Bragging rights for Highlanders after cross-town wrestling match Friday

By Clark Norton

It was a classic rivalry Friday night, January 28, 2022 as the Shorewood Stormrays hosted the Shorecrest Highlanders in their final contest of the regular season. Shorewood was looking to continue their winning streak in the series, having won the past two meetings and eleven of the past twelve.

Wrestling began at 126 pounds when Shorewood Senior captain Quincy Laflin dropped a weight class to face Shorecrest’s Joseph Martinez. Although Martinez was the favorite on paper, currently ranked ninth in the state, Laflin took over the match. Laflin took Martinez down early and often as he steamrolled his way to a dominating 12-3 victory.  

Next up, at 132 pounds, was a battle of freshmen between Stormray Masa Taura and Highlander August King. Taura took advantage of a small mistake by King to grab the pin and give Shorewood an early 10-0 lead in the team score.

At 138 pounds Highlander Jacob Lougee got his team right back into the match as he solved the puzzle of James Nottingham for a second round pin. 

Senior Thomas Rhodes, ranked #2 in the state at 145 pounds, continued his personal streak of never having lost to a Shorewood wrestler as he methodically man-handled his opponent for a first round pin, giving Shorecrest their first lead of the night at 12-10.

Shorewood sent out their own top-notch wrestler, 6th ranked Isaac VanHorn, at 152 pounds. It took a bit for VanHorn to figure out his opponent, but once he did there was no stopping him. VanHorn’s first round pin pulled the Stormrays back into the lead. The Shorewood lead disappeared almost instantly though when Highlander Max Rutledge snatched it away with a pin at 160 pounds.  

After a win at 170 pounds the visiting team held a narrow 24-16 lead with half the weight classes to go.  Shorecrest coach Bryan Officer made a last minute substitution at 182 pounds, inserting sophomore Malachi Stream into the varsity line-up. Stream took full advantage of his opportunity, taking an 8 to 3 lead over Shorewood’s Nathaniel Hernandez into the third period. Starting in the bottom position, Stream was able to get a huge reversal and pin that brought the Shorecrest fans to their feet.

#1 ranked wrestler Hunter Tibodeau scored his fourteenth pin of the season, in just seventeen matches, to keep Shorewood alive. Stormray teammates RJ Buchheit and Milan Johnson got pins of their own at 220 and 285 pounds to pull Shorewood back into the lead at 34-30.  

However, it was too little, too late for Shorewood. The Highlanders received two forfeits around a pin by Kaiju Fergerson at 113 pounds to sweep the final three weights and go home with a 48-34 victory and cross-town bragging rights.

Shorewood 34 - Shorecrest 48

@ Shorewood High School

*Match began at 126 pounds

106: Micah Fergerson SC win by forfeit

113: Kaiju Fergerson SC pinned Owen Mulder1:42

120: George Fernandez SC win by forfeit

*126: Quincy Laflin SW maj. dec. Joseph Martinez 12-3

132: Masa Taura SW pinned August King 1:23

138: Jacob Lougee SC pinned James Nottingham 3:15

145: Thomas Rhodes SC pinned Oli Dalan 0:54

152: Isaac VanHorn SW pinned Finn Kennedy 1:19

160: Max Rutledge SC pinned Addison Brueck 1:34

170: Peter Grimm SC win by inj. def. Alberto Solano

182: Malachi Stream SC pinned Nathaniel Hernandez 4:40

195: Hunter Tibodeau SW pinned Evan Claar 1:10

220: RJ Buchheit SW pinned Jessie Gigrich 0:42

285: Milan Johnson SW pinned Brett Gigrich 1:08

Shorewood Record: 7-6 Overall, 3-2 WESCO 2A/3A