When the 2021 wrestling season finally began in early May people asked “Why”?
Why wrestle if the season is only 5 weeks long? Why wrestle if you have to get Covid tested twice a week?
Why wrestle if there were no district, regional, or state tournaments?
Why wrestle if there would be no titles to win? Why wrestle?
The young men from Shorewood and Cascade high schools answered those questions and so much more in an entertaining, electric, and dramatic match on Friday night, May 28, 2021.
The contest began at 132 pounds with team captain Quincy Laflin the first Thunderbird to step on the mat. Laflin gave up the first takedown and quickly found himself locked up in a cradle. After fighting off his back he was able to get back to his feet and escape. Laflin didn’t let his second chance go to waste, scoring a takedown of his own and turning his opponent for a pin to give Shorewood the early 6-0 lead.
The two teams traded pins at 138 and 145 pounds before Shorewood's sophomore Joseph Rivera went out at 152 pounds. After giving up the first takedown Rivera was able to rally to grab a 3-2 at the end of the first period.
In the second round it was move after move, effort after effort, counter after counter as Rivera clung to a narrow 5-4 lead. In the third period the two wrestlers began on their feet and Rivera paused for just an instant, letting this guard down for just a moment and getting thrown straight to his back. After over a minute of fighting to stay alive Cascade finally solved the puzzle for a pin with just 23 seconds left in regulation.
Cascade built on their huge win at 152 pounds to take the next two weights and build a 24-12 lead. RJ Buchheit returned to the line-up for the Thunderbirds at 182 pounds after missing the last two matches and did not disappoint. After jumping out to a 6-2 lead in the first period, Buchheit turned his opponent early in the second period for a momentum killing pin.
Shorewood’s Hunter Tibodeau picked up a pin of his own at 195 pounds to tie the team score at 24-24 with just three bouts to go.
At 220 pounds Cascade’s Sam Kolesar put Shorewood’s Max Null on the defensive the entire match before finally getting a pin with only 3 seconds left in the third period that brought the entire gym to their feet.
T-bird heavyweight Milan Johnson fell behind 4-1 in his match before reversing his opponent for the pin as the two teams, each brimming with excitement, found themselves tied 30-30 with just one match remaining.
The final bout of the night featured Shorewood’s Clayton Elder against Cascade’s Kevin Jacks. Elder fell behind in the opening seconds, but fought back to put Jacks onto his back. With his shoulders just millimeters from defeat Jacks was saved by the buzzer at end of the first period. Elder built his lead up to 9-5 in the second period before being caught with a reversal to his back.
There was no salvation this time though as Jacks was able to get the pin with just one second remaining in the period to give Cascade a dramatic 36-30 victory.
So if anyone still wonders why we are wrestling this year, here is the answer. We wrestle for the nights like Friday. The joy of victories and the lessons learned in defeat. We wrestle for the competition and the camaraderie, the intensity and the passion. In this year of uncertainty we are grateful to wrestle. We wrestle. We wrestle because we can.
Shorewood wrestles next on Thursday, June 3rd, at Shorecrest High School. Wrestling begins at 7pm.
Cascade 36 - Shorewood 30
@ Cascade High School
*Match began at 132 pounds
106: Double Forfeit
113: Double Forfeit
120: Kenvin Jacks CAS pinned Clayton Elder 3:59
126: Double Forfeit
132: Quincy Laflin SW pinned Vinh Ngo 1:45
138: Jeremy Delap CAS pined Henry Poetzl 1:18
145: Isaac Van Horn SW pinned Nam Ngo 1:06
152: Carlos Garcia CAS pinned Joseph Rivera 5:37
160: Mohammed Chorr CAS win by forfeit
170: Connor Olson CAS pinned Alberto Solano 3:57
182: RJ Buchheit SW pinned Ronan McKague 1:14
195: Hunter Tibodeau SW pinned Daniel Eriksson 1:46
220: Sam Kolesar CAS pinned Max Null 5:57
285: Milan Johnson SW pinned Luis Del Moral 1:29
Shorewood Record: 3-4 Overall
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