • Mount Horeb/Barneveld – 4/2
  • Oregon – 2
  • Portage – 10
  • Reedsburg – 15
  • Sauk Prairie/WH – 3/5
  • Stoughton – 55
  • Watertown – 4
  • Waunakee – 4

The Badger Small has 2 front runners with Reedsburg going 6-0 and Mount Horeb 5-1 in that same stretch. The Beavers have had the most consistent line-up winning their own dual tournament and placing high in several strong individual tournaments. Mount Horeb has been battle tested winning the 70+ ever-so-tough Bi-State Classic and scoring enough points to be the 2nd high WI finisher at Cheesehead featuring some of the nation’s best talent. Since it came down to criteria on December 12th in a 38-38 tie with the edge to Reedsburg, there is no front-runner with these two and it will be decided on who can get more bonus points in matches in the backside of the bracket. 

In the large school division, Waunakee enters conference action undefeated at 6–0, with Watertown close behind at 5–1. The two heavyweights already met earlier this season, with the Warriors edging the Goslings 37–33 in a tightly contested dual. While those two sit at the top, Beaver Dam shouldn’t be overlooked. The Golden Beavers have been right there in both of their losses, falling to Watertown 41–37 and Waunakee 37–33, showing they can compete with anyone in the field.

All signs point to a three-team race as the tournament unfolds, though conference history suggests nothing is guaranteed. A year ago, Monona Grove/McFarland entered with a .500 record at 3–3 but caught fire down the stretch and finished second overall. If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that momentum matters much more than record once February rolls around. 

Ranked Teams:
  • #8 Mount Horeb/Barneveld D2
  • #9 Reedsburg D2. 

Individual Weight Class Preview: Projected contenders at each weight class.
Name/school/year/#Grappler ranking/record/(2025 conference placement)

106 lbs. 

  • Brody Lewis – Milton – 9, #2, 29-3
  • Bryce Madden – Mount Horeb/Barneveld – 9, #3, 31-9
  • Max Schroeder – Sauk Prairie/WH – 11, #5, 32-2  (2025 Runner-up at 106)

Brody Lewis’s national accomplishments at the youth level translated well to high school as he quickly propelled himself near the top of the Grappler Rankings board. At 29-3 and all of his losses coming to out-of-state wrestlers, he is the favorite in this class. Top contenders to Lewis are #3 ranked in D2 Bryce Madden of MH/B and #5 ranked in D1 Max Schroeder of SP/WH. Max has a 14-1 major decision over Bryce at their dual on January 29th. Max has wrestled most of the season at 113 and recently moved down to 106 winning the TKO in dramatic UTB fashion!

113 lbs.

  • Kolten Mueller – Milton – 9, #7, 32-4
  • Carter Solt- Sauk Prairie/ WH 9 Watch List 33-7
  • Tristan Bancroft- Monona Grove/ McFarland 9, NR,  26-13

Kolten Mueller is the second freshman for the Redhawks who is favored to win a Badger Conference title. Kolten had a TF win over top contender Tristan Bancroft earlier in the season. Carter Solt is on the rankings “watch list” and has to find his way at 113 after making room for Max Schroeder moving down to 106. 

120 lbs. 

  • Jayden Vanderhoof – Reedsburg  – 11, #4, 29-2
  • Isaiah Neitzel – Watertown – 9, #5, 34-1
  • Mason Spear- Waunakee 12, WL, 23-8 (2025 3rd at 120)

At 120 pounds, the bracket is shaping up to an intriguing battle, especially since the top three contenders have yet to square off. Isaiah Neitzel hasn’t dropped a match since his quarterfinal loss at the OTW, going on an absolute tear that included a title at the always-grueling Duffy Invitational. Vanderhoof is rounding back into form after missing some time, but his recent championship run at the River Valley Invitational shows he’s finding his rhythm at just the right moment. Add in unranked but dangerous returning state qualifier Mason Spear, and this weight class suddenly feels wide open.

126 lbs.

  • Braiden Hale-Toomey – Reedsburg – 10, #2, 30-4 (2025 1st at 106)
  • Brayden Breider – Stoughton – 9, #5, 29-10
  • Dezmen Severson – Baraboo – 12, #6, 20-7 (2025 4th at 120)

With wins over both Severson and Breider earlier in the season, Hale-Toomey (3rd place state medalist) is the lead dog at 126. Breider has 10 losses on the year, but when you dig into it he has lost to some of the best from both in and out of state and he has been competitive in those losses including a 5-9 decision to Hale-Toomey. After missing out on a trip to state by 1 spot each of the last 3 seasons, Severson is hungry to make his mark and with all 3 of these wrestlers in the same sectional, this tournament will give an indication as to who has the leg up for a trip to the Kohl Center. 

132 lbs.

  • Evan Fahey – Oregon – 12, #4, 33-2 (2025 1st at 126)
  • Bryson Busler – Watertown – 11, #6, 28-3 (2025 2nd at 113)
  • Maxton Stevens – Mount Horeb/Barneveld – 9, #8, 26-15

Fahey and Busler competed at different weight classes when the two schools met in the opening week of the season, but that changes here. Both wrestlers have state medals hanging on the wall and a résumé filled with quality wins. The edge goes slightly to Busler, however, based on what’s on the loss column. At the Duffy Invitational on January 9, Busler pushed two-time state champion William Du Chemin to the brink, falling only in the tiebreakers in the finals.

138 lbs.

  • Sam Timlin – Reedsburg – 11, #12, 21-7 (2025 3rd at 126)
  • Logan Steffens – Oregon – 11, #14, 30-7
  • Ben Logan – Watertown – 12, NR 22-11(2025 4th at 126)

At 138 pounds, the storyline is simple: who wants it most. No weight class in the bracket feels more wide open than this one. Timlin and Steffens are on the top end of the rankings, while Logan has bounced in and out of the rankings at different points in his career. Rankings may make for good conversation, but championships are decided on the mat, and this is a weight class that could just as easily be won by someone outside the current top three contenders.

144 lbs. 

  • Cade Aaberg – Oregon – 11, #2, 34-2 (2025 2nd at 138)
  • Braylon Davenport- Waunakee 11 WL, 23-11
  • Bradley Rupnow – Watertown 12 , 20-10 (2025 3rd at 138)

Just in case you were wondering, Cade Aaberg is very good! His two 3rd place state finishes have led to his commitment to the Badgers. His two losses this season have been to nationally ranked Kellen Wolbert of Oconomowoc and he had highly contested match with #1 ranked at 157 Sam Zanton of Middleton. Of the other top two contenders Braylon Davenport has a pin over Bradly Rupnow.

150 lbs. 

  • Hunter Stevens – Mount Horeb/Barneveld – 12, #1, 33-2
  • Hudson Jablonski – Reedsburg – 11, #7, 31-5 (2025 2nd at 144)
  • Caden Schwartz – Oregon – 10, #12, 25-8 (2025 3rd at 132)

All three of our top contenders at 150 have been to the state tournament with Stevens having a 5th and 3rd place medal. Jablonski and Schwartz have Badger Conference medals while, as a senior, Hunter will be wrestling in his first Badger tournament. Stevens has been well tested wrestling in college opens last year, winning the Bi-State Classic in December and then placing 5th at the Cheesehead. 

157 lbs. 

  • Gabriel Metzler – Waunakee – 12, #5, 33-1 (2025 1st at 150)
  • Michael Kowalski- Portage – 12 D2 WL 34-6
  • Joe Logan – Watertown 12, 24-9, NR (2025 3rd at 144)

Gabriel Metzler has wrestled like a man on a mission ever since falling one match short of the podium in last year’s blood round at state. Since then, he’s been relentless, suffering just one loss all season—and that came at the hands of #1-ranked Sam Zanton of Middleton at the Badger State Invite. Without looking too far ahead, if Metzler sits at #5 in the rankings, just imagine the absolute chaos waiting at 157 pounds when the lights come on at the Kohl Center at the end of February. Joe Logan is not currently in the rankings but was as high as #5 at one point in the season. 

165 lbs. 

  • Easton Kammerud – Mount Horeb/Barneveld – 9, #2, 10-1
  • Gage Gross – Milton – 10, #6, 36-3
  • Dominic Manno- Waunakee- 9, NR, 19-15.

As a freshman at a higher weight class, Gage Gross came on the high school scene and drew a lot of attention with some “upset” wins last year. It is safe to say that Easton Kammerud has done the same as a freshman. Kammerud has 0-1 loss to #2 ranked and unbeaten JD Minder-Broeckaert of Hudson, and Gross was competitive with #1 ranked D1 commit Declan Koch of Neenah. What this means folks is that you are in for one heck of a final at 165!

175 lbs. 

  • Eli Maier – Mt. Horeb/Barneveld – 11, #1, 37-3 (2025 1st at 165)
  • Nolan Owen – Baraboo – 12, #6, 20-3 (2025 1st at 157)
  • Nolan Kemp- DeForest – 10, WL , 31-4 (2025 4th at 165)

Eli and Nolan wrestled on December 13th  with Maier winning 9-5. That was a long time ago but since then, Maier has had higher success at Bi-State where Eli beat Hindererman of IGH 15-7 and Nolan lost to him in SV. 

190 lbs. 

  • Eli Leonard – Mt. Horeb/Barneveld – 12, #1, 39-0 (2025 1st at 175)
  • Landen Grow – Beaver Dam – 12, #4, 34-4 (2025 2nd at 175)
  • Sawyer Ellis- Waunakee-  11, WL, 28-10

Eli Leonard is on a different level! Just look at the trail of state and nationally ranked wrestlers he left on the mat at the Cheesehead. 6th place state medalist Landon Grow is a stud and we love his gritty/hard-nose style of wrestling, yet Leonard has a TF over him. Our advice, sit back and watch greatness on the mat when you see it. 

215 lbs. 

  • McCoy Smith – Waunakee – 12, #1, 35-2 (2025 1st at 215)
  • Kade Splinter – Stoughton – 9, #4, 36-2
  • Leland Havens – Mt. Horeb/Barneveld – 9, #5, 29-5

Although ranked #4 in a Goliath of a weight class in D2, Kade Splinter, with 2 wins over the number #1 ranked McCoy Smith in D1, as well as a 2-0 win over Havens, is the favorite at 215. Smith and Havens have not wrestled, but here is the breakdown if it means anything. Havens lost to Splinter by less points, but Smith beat a common opponent in Kleinschmidt of DCE that Havens lost to. 

285lbs. 

  • Gatlin Empey – Stoughton – 12, #2, 32-1 (2025 2nd at 215)
  • Deangelo Clay – MGM – 11, #3, 34-5 (2025 1st at 285)
  • Curtis Hankins – Sauk Prairie/Heights – 12, #13, 29-10

DeLo got hot at this time last year and gave us one of the most entertaining finals matches of the conference finals. He then kept his foot on the gas pedal right on through to a 3rd place state finish. Standing in his way is a mountain of a man, Gatlin Empey who ran his way through the Cheesehead and has had only 1 blemish on his record since placing 4th at state last year. There is no leaving early at this tournament with these two great athletes wrapping up the finals. 

Marathon-Auburndale Preview

Marathon vs Auburndale Preview:

Wrestling history in the Marawood Conference is so rich it makes the lifelong fans of this great sport get lost in nostalgia when looking at the record books. Of the 31 4-Time state champions, three of them, including the first two ever, come from the Marawood Conference. Matt Hanutke of Pittsville (Pittsville left the conference in 2017) broke the glass ceiling in 1990 as the first wrestler to stand on top of the podium four times in the Field House. Kraig Underwood of Athens (now the coach at Marathon) joined him five years later, followed by Jeremy Schoenherr of Stratord in 2018 (Schoenherr is now the head coach of his alma mater). The Marawood has also produced nine 3-time state champions and Eight Team State titles. 

The Marawood has had its strings of dominance with Athens in the 80’s and 90’s and most recently Stratford in the mid 2000’s to last year. But there has been a storm brewing the last couple of years as to who is going to be the next king of the mountain. At the Wisconsin Wrestler Podcast, we’ve been talking about Auburndale and Marathon the last couple of years as both have had their sights set on who was going to dethrone Stratford. This push to beat the Tigers has put themselves into an intense rivalry not only for conference, but now as the #5 and #6 teams in D3. 

When talking with coaches Karl and Underwood about who has the leg up on qualifying for team state, both of them wanted none of that. They both want the Marawood Conference title so bad that the talk for D3 Sectional C bragging rights is going to have to wait. For good reason as it has been awhile for both teams to add an outright conference championship number to the banner. Marathon did win the 2024 Marawood Conference tournament but lost to Stratford in the duals. The last outright conference championship for the Red Raiders was 1964. For Auburndale, none of the current wrestlers were alive last time they hoisted a trophy dating back to 2005. 

1964 Marathon Conference Championship Team

With Phillips and Assumption/Pacelli joining the fray tomorrow, we’ll have the pleasure of seeing two rounds and four duals full of Marawood wrestling!

I highly recommend attending in person as this atmosphere will be an energetic crowd to say the least, but if you can’t make the action you can watch both mats here: Marawood – Auburndale Quad – Wisconsin Grappler

Schedule

6:00 Round 1

Mat 1-Auburndale vs. Phillips

Mat 2-Marathon vs. Assumption/Pacelli

7:00 Round 2

Mat 1-Auburndale vs. Marathon

Mat 2-Phillips vs. Assumption/Pacelli

Projected starting lineups:

Marathon

106: Alex Oelhafen-Freshman, 14-10, Freshman

113: #1 Taylor Underwood, 17-0, Sophomore

120: #1 Blake Underwood, 25-0, Senior

126: #11 Marshall Venske, 13-7, Freshman

132: Dylan Behnke, 16-10, Sophomore

138: Max Lawrence, 4-3, Freshman

144: #3 Cale Quaintance, 23-2, Senior

150: Will Tourtillott, 18-7, Senior

157: #3 Swayne Stencil, 24-1, Senior

165: #13 Tate Sonnentag, 20-6, Senior

175: #9 Grant Salber, 20-7, Senior

190: Mason Lawrence, 11-12, Junior

215: Brady Seefeldt, 5-9, Freshman

285: Alex Poppe, 11-6, Senior

Auburndale

106: Forfeit

113: #6 Sawyer Kundinger, 15-7, Sophomore

120: Beck Dammann, 17-6, Freshman

126: #4 Carson Weiler, 20-3, Sophomore

132: #3 Zade Grassel, 20-4, Senior

138: Brennen Welch, 10-6, Sophomore

144: Joe Maciosek, 6-4, Sophomore

150: Coleman Becker, 11-7, Senior

157: #9 Trevor Trowbridge, 12-5, Senior

165: #7 Conner Johnson, 19-3, Sophomore

175: #5 Carter Grassl, 19-3, Junior

190: Russell Teska, 7-4, Junior

215: Gavin Kayhart, 2-2, Sophomore

285: #12 Alex Becker, 17-5, Sophomore

Phillips will also be bringing two ranked wrestlers in JJ Adomaitis and Ayron Deleasky. Adomaitis is currently ranked second at 150 and was a State Placewinner last year, and Deleasky currently sits at #13 at 190 in the latest set of rankings. Gavin Tritz is currently ranked 5th at 157 and the Assumption/Pacelli junior could be in for a two match grind depending on how Marathon and Phillips send out their lineups.

Predictions for Marathon-Auburndale

Teague- Auburndale 30, Marathon 29

Steve- Auburndale 33, Marathon 30

As Taylor Underwood would say, maybe we are sleeping on Marathon. And right or wrong, I am more than excited and honored to be there in person to see who comes out of the Marawood dual season unscathed!

Cheesehead Preview

The 2026 Cheesehead Invitational returns to Kaukauna High School this weekend, January 9–10, bringing together elite wrestling talent from across the country. Known for its rigorous “Hybrid” bracket system, this year’s event is set to be a record-breaker with teams traveling from 13 different states.

Tournament History and Overview

Founded in 1999, the Cheesehead has grown into one of the premier high school wrestling tournaments in the nation. It is hosted at Kaukauna High School and utilizes a unique bracket style designed to maximize mat time for all participants.

  • Format: The tournament starts with a 64-man bracket that feeds into a round-robin phase. This ensures every wrestler competes on both days and faces high-level opposition regardless of early results.
  • The Reach: This year, teams will travel over 34,000 miles combined to compete. Notable far-flung programs include Casteel (Arizona), Jesuit (Louisiana), and several Florida teams like Lake Gibson and Merritt Island.

Attendee Information

  • Location: Kaukauna High School, 1701 County Rd. CE, Kaukauna, WI.
  • Schedule:
    • Friday, Jan 9: Doors open at 4:15 PM; wrestling starts at 5:00 PM.
      • Preliminaries as needed (21-42 seeds)
      • Session 1 All 12 mats Time
      • Round 1- Bracket of 64 5:00pm start
      • Round 2- Bracket of 32
      • Round 3 -Rd 1 Championship 4×4
      • Round 4- Rd 2 Championship 4×4
    • Saturday, Jan 10: Wrestling resumes at 8:30 AM (doors open at 7:30 AM). Finals are projected to begin around 5:00 PM and conclude by 7:30 PM.
      • Session 2
        • Round 5- Rd 1 Consolation Bracket of 32 All 12 mats
        • Round 6- Rd 3 Championship 4×4 – Mats 1 – 8 – Cons. Bracket round 16 – Mats 9-12
        • Round 7- Rd 1 Both Brackets of 8 – Mats- 1 -8- Cons. Bracket Quarters – Mats 9 -12
        • Round 8- Rd 2 Both Brackets of 8 – Mats 1- 8 (Champion Semifinals mats 4, 5, 6) – Cons. Bracket Semifinals Mats 9 -1
        • Round 9- Wrestlebacks Both brackets of 8 – Mats 1 – 8 – Cons. Bracket 17th and 19th place Mats 9 – 12
        • Round 10 – 7,9, 11, 13, 15th place matches – Mats 1 – 8
      • Session 3
        • Round 11 – Finals 1st, 3rd and 5th place matches – Mats 1, 2, 3 5pm to 8:00pmRound 5- Rd 1 Consolation Bracket of 32 All 12 mats 8:30am
  • Tickets: Presale tickets are available on the tournament website to avoid long lines. Options include all-session passes and single-day tickets. Purchase here: 2026 CHEESEHEAD WRESTLING TOURNEY Tickets, Fri, Jan 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite
  • Concessions: The “Cheesehead Cafe” is highly regarded, offering a menu specifically designed for athletes and their families. Spectator carry-ins are generally not allowed. Check out the Concessions Menu here!
  • Streaming: For those unable to attend in person, the tournament is being live-streamed by Illinois Matmen. It is a pay per view event at the cost of $15.

2025 Wrightstown Varsity Girls Invite Preview

The growth of the Wrightstown Varsity Girls Invite in 4 short years has been truly amazing! In year number one there were just a handful of teams and several weight classes that didn’t have enough girls so they had to combine weights to make them competitive. Fast forward to 2025 and there are 30 teams, two of which are ranked, and over 30 ranked wrestlers. Every weight class has at least one ranked wrestler including, with 100 pounds having six girls in the rankings and 107 and 152 each having four ranked wrestlers. 

We will be streaming all three mats, with the action beginning at 5! If you can’t make it and want to make sure you are seeing your favorite wrestlers in action all night, I highly recommend checking out the event on USA Bracketing and following along on the dashboard so that you can tune in to watch whoever, and whatever match you wish to see!

30 Teams, 31 Ranked Wrestlers

  • Ashwaubenon
  • Bark River, Harris MI
  • Brillion 
  • DePere
  • Denmark
  • Fond du Lac
  • Freedom #15
  • Grafton
  • GB Preble
  • Hustisford
  • Kewaunee
  • Kiel
  • Luxemburg-Casco
  • Marinette
  • Notre Dame Academy 
  • Oconto Falls
  • Peshtigo
  • Port Washington
  • Reedsville
  • Shiocton
  • Southern Door
  • Sturgeon Bay/Gibraltar/Sevastopol
  • Suring
  • Two Rivers 
  • Waupaca
  • Wausau West #1
  • Winneconne 
  • Wrightstown
  • Xavier

 

Ranked Wrestlers

100

  • #3 Mya Beckett Notre Dame – 9
  • #6 Destiny Parker Two Rivers – 10
  • #8 Paityn Fritchen Winneconne – 11
  • #9 Brynn Johnson Shiocton – 9
  • #12 Jakayla Steinhorst Luxemburg-Casco- 11
  • #13 London Le Sage Oconto Falls – 

107

  • #4 Aaleeh Le Wausau West – 10
  • #5 Katherine Cook Freedom – 11
  • #11 Addison Brown Winneconne – 11
  • #12 Skya Scrimgeour Southern Door – 9

114

  • #3 Lily Baker Freedom – 3
  • #7 Brinley Miller Brillion – 10

120

  • #2 Angie Bianchi Two Rivers – 12
  • #3 Cora Stewart Port Washington – 9

126 

  • #14 Addisen Olson Peshtigo – 10

132

  • #2 Chesney Bartoszek Wrightstown – 11

138

  • #8 Maddie Lee Wausau West – 12
  • #10 Aubrey Hanson Grafton – 12
  • #14 Madeline Faulkner Xavier – 12

145

  • #4 Stella Pettitt Freedom – 10
  • #10 Sevanna Hoyer Brillion – 10

152

  • #4 Lana Brochardt Wausau West – 11
  • #7 Sydney Turner – Southern Door – 12
  • #8 Brooke Hansen Wrightstown – 12f
  • #14 Caylin Johnson Wuapaca – 11

165

  • #6 Tiani Lemieux Sturgeon Bay/Gibraltar/Sevastopol – 12
  • #8 Arianna Niemojuski Kewaunee – 10

185

  • #2 Kiley Georgel Luxemburg-Casco – 12

235

  • #9 Lily Helser Shiocton – 12 

Husky Invite Preview

We are going full boar into the second weekend of the wrestling season and that means that I get the privilege of making my annual trip up on Highway 93 (which always ends up being snow covered at this time) to Eau Claire for the Husky Invite. The Husky has a new venue this year, taking place at the Sonnentag Center and while it’s hard to replicate the ECN High School Doghouse I am very much looking forward to checking out the new facility! 

There will be 68 ranked wrestlers this year with a slew of state accolades to their name, and while this serves as a preliminary look for some of the top-ranked D1 teams in Wisconsin, we also get treated to a visit across the river from Minnesota wrestling powerhouse, the Simley Spartans. Below, I will have a list of the ranked wrestlers coming into the tournament and although nothing is guaranteed in terms of who will wrestle where, or if everyone wrestles, there is sure to be some huge matchups from the early rounds all the way to the finals! And how can we forget the guys not listed below that will look to get themselves on the radar in a big way this weekend. 

We will be streaming Mats 1-6 so check out the livestream page on our site and share it with the folks who won’t be able to attend. Wrestling starts at 9:15. Here’s to another great weekend at the Husky!

Ranked Teams

Ranked Wrestlers

106

113

120

126

132

138

144

150

157

165

175

190

215

285

Bonduel Quad Boys Preview

When the Bonduel event jumped on my radar I got a huge feeling of excitement as to the implications of it. Now don’t get me wrong, team state tickets are not punched in early December, but this one does have huge implications for seeding and who is the front-runner in D3 Sectional B. Come mid-February, three of the teams (Shiocton, Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes, and Wittenberg-Birnamwood) will be duking it out for a trip to team state held for the first time at the LaCrosse Center. As a huge fan of D3 wrestling I wish they would have invited Crandon and Lena along and we would have ourselves a huge team sectional preview party!!

Schedule Starting at 5PM

  • Round 1 – Shiocton vs Almond Bancroft, Bonduel vs Laona Wabeno, Witt Birn – Bye
  • Round 2 – Laona Wabeno vs Almond Bancroft, Bonduel vs Witt Birn, Shiocton – Bye
  • Round 3 – Laona Wabeno vs Shiocton, Almond Bancroft vs Witt Birn, Bonduel – Bye
  • Round 4 – Laona Wabeno vs Witt Birn, Bonduel vs Shiocton, Almond Bancroft – Bye
  • Round 5 – Witt Birn vs Shiocton, Bonduel vs Almond Bancroft, Laona Wabeno – Bye

Projected Lineups

Wittenberg-Birnamwood #4
  • 106 
  • 113 Landon Meronk – 10 #7
  • 120
  • 126 Koleton Beran – 9
  • 132 Dalton Fletcher – 11 #9
  • 138
  • 144 Devin Wudtke – 12 #8
  • 150 Bo Davis – 11
  • 157 Ben Miller – 12 #3
  • 165 Frank Wierzba – 10
  • 175 Grayson Niswander – 12
  • 190 Colby Wincensten
  • 215 George Seegmiller – 12 #11
  • 285 Eli Komanekin – 10
Bonduel 
  • 106
  • 113 
  • 120 John Parsons – 10
  • 126 
  • 132 Beau Diemel – 9
  • 138 Christopher Hammen-Jung – 11
  • 144 Garrett Hofman – 9
  • 150 Aiden Robarge – 10
  • 157 Thomas Vanderzanden – 11
  • 165 Carson Kolaske – 11
  • 175 Ryler Kurtz – 10, #14
  • 190 Jayden Popp – 11
  • 215 William Baciak – 10, Tucker Hischke – 12
  • 285 Jackson Krause – 10, Brody Vosters
Shiocton
  • 106 Tucker Keberlein – 10, #6
  • 113 Mason Affeldt – 10, #11, Devin Biese – 11
  • 120 Lincoln Volkman – 9, #14
  • 126 Collin Guyette – 9
  • 132 Holdyn Volkman – 11, #7
  • 138 Mason Demerath – 12, #9
  • 144 Izaiah Sanchez – 12, #4
  • 150 Jackson Young – 12, #13
  • 157 Brody Slaets – 11, Royne Vasquez – 10
  • 165 Scott Daniels – 12, Antonio Rangel – 10
  • 175 Alejandro Garcia – 10
  • 190 Luis Vasquez – 11
  • 215 Sawyer Richl – 9, Karson Lutzewitz – 9
  • 285 Brent Collar – 10
Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes
  • 106
  • 113 Maximus Clark – 12, #11
  • 120 Ryan DeMars – 9
  • 126 Reegan Roy – 11, #4
  • 132 Jayse Demerath – 11, #11, 
  • 138 Ryker Schingeck – 10
  • 144 Michael Yager – 10
  • 150 Cameron Tilton – 10
  • 157 Sawyer Jameson – 12
  • 165 Yukon Volk – 12
  • 175
  • 190 Brody Hoffman – 11, #10
  • 215 Worawat Thawonwan – 11
  • 285 Sawyer Christianson – 10

Almond-Bancroft

  • 132 Kaden Marinez
  • 138 Jeysson Perez-Herrera
  • 190 David Castellanos
  • 190 Jared Pena
  • 215 Malachi Ramirez

The Match-Ups

Note – With all due respect to Almond-Bacraft as they are here with some tough teams and trying to grow their program, we will not do an analysis of the dual they are wrestling in as sheer numbers will prevent them from being competitive as a dual team. We know their five competitors will come to compete and we are excited to see that aspect of their program.

Round 1:

Bonduel vs Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes (WLTL) – We can only hope that the host school doesn’t take offense to us overlooking them and their competitiveness in their home gym. They are 1-2 on the year with a 33-24 win over Oconto and did not compete in a tournament this past weekend. Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes (WLT) is 4-1 in dual competition with a tight loss to Oconto Falls and took 7th at the John Roberts Invite, just a half point behind Antigo. 

In any dual the “swing matches” are what make it make or break for either team and the three “big boy” weight classes are going to be just that up top. At 190 we have two returning sectional qualifiers in Jayden Popp for Bonduel and Brody Hoffman for WLTL. The 215 weight class is the battle of the unknowns as Bonduel has William Baciak new to the varsity level going against Worawat Thawonwan who was 8-19 on varsity last year, but is coming off a good showing at the John Roberts Invite. The heavyweight class is similar to 215 in that you have new-to-varsity Jackson Krause, a sophomore for Bonduel against sophomore Sawyer Christianson who is looking to improve on last year’s varsity record.

Ultimately, WLT with their 12 returning starters and 5 ranked wrestlers will prove to be too much for the Bears.

Predictions:

  • Steve: 49 – 21 WLTL
  • Teague: 56-18 WLTL

Round 2

Bonduel Vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood –  Wittenberg-Birnhamwood is ranked for a reason. They have spent the last several years being battle tested in the juggernaut that used to be D2 Sectional B, with the powers of L-C, Freedom, Denmark, Wrightstown, just to name a few. They have 5 ranked wrestlers and are coming off a 2nd place finish at the Schoenherr Duals with their only blemish being a 1pt loss to a much improved DePere. Wittenberg-Birnamwood is hoping that tough competition has prepared them for their first trip to team state since 2014.

Two  key weight classes are once again the battle of the unknowns. At 150 we have Aiden Robarge – 10 vs Bo Davis – 11, and 165 Carson Kolaske – 11 vs Frank Wierzba – 10. For these weight classes both schools will be putting out wrestlers with not a lot of varsity accolades yet. 

Prediction:

  • Steve: 46 – 18 Wittenberg-Birnamwood
  • Teague: 50-24 Wittenberg-Birnamwood

Round 3:

Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes (WLTL) vs Shiocton – Fresh off their 2nd place finish at the 42 team Papermaker Invite, Shiocton has moved into the state rankings for the first time this season. You can’t blame the committee for taking them out, they did lose their starters from 157 on up. But as you will see, Shiocton reloads rather than rebuilds. 

There are way too many good matches in this one to break it down so let me just list all the solid head-to-head bouts:

  • 113 – Shiocton Tucker Keberlein-10, 6th ranked vs WLTL Maximus Clark – 12, ranked #11.  *Note – Tucker wrestled at 106 this weekend, but Shiocton’s depth may allow this to happen!!!
  • 132 – Shiocton Holdyn Volkman – 11, 7th ranked vs WLTL Jayse Demerath – 11th ranked
  • 150 – Shiocton Jackson Young – 12 ranked #13 vs WLTL Cameron Tilton – 10 20-9 last year

The line-ups leave a lot of room for each coach to play a chess match to get some match-ups in their favor. Especially with WLTL who has returning state champ Reegan Roy at 126 going against a freshman. The question is, if the coaches want to show too much of their hand this early in the season? Tune in Thursday night to find out folks!

Prediction:

  • Steve: 42 – 30 Shiocton
  • Teague: 39-36 WLTL

Round 4:  

WLTL vs W-B – Expect this one to have multiple lead changes as one of the better match-ups of the night. Both teams give up 3 forfeits, but luckily for the fans, 2 of them are at the same weight classes. Do coaches work to get the free points or wrestle it straight up and let the chips fall where they may?

Key match-ups:

  • 113 W-B Landon Meronk – 10, 7th ranked vs WLTL Maximus Clark – 12, 11th ranked
  • 132 W-B Dalton Fletcher – 11, 9th ranked vs WLTL Jayse Demerath – 11, 11th ranked
  • 285 W-B Eli Komanekin vs WLTL Sawyer Christianson – battle of newcomer sophomores
  • Note – I have the team score 32-28 going into 285 (assuming we start at 106) with WLTL winning at that point. My nod at Hwt goes to Eli from W-B with more varsity experience last year and heavyweights usually end in a pin, so…see prediction below!

Prediction:

  • Steve: 34-28 W-B!
  • Teague: 32-31 WLTL

Shiocton vs Bonduel – With a full line-up and 7 state ranked wrestlers this one is going to be all Shiocton. A Key match-up is at 120 with #14 ranked freshman Lincoln Volkman for Shiocton vs Bonduel’s sophomore sectional qualifier John Parsons. I also have 157 and 215 as swing matches. 

Prediction: 

  • Steve: 56 – 19 Shiocton
  • Teague: 60-12 Shiocton

Round 5: 

Wittenberg-Birnamwood #4 vs Shiocton #9 – The spotlight is set for the match of the night featuring two state ranked teams! W-B has 5 state ranked wrestlers in the line-up, Shiocton 7 and both squads are coming off a 2nd place finish in their respective tournaments. Once again, the winner gets handed nothing when it comes to the post season but it will definitely give the winner the early upper hand when it comes to seeding. 

Shiocton has the advantage when it comes to free points with 12 and more state ranked wrestlers. If the Chargers are going to win this one they are going to have to weather the storm and not give up too many bonus points in the lower weights. Once they hit the mid weights Wittenberg-Birnamwood is going to have to make hay as Shiocton  had to replace all of their starters from 157 on up from last year.

Ranked match-ups:

  • 113 WB Landon Meronk – 10, #7 vs Shiocton Mason Affeldt – 10, #11
  • 132 WB Dalton Fletcher – 11, #9 vs Shiocton Holdyn Volkman – 11, #7
  • 144 WB Devin Wudtke – 12, #8 vs Shiocton Izaiah Sanchez – 12, #4

Predictions:

  • Steve: 38 – 33 Shiocton
  • Teague: 42-28 Shiocton

Bonduel Quad Girls Preview

The rising tide of women’s wrestling in the state of Wisconsin has laid the foundation for more teams to participate in the dual meet format. Starting next season the state champion on the girls side will be determined in a state dual competition just like the guys. On Thursday night, a trio of teams, Bonduel, Shiocton, and Wittenberg-Birnamwood, who are proving with their numbers and wrestling success that they want to be in that future team state discussion, are going to take to the mat in Bonduel. Zach and I will be calling the action for the dual competition between the 3 teams as well as for Almond-Bancraft and Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes who will pair up for some individual matches.

Schedule

5:00PM- Round 1

  • Round 1 – Shiocton vs Wittenberg-Birnamwood
  • Round 2 – Bonduel vs Wittenberg-Birnamwood
  • Round 3 – Bonduel vs Shioction
Catch the Live Stream here: Bonduel Quad – Wisconsin Grappler

Projected Team Rosters

Bonduel Girls

  • 100: Kaitlyn Kroening-10, 2-0 #7
  • 107: Payton Bierhals-9  1-1
  • 114:  Amelia Wilcox-10   3-2
  • 120:
  • 126:
  • 132: Kiara Johnson-11  3-1
  • 138:  Lexi Rank-9  2-2
  • 145:  Lizzy Delzer-11  3-2
  • 152: Maddie Hert-10  5-0
  • 165: Alisha Berg-11  5-0  #3
  • 185:  Brianna Berg-12  1-2
  • 235: Miley Zeeman-9  2-3

Shiocton Girls

  • 100: Brynn Johnson-9 4-0; Ari Wilke-9 1-3
  • 107: Chloe Nelson-11 1-2
  • 114: Inai Sanchez-10 3-1
  • 120: Cally Presteen-10 3-1
  • 126: Lilli Griesbach-11 2-3
  • 132:
  • 138: Charlotte Leeman-9 3-2
  • 145: Kali Ebben-11; Leigha Rupar-9  2-3
  • 152: Ella Griesbach-11 4-1
  • 165:
  • 185: Shealyn Anday-9 3-1
  • 235: Lily Helser – 12 #8

Wittenberg-Birnamwood Girls

  • 100:
  • 107:
  • 114: MyKenna Jansen-11  2-3; Izabel Schulist-9  4-1
  • 120: Addison Schmid-10  2-3;  Jersey Bradham-11  2-3;  Malayna Starr-9  3-2
  • 126: Brenna Marsh-12  2-2;  Taylor Marien-11 1-4
  • 132: Olivia Storkson-9  3-2
  • 138: 
  • 145: 
  • 152: Christina Mattesen-11
  • 165:
  • 185: Brooke Huffman-11 5-0 #1
  • 235:

Wabeno/Laona/Three Lakes Girls

  • 145  Kyra Beaber – 11
  • 165 Somerr Ridgeway -11, Idalynn Vladik – 9
  • 185 Allison Hanson – 9

Almond-Bancroft Girls

  • 152 – Audrey Wiza
  • 235 – Azumi Yang

Matchups

Shiocton vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood

Shiocton is 3-0 in duals this year and coming off a 4th place finish at the 25-team Papermaker Invitational. What makes them a solid dual team is they have that potential to fill all 12 weight classes. Wittenberg-Birnamwood is coming off a 5th place finish at the 30 team Red Robin Girl’s Invite. 

At 114 two underclassmen with similar results on the weekend will go head-to-head. Shiocton Sophomore Inai Sanchez (2-2) took 4th at the Papermaker and will take on 4-1 freshmen Izabel Schulist who took 5th in Antigo. 

What is making girls wrestling even more interesting is that we will start to see the gamesmanship to get better team match-ups for the team win that we see on the guys’ side. I predict W-B will bump up and move freshmen Olivia Storkson up to 138 to take on fellow freshman Charlotte Leeman. Both wrestlers are 3-2 and had solid performances at their first HS tournament. 

As long as we are talking about bumping up, don’t expect nationally ranked Brooke Huffman to stay at 185 for this one when there is a state ranked wrestler one weight class up. The #8 ranked Lily Heiser is at 235 and the fans will most likely get to watch this one go down. 

  • Steve’s Prediction: Shiocton – 42,  WB – 24
  • Teague’s Prediction: Shiocton 48, W-B 24

Bonduel vs Wittenberg-Birnamwood

Bonduel is 1-2 on the year, but their losses are to the #2 and #4 ranked teams in the state in Neenah and Bay Port. They looked very strong this past weekend winning the  championship at the Southern Door Tournament. Bonduel’s numbers will overwhelm W-B in this dual, but that doesn’t mean we still won’t be treated to some good match-ups. 

The 114 battle has a nice story line as 4-1 freshman Izabel Schulist of W-B and 3-2 sophomore Amelia Wilcox both finished 5th at separate strong tournaments. At 132 for the Bears, 3-1 Junior Kiarra Johnson made the finals at Southern Door and she will be taking on Olivia Storkson who is 3-2 as a freshman.

On a final note, unless that match-ups change, the only thing we will get to see of 2X state medalist Alisha Berg is for her to collect her forfeits. Does she move up to take on “All-World” Brooke Huffman at 185 to get some time on the mat in a home dual? I personally would not!!!! Then again, I am not near as tough or talented as Ms. Berg.

  • Steve’s Prediction:  48 – 24 The Bears!
  • Teagues’ Prediction: 48-24 Bonduel

Shiocton Vs Bonduel

This one has the build up to be a classic “barn-burner” to use a Teague Fenwick euphemism. Both teams are handing each other the same amount of points in forfeits and of the 8 matches that will determine it I see 4 matches that would be considered “swing matches”.

At 100lbs Bonduel has #7 ranked senior Kaitlyn Kroenig coming off her championship at the Papermaker tournament going against freshman Brynn Johnson. Johnson is not ranked early in her high school career, but that may change quickly as she is 4-0 and coming off her championship at Kimberly. 

At 114 both Inai Sanchez of Shiocton and Amelia Wilcox of Bonduel are coming off solid with weekends taking 4th and 5th respectively at their tournaments. With similar records the two sophomores are sure to be a classic swing match. 

The freshmen take the stage at 138 in a key tilt between 3-2 Charlotte Leeman and Lexi Rank. Charlotte finished 7th for Shiocton at the 25 team Kimberly Tournament and Lexi took 3rd at Southern Door for the Bears.

My final swing match of the night is between two of the team leaders at 152. Sophomore Maddie Hert is 5-0 on the year, fresh off her tournament championship and Ella Griesbach is 4-1 early in her junior campaign for Shiocton. 

I have this as a tight one that will come down to the 235 weight class and I predict Lilly Heiser of Shiocton is going to get the walk-off pin!! (Assuming they start at 100)

  • Steve’s Prediction: Shiocton 38 – Bonduel 36
  • Teague’s Prediction: Bonduel 36, Shiocton 34

Beef River Brawl Preview

As I make the transition from football commentator to wrestling aficionado, what better way to help me ease into the winter season than by going to a competition on a Friday night? I will be making my way to Mondovi, the home of the buffalo on top of the school, for the Girls’ Beef River Brawl! It will be my first time visiting Mondovi High School and I always enjoy the experience of being in a new venue for wrestling. The Beef River Brawl will certainly provide a great night of competition as there are fifteen teams attending this year, with over 50 girls projected to wrestle, and that number is expected to grow as more teams input their rosters!

The tournament will be a scramble style format so there will be no shortage of entertaining matches to watch for the folks attending or watching from home. I will have a list of the ranked wrestlers competing below, and while these are preseason rankings that aren’t guaranteed to be 100% correct nor does it mean every ranked wrestler is competing, it should provide a good picture of which girls to watch on the mat and even provide a preview of some star-studded matchups.

Schedule

Wrestling starts at 5.
Catch the Live Stream here: Beef River Brawl – Wisconsin Grappler

Ranked Wrestlers