Later on Saturday night...after returning home from Holdingford high school, video is getting added here and other updates plus other wrestling results from around outstate Minnesota...
YES! A FOUR-peat! Such an honor for the program!
It does not get easier year to year, and it certainly does not get old!
Facing two charged-up Section 5A opponents today, the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team has blazed their way into their fourth straight state tournament! They did so by defeating No. 10-ranked Paynesville Area 47-21 in the semifinals earlier today in Minneota and then surging past Lean and Mean and top-seeded Canby 39-21 in the championship.
The Bulldogs finished a fine season with a 19-10 overall record (2-4 Central Minnesota Conference), while Canby finishes the season 12-4. Canby's wrestling program is as strong as ever, as I counted at least 32 wrestlers on their grades 7-12 roster. That is outstanding! B-B-E, meanwhile, has regularly had 28 student-athletes in the wrestling room this winter in grades 7-12.
Against Canby in the finals...
Canby challenged the Jaguars just as they did in the January meeting, but this time, the Jaguars did not fall behind 27-0 through the first five weights. The Jaguars got a huge lift when seventh grader Noah Jensen won a 5-2 decision at 107 pounds. Noah was facing sophomore Cash Antony.
The Jaguars shined in the middle weights as the poured it on with pins at 139, 160 and 172 pounds. At 145, Tanner Viessman slugged out a key win by a 4-3 decision that broke what was a 15-15 tie. At 152, Brett DeRoo earned a hard-fought win by a 3-0 decision. At 160, Ethan Mueller fired up his team with a pin in the second period for a 27-15 team score.
Here's action at 107 pounds against Canby with seventh grader Noah Jensen earning a win!
Next: the Jaguars (21-2) compete in the Section 5A individual wrestling tournament one week from today at Canby high school.
A web article from today's section wrestling at Minneota has been posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website; click on the following short link to view that: https://t.ly/t3jz-. Included in that web article are the results from each weight class between B-B-E and Canby.
Video is getting reviewed and uploaded on Saturday night.
*Here's video from the semifinals against Paynesville at 145 and 152 pounds today in Minneota:
The Class 1A state team tournament is on Thursday, February 29 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Spread the word! The state quarterfinals start at 11 a.m. that day in St. Paul. B-B-E will be the only Central Minnesota Conference team competing at state. It is my opinion that they will earn the No. 2 seed.
In other section wrestling tournaments this weekend...
Holdingford, who was slightly favored to win the Section 7A title, defeated Mille Lacs 52-13 in the semifinals on Friday before losing 32-25 to No. 5-ranked Staples-Motley in the championship. The Huskers finished an incredible season 36-4 in duals. Royalton/Upsala lost 45-15 in the Section 7A semifinals to Staples-Motley. The Cardinals (32-1) avenged their lone dual loss of the season with the win against Holdingford. On January 13 at Bemidji, the Huskers defeated the Cardinals 32-22.
Kimball Area lost 42-33 to St. Agnes in the Section 4A tournament yesterday.
Also yesterday in the Section 4A tournament, Eden Valley-Watkins defeated Sibley East 43-19 before falling in the semifinals 39-31 to LeSueur-Henderson. The Giants (16-10) then punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 35-27 win against Norwood-Young America.
In Class 2A, New London-Spicer finished the dual season 20-7 overall after a first-round loss in Section 3AA to Marshall/Lakeview. Marshall/Lakeview then defeated New Ulm 48-15 in the semis before falling 28-27 to Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle Valley/Montevideo United in the championship, which was held today at NL-S high school. United (26-2) was one of the two teams who defeated our Jaguars this season (39-28 at Minnewaska Area on December 7). They look to improve on last year's fifth-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament.
In Section 3A, defending state champion and No. 4-ranked Jackson County Central (19-3) beat No. 11-ranked Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 42-28 at T-M-B high school to advance to state.
In Section 1A, No. 6-ranked Kenyon-Wanamingo lost 36-20 in the championship to No. 1-ranked Chatfield.
In Section 2A, No. 8-ranked Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area (26-3) beat Westfield 63-2 in the championship.
In Section 6A, No. 11-ranked Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie defeated Osakis 33-28 in the championship to advance to state. In the semifinals, BH/V/PP prevailed against West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 34-31.
United North Central, grouped in the Lean and Mean rankings from the Guillotine, won the Section 8A title with a 27-23 win against No. 9-ranked Frazee.
