Bulldogs improve to 20-0 in duals
Junior Holden Mathis was one of three Bulldog wrestlers who placed first at the Jan. 14 MFL MarMac Invitational. He took the top spot at 132 pounds, Bryce Radloff at 138 and Karter Decker at 152. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Quinn McGeough wrestled his way to second place at 160 pounds at the MFL MarMac Invite.
Saturday marked the first individual tournament championship for Bryce Radloff, who won two matches by sudden victory—the semifinal and final—on his way to the top of the podium.
Karter Decker earned his third tournament win of the season at the MFL MarMac Invite, where he wrestled at 152 pounds.
Freshman heavyweight Will Howes worked his way to third place at the Jan. 14 tournament.
Keith Anderson (113) was one of two Bulldogs who placed second at the MFL MarMac Invitiational.
Austin Schaller, wrestling at 182 pounds, came in fifth at the home tournament.
At Saturday’s home tournament, Rylee Kugel finished fourth at 126 pounds.
Mathis, Radloff, Decker champs at MFL MarMac Invite
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac boys wrestling team improved to 20-0 in duals last week, after picking up wins over Riceville, Postville and North Fayette Valley in a Jan. 12 Upper Iowa Conference quad.
The Bulldogs easily dispatched Riceville 72-12, in a dual that included falls for Holden Mathis (132), Bryce Radloff (138), Karter Decker (152), Quinn McGeough (160) and Nolan Lerch (195). The team earned another seven victories due to forfeit. Rylee Kugel was pinned in his 126-pound match, and Caleb Zuercher suffered a fall at 182, accounting for Riceville’s only points.
Postville didn’t fare any better in a 69-9 loss to MFL MarMac. Mathis, Decker, McGeough and Lerch again earned falls, and were joined by Taylor Herzmann (220) and Austin Schaller (182). Dayne Kohrs won a 12-8 decision at 170. The Bulldogs also continued to benefit from forfeits, with five in this dual. The Pirates’ two victories came at 106, with a fall over Wyatt Mohs, and 285, where Bulldog heavyweight Will Howes lost a 7-4 decision.
The third dual of the night wasn’t as easy for the Bulldogs, who narrowly escaped North Fayette Valley 36-34.
The TigerHawks took an early 16-0 advantage with pins of Jarett Hanson at 120 and Kugel at 126, as well as a 13-4 major decision over MFL MarMac’s 113-pounder, Keith Anderson. Mathis’ 4-3 decision at 132 pounds got the Bulldogs back in the win column, but Radloff then lost a 9-3 decision at 138 and Clayton Freese was pinned at 145, leaving the team down 25-3.
MFL MarMac went on a hot streak of its own, though, winning the next five matches. That included falls for Decker (152), McGeough (160), Kohrs (170) and Schaller (182), while Lerch came out on top in a 12-8 decision at 195 pounds.
The Bulldogs had a 30-25 advantage heading into the final three bouts, but Herzmann lost a 9-2 decision at 220 and Howes was pinned at 285, putting NFV back up 34-30. It all came down to the final match, where the 106-pound Mohs won by forfeit—and secured six points for the dual victory.
The week concluded at the Jan. 14 MFL MarMac Invitational, in which the Bulldogs placed third of 13 teams with 174 points. Wapsie Valley took the team title with 230.5, followed by Anamosa at 178.5.
Three Bulldogs were individual champions: Mathis at 132, Radloff at 138 and Decker at 152. This marked the third tournament win of the season for both Mathis and Decker. It was the first for Radloff, who won two matches by sudden victory—the semifinal and final—on his way to the top of the podium.
Anderson wrestled his way to second at 113 pounds and McGeough placed second at 160, while Howes was third at 285 and Kugel fourth at 126. Schaller and Lerch were fifth in their respective 182- and 195-pound brackets, Hanson came in sixth at 120 and Herzmann was eighth at 220 due to multiple medical forfeits. Mohs did not place at 106.
Next up for MFL MarMac is a dual meet at Alburnett on Jan. 19. In addition to the host team, other participants will be Central City, Maquoketa Valley and Starmont.
The Jan. 16 Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Dual Team Rankings have the Bulldogs 10th in Class 1A. Alburnett is third.
