B/C Raptors finish fifth in Heart O’ North conference
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By Amber Hayden
LADYSMITH — It has been two years since the Bloomer/Colfax Raptors wrestlers have been able to finish in the top half of the Heart O’ North conference.
But they were able to do so with a three-point win over Superior during Friday evening’s, January 31, Super Duals in Ladysmith. The Raptors took a fifth-place finish with a score of 37-34.
“Fifth place is a massive improvement for us as a team as we took last the last two years,” said assistant coach Adam Davison. “To end this year in the upper half of the conference is a big win. When we started the year, one of the goals we had was to be more competitive and we certainly accomplished that goal.”
Since his return to the mat, Mitch Harmon has yet to disappoint the Raptors’ coaches as he took yet another win via pin fall over Superior’s Jakob Johnson in 1:54 in the 152-lb. weight class. Harmon has moved his way up in the state rankings to 12th with a record of 7-0.
Sawyer Best took a win by way of pin fall at :55 in the first period over Jason Thomas in the 132-lb. weight class. With his most recent win, Best has moved to a 36-1 record for the 2019-20 season as well as seventh in the state in the D2 132-lb. weight class as the Raptors move into tournament matches.
Colfax’s Luke Blanchard also took a win by major decision over Wyatt Johnson, 12-2, in the 113-lb. weight class.
According to coach Davison, the best match of the night was between Bloomer’s Bowen Rothbauer and Caden Stone in the 160-lb. weight class. Stone is an honorable mention in the Division 1 state rankings and gave Rothbauer a tough match.
“There were multiple throws and scrambles near the edge of the mat and even though Bowen didn’t come out on top of them, he didn’t give up any points either,” Davison stated. “At the end of the day the only point scored in the match was Bowen’s escape early in the second period.”
Rothbauer is currently ranked seventh in the state’s D2, 152-lb. weight class.
The Raptors will travel to Cameron this Saturday, February 8, to take part in the HON individual conference tournament.
“The win was a great example of working like a team,” said Davison. “Every wrestler that ended their match via pin or didn’t get pinned even though they lost played a major roll.”
Bloomer/Colfax 37, Superior 34
195-Parker Readinger (B/C) received forfeit; 220- Seth Smetak (S) maj. dec. Sebastiano Brunetti (B/C), 10-2; 285-Joshua Lambert (S) received forfeit; 106-Connor Krueger (S) pinned Brison Tuschl (B/C), 2:31; 113-Luke Blanchard (B/C) major dec. Wyatt Johnson (S), 12-2; 120-Tucker Johnson (S) dec. Isaac Lagesse (B/C), 3-2; 126-Alex Poirier (B/C) pinned Josh Johnson (S), 1:45; 132-Sawyer Best (B/C) pinned Jason Thomas (S), 0:55; 138-Ethan Rubenzer (B/C) pinned Eric Winterscheidt (S), 2:59; 145-Henry Huber (S) dec. Tytain Clements (B/C), 9-5; 152- Mitch Harmon (B/C) pinned Jakob Johnson (S), 1:54; 160-Bowen Rothbauer (B/C) dec. Caden Stone (S), 1-0; 170-Patrick Kerr (S) pinned Kolbyn Yohnk (B/C), 1:20; 182-Trevor Derick (S) received forfeit.