Stratford wrestling wins eight individual titles, team championship at WIAA Division 3 Auburndale regional

The Stratford wrestling team won the WIAA Division 3 regional team title at Auburndale on Saturday. (Photo by Katie Marten/For MarshfieldAreaSports.com)
Stratford’s Karter Stuttgen works on an opponent during a 113-pound match at the WIAA Division 3 wrestling regional at Auburndale High School on Saturday. Stuttgen was one of eight individual champions for the Tigers. (Photo by Katie Marten/For MarshfieldAreaSports.com)

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AUBURNDALE – Stratford won eight individual titles and qualified 12 for next week’s sectional as it rolled to the team title at the 2018 WIAA Division 3 wrestling regional at Auburndale High School on Saturday.

The Tigers won their fifth-straight regional title and qualify for the WIAA Division 3 team sectional at Coleman on Tuesday. The semifinals are set for 6 p.m. with Stratford taking on Shiocton, and Coleman going up against Crandon. The winners will compete in the finals at 8 p.m. Stratford, the defending D-3 state champion, will be looking for its third-straight trip to the WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament, which will be held March 2-3 at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison.

All 14 of Stratford’s wrestlers finished in the top three in their weight classes as the Tigers racked up 296.5 points to win the team title. Athens was second with 179 points.

“I was very happy for the kids that qualified,” Stratford coach Joe Schwabe said. “The entire team wrestled great. We had 13 in the finals and another in third place. As a coach, one needs to be a bit selfish as you want all the kids to have a great day. It is difficult for the couple that wrestled so hard and just fell a little short. Hopefully they can get some satisfaction at team sectionals. We are looking forward to continuing the tournament series and see what we can do.”

Stratford seniors A.J. Schoenfuss and Jeremy Schoenherr, who are both shooting for their fourth-straight individual state title, rolled through the field at their respective weight classes to win regional titles.

Schoenfuss (35-3) beat Matthew Grossman of Pittsville 5-0 in the 126-pound championship match, and Schoenherr (28-0) won by technical fall over Tyler Dammann of Pittsville 22-7 in the 138-pound final.

Manny Drexler (36-2, 106 pounds), Karter Stuttgen (34-5, 113), Max Schwabe (34-6, 120), Derek Marten (24-5, 132), Jake Drexler (38-2, 145), and Dylan Schoenherr (39-2, 220) also won regional titles for Stratford.

Jordan Becker (34-7, 160), Trevor Dennee (33-5, 170), Aiden Hoffman (25-3, 195), and Hector Rojas (20-12, 285) each finished second for Stratford after losing championship matches.

Dennee also had to survive a second-place wrestleback against third-place match winner Keller Wolfe of Auburndale. Dennee won 8-1 to advance to sectionals, while Wolfe’s terrific senior season ends with a 36-8 record.

Auburndale’s lone sectional qualifier is sophomore Dylan Baird (26-13), who placed second at 120 pounds. He lost the championship match to Schwabe of Stratford, 8-1.

Auburndale finished fifth out of the seven teams at the reginoal with 86 points. Isaiah Hasenohrl placed third at 126 pounds and Samuel Hasenorhl was fourth at 285 for the Apaches.

2018 WIAA Division 3 Wrestling Regional
Feb. 17, at Auburndale High School
Team scores:
1. Stratford 296.5; 2. Athens 179; 3. Edgar 151.5; 4. Pittsville 138; 5. Auburndale 86; 6. Marathon 78; 7. Thorp 11.
Top two in each weight class qualify for individual sectional Feb. 17 at Shawano
106:
Championship – Manny Drexler (ST) def. Dane Klinger (MAR), 6-0.
113: Championship – Karter Stuttgen (ST) won major dec. over Camron Damman (PIT), 10-2; Fifth place – Kane Lipinski (ED) pinned Brent Lau (AUB), 3:40.
120: Championship – Max Schwabe (ST) def. Dylan Baird (AUB), 8-1.
126: Championship – A.J. Schoenfuss (ST) def. Matthew Grossman (PIT), 21-5; Third place – Isaiah Hasenohrl (AUB) def. Nathan Franke (MAR), 8-5.
132: Championship – Derek Marten (ST) def. Jonathan Albrecht (ATH), 6-5; Fifth place – Hunter Godard (AUB) pinned Nick Reynolds (MAR), 1:18.
138: Championship – Jeremy Schoenherr (ST) won by technical fall over Tyler Dammann (PIT), 22-7.
145: Championship – Jake Drexler (ST) pinned Jacob Heiden (ED), 1:54; Fifth place – Nik Engelbrecht (AUB).
152: Championship – Klay Ellenbecker (ATH) def. Dilan Dehlinger (ST), 7-1; Second-place wrestleback – Hunter Grimm (PIT) def. Dehlinger (ST), 9-7.
160: Championship – Ethan Heil (ED) won major dec. over Jordan Becker (ST), 12-2.
170: Championship – Brock Handrick (ED) def. Trevor Dennee (ST), 7-4; Third place – Keller Wolfe (AUB) def. Jordan Decker (ATH), 9-3; Second-place wrestleback – Dennee (ST) def. Wolfe (AUB), 8-1.
182: Championship – Marshall Westfall (ATH) def. William Raatz (ED), 3-1; Third place – Kaelen Schmitt (ST) pinned Austin Low (AUB), 0:53; Second-place wrestleback – Raatz (ED) def. Schmitt (ST), 4-0.
195: Championship – Colton Heil (ED) pinned Aiden Hoffman (ST), 3:43.
220: Championship – Dylan Schoenherr (ST) def. Dakota Venzke (ATH), 5-0.
285: Championship – Tyson Sommer (ATH) pinned Hector Rojas (ST), 1:28; Third place – Kyle Masanz (PIT) pinned Samuel Hasenohrl (AUB), 5:33.