This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – For the second time in as many matches, the outcome of a Marshfield wrestling team’s Wisconsin Valley Conference dual meet came down to the final match.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Thursday’s match against Stevens Point ended the same way as one earlier this season against Wausau West, with a pin.
Point’s Brady Koontz pinned Tanner Kanable at the 3:48 mark in the second period to lift the Panthers to a 36-31 victory over Marshfield at The Boson Company Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
Stevens Point is now 2-1 in the WVC, while Marshfield falls to 0-2.
“What we saw tonight, coming down to the last match, that’s happened six or seven times this year,” Marshfield coach Jackson Hein said. “We’re getting there, we’re not there yet. Every match they get more experience, which is helping me. We have a really tough schedule. We’ve had Stoughton, Stratford, a lot of tough teams.
“I don’t like losing at all, but I know that our guys are getting better. We’re on the right track.”
The Panthers won six of the final eight matches to take the dual after Marshfield had built a 19-6 lead.
Caden Pearce (126 pounds) and Anthony Kanable (132) won by decision, Nolan Hertel earned a 20-8 major decision at 138, Alex Brost had a first-period pin at 145, and Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann won 14-9 at 152 to help the Tigers go up 19-6 after six matches.
Fritz Schierl (160), Joey Roth (170) and Jacob Erdmann (285) had pins for the Panthers to help them surge back in front.
Caden Dennee, one of six freshmen in the Tigers’ lineup, earned a big pin at 106 pounds to keep Marshfield in the match, but Koontz’s pin wrapped up the win for Point.
“I think we’re starting to figure it out,” Hein said. “I don’t care about numbers, 9s or 10s (freshmen and sophomores on the roster), I care about getting better every day in practice. They are getting better in every single weight class.”
Marshfield will compete at the Richland Center Invitational on Saturday.
Stevens Point 36, Marshfield 31
120: Dylan Koontz (SP) won by forfeit.
126: Caden Pearce (M) def. Nate Duffert 4-2.
132: Anthony Kanable (M) def. Chance Bailey 5-3.
138: Nolan Hertel (M) won major dec. Tanner Kluck 20-8.
145: Alex Brost (M) pinned Alex Treilka in 1:36.
152: Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (M) def. Logan Reed 14-9.
160: Fritz Schierl (SP) pinned Sam Mitchell in 2:21.
170: Joey Roth (SP) pinned Payton Young in 0:43.
182: Jake Harlow (SP) def. Conner Peterson 5-3.
195: Sam Bauman (M) won by forfeit.
220: Brandon Patoka (SP) def. Gerardo Zepat 1-0.
285: Jacob Erdmann (SP) pinned Connor Berry in 1:56.
106: Caden Dennee (M) pinned Xavier Klein in 2:48.
113: Brady Koontz (SP) pinned Tanner Kanable in 3:48.