B-C wrestlers drop home match to Spooner

BLOOMER — As required by the WIAA when two schools form a co-op, each of the schools has to host at least one home meet. With most of the meets for the Bloomer-Colfax wrestling team held in Bloomer, Colfax hosted a home match in their gym Jan. 24 against Spooner, a Heart O’ North Conference rival. After winning the first two matches of the evening for a 9-0 lead when Jon Thorgerson won by a 10-9 decision at 145 pounds and 152 pounder Dan Thorgerson pinned his opponent at 1:54, B-C went on a six match losing streak to fall behind 36-9 and eventually lost 57-18 to the Railroaders.

During that streak, Ben Klatt was pinned at 3:35 at 160 pounds, Matt Shaw at 170 pounds was ahead of the Railroader wrestler 6-4 midway through the second period but fell victim to a pin at 3:52, Jake Floodquist found himself with his shoulders on the mat too long at 1:50 in the 182 pound match, B-C forfeited at 195, Stephan Snyder, wrestling at 220 pounds lost by a pin at 1:15 and 285 pounder Ryan Ratcliff also lost in the first period by a pin at 1:21.

“We started off at a good weight for us that allowed us to take an early lead,” B-C coach Jim Poirier said. “But things changed pretty quick. Our young guys worked hard but Spooner has some very experienced wrestlers.”

B-C brought the score to 36-18 as lightweight Justin Wachtendonk earned a 9-4 decision at 106 pounds and Tucker Hovde pinned his Railroader opponent in less then a minute at .56. In the most exciting match of the night, Hunter Hetke nearly pinned his opponent at 126 pounds, and after falling behind 14-9, picked up four points with 21 seconds left in the match but ended up losing 14-13. David Blanchard followed up by getting pinned in the first period at 132 pounds, and after leading 7-5 in the second period, Robby Rands ended up being pinned at 4:36 in the 138 pound match.

“We have a good group of kids to work with this year and they have improved tremendously from the start of the season,” Poirier said after the match. “Some of them just started wrestling in high school and it is still a learning experience for them. And if we keep getting better, I expect to have a strong program in the next few years.”

After a duel meet at Barron Jan. 29, B-C will compete in the conference meet Feb. 2 at Ladysmith.