TMB 127-pounder and defending Class A champion Devin Carter fell short of his quest for a second straight title, losing to undefeated Donovan Schmid of MLR 9-2 Saturday night at the Individual State Wrestling Tournament.
Schmid was in control for the entire first period, as he built a 5-0 lead with a near fall with 29 seconds left in the period. He built on that lead in the second before Carter finally got on the board with a reversal with 22 seconds left in the second. But that’s all the points Carter could muster against his fellow past state champ.
In the state semifinals Saturday, Carter took the mat against Owen Gruchow of MCAA and jumped out to a 4-0 first-period lead. It was 5-0 when Carter scored a takedown for a 7-0 lead with 1:14 left in the second. Carer went on to score two more late points in the third to put himself in the championship match.
In the Panthers’ other semifinal match Saturday, Alex Schuh fought through a left shoulder injury but eventually was pinned by top-ranked Nolan Ambrose of Jackson County Central in 1:56.
Schuh then faced Sam Drietz of Canby in a consolation semifinal. The two were tied at 2-2 going into the third before Drietz recorded a takedown for a 4-2 lead. He scored again at the 14-second mark to seal with 6-2 win.
Schuh battled Tanner Viessman of BBE in the 145 pound, fifth-place match Saturday. He got down 0-3 early in the third, but a takedown brought him to within one points. However, Viessman got Schuh on his back for a takedown and then pinned Schuh with 1:24 to go.
David Schuh started things off Saturday with a win at 133 pounds over Dalton Wilson of LSH. Schuh scored a late takedown in the first period, then built on his lead with a near fall with 1:02 to go in the second for an 8-0 advantage. His lead grew to 11-0 before he wrapped things up with a pin with just 16 second left in the second.
In his consolation semifinal against Chatfield’s Gage Bartles, David Schuh found himself down just 1-0 heading into the final period. Near the end, Schuh ended up on his back but on top of Bartles and came ever so close to a pin as time ran out.
In his fifth-place match against Bo Zwiener of WERA, Schuh got off to a strong start, scoring four points in the first minute. Zwiener closed his deficit to 4-2 entering the third, and Schuh led 6-4 with 45 seconds left. However, Zwiener too ka 7-6 lead with 12 seconds to go and later sealed the win for fifth place.
The senior Martinez led 2-0 Friday on Holdingford’s Jaxon Bartkowicz after a takedown with 2 seconds to go in the first. He built his lead to 4-0, then 7-0 with a near fall as time expired in the second. He would go on to defeat Bartkowicz 7-1.
Later Friday in a consolation match, Martinez was nipped by BBE’s Carson Gilbert, 4-3. The match was tied 2-2 at the end of the second period, but Gilbert scored a takedown with :13 left that all but ended it.
In the fifth-place match at 215 against ACGC’s Isaiah Renne, Martinez was down 3-0 going into the third period but slowly clawed his way back into it, toting things up at 5-5 with 18 seconds left in the third. That’s where it would end up in regulation, and Martinez won it with 17 seconds to go with a reversal.
Round 2 of the State Wrestling Tournament
Devin Carter led 4-2 after one period in his second match against Jeremiah Bien of Goodhue at 127 pounds. Bien cut it to 4-3, but Carter responded with a takedown for a 6-4 cushion heading into the final period. Carter scored two more takedowns at 1:46 and :48 of the third and went on for a 10-6 triumph.
At 133 pounds, David Schuh fell to top-ranked Trey Gunderson of KMS in his second match at state Friday. By pinning Schuh in the first period, Gunderson improved to 52-0, while Schuh now has a 41-13 mark.
In the match of the day for TMB, Alex Schuh won in dramatic fashion, 9-7 over William Pilarski of Holdingford at 145 pounds. Pilarski snatched a 3-2 lead with just 6 second left in the first period and went up 5-2 with a near fall at the 35-second mark of the second. Schuh trailed 6-5 early in the third period and later 7-5 but scored a takedown to tie it at 7-7 with just 7 seconds to go in the third. In overtime, Schuh, who was visibly ill heading into the extra period, got a takedown with just a second left to capture the monumental victory.
Jacob Meyer was denied a wrestleback after his first-round opponent lost by a 4-2 decision.
Facing the top seed at 215 pounds, Eathan Martinez battled Jacob Schmiek of SCML in his second match Friday. This was a tough match for Martinez, who at one point in the second had to be tested for a concussion. After Martinez was cleared, Schmiek took over and won by fall in the second. Schmiek has lost just one match this season.
David Schuh won his first wrestle back with a fall in :40, as did Martinez with a 7-5 win in his wrestle back. Martinez was down 3-2 late in the second but scored five straight points for a 7-5 advantage.
Panther wrestlers 4-1 after first round
Devin Carter, Alex Schuh, David Schuh and Eathan Martinez each were victorious in their first-round matches Friday at the Minnesota State High School League State Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. TMB’s other state entrant, Jacob, Meyer, lost his first match.
Carter (127 pounds)
The defending Class A state champ led 2-1 after the first period against Orran Hart of BHVP and steadily built on that lead, scoring four more points over the next 1:40 of the period. Hart scored a point in the third but it wasn’t nearly enough, as Carter (38-4) advanced with an 8-3 decision.
David Schuh (133)
Schuh (41-12) opened his match against Tate Evans of DERI with a quick takedown and 2-0 lead. Schuh led 4-1 at the end of the first period, but Evans scored a reversal to make it 4-3 to open the second. A near fall put Schuh down 6-4, but Schuh responded in a big way, tying it at 6-6 with a reversal with :33 left and winning it was a fall 7 seconds later.
Alex Schuh (145)
Schuh (46-5) led Jude Olson of BWB 2-0 after one period, and shortly after almost getting pinned, gained plenty of momentum in the second, eventually taking a 9-1 lead in the third. He would go on to win handily 11-5.
Jacob Meyer (152)
Meyer (42-9) got down 4-1 early to ROUP’s Sawyer Simmons and was never able to garner any momentum, as he fell in a major decision, 13-1.
Eathan Martinez (215)
Martinez (47-5) got up 5-0 in the first on a takedown and near fall against BHVP’s Braden Shamp, but this match was anything but over. Shamp rallied and putted to within 8-7 on a stalling call on Martinez. He then grabbed a 9-8 lead with a takedown with 1:03 to go in the third. However, Martinez countered and quickly tied int back up at 9 before scoring two more points with a reveals at :33 left. He would go on to win, 14-9.