Trojan wrestlers edge Hutchinson, Northfield

In a week filled with close matches, the New Prague wrestling team won two and lost one.

The Trojans came from behind to defeat Hutchinson in a Missota Conference match, then went 2-1 at the Northfield Duals, including a two-point win over the host Raiders and a two-point loss to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva. New Prague also won a match against a JV All-Star Team at Northfield. The team was composed of JV wrestlers from several schools after one of the teams scheduled to compete backed out.

The Trojans will be in action Thursday, Dec. 13, at Le Sueur, in a triangular with Le Sueur-Henderson and Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial. On Saturday, Dec. 15, the Trojans will wrestle in the Maple River Tournament. Their final match of 2007 will be Thursday, Dec. 20, in a triangular at Montgomery with Montgomery-Lonsdale/Le Center, rated No. 2 in Class AA, and Waseca.

Trojans 30, Tigers 28

Things didn't look good for New Prague after they dropped six of the first eight matches and trailed 24-6. The only Trojan points came from decisions by Morgan Parriott at 112 pounds and Alex Minette at 135.

But Ryan Schmitz put his team on the right track, as they won five of the final six matches. The senior scored an 8-1 decision at 152, and Jon Vlasak followed with a 5-3 decision at 160. Eric Grabosky followed with a come-from-behind win at 171. Grabosky trailed his opponent 4-1 after the first period and started in the down position. He got a reversal and pin within six seconds of the second period to make the score 24-18.

A Hutchinson win at 189 pounds made it 28-18 with two matches left, but sophomore Zach Molitor and freshman Brandon Svoboda both scored first period pins to give the Trojans the 30-28 win.

New Prague 30, Hutchinson 28

Dec. 6, at Hutchinson

103-Clobes (H) dec. Rutt 4-0; 112-Parriott (NP) dec. Rasmussen 6-3; 119-Ferrian (H) dec. Stocker 11-5; 125-Halloran (H) dec. Dolezal 9-6; 130-Hansen (H) dec. Pendergast 7-5 (OT), 135-Minette (NP) dec. Nolan 12-6; 140-Manderscheid (H) pinned Meger 5:17; 145-Madson (H) pinned Mueller :54; 152-Schmitz (NP) dec. M. Schlueter 8-1; 160-Vlasak (NP) dec. White 5-3; 171-Grabosky (NP) pinned J. Schlueter 2:06; 189-T. Schlueter (H) m. dec. Sirek 13-2; 215-Molitor (NP) pinned Corrigan 1:31; 285-Svoboda (NP) pinned Wertz 1:44.

Northfield Tournament

Panthers 36, Trojans 34

The match between New Prague and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva was a mirror image of the Hutchinson match. This time, New Prague built a 28-9 lead, winning six of eight matches, then lost five of the last six, with a pin at 285 giving the Panthers their only lead of the night.

New Prague opened with a forfeit win by Zane Bucher at 103 pounds, then Parriott got a first period pin and Josh Stocker followed with a forfeit win.

New Prague led 18-6 when Erick Pendergast scored a 9-0 major decision at 130. Alex Minette followed with a 4-3 decision at 135 to make it 25-6 New Prague. After a decision for the Panthers, Schmitz got a come-from-behind win, getting a three-point near fall to win 7-5, making the score 28-9 Trojans.

The Panthers registered a pin at 152, but Eric Grabosky countered with a pin at 160. NRHEG won the final four matches with a technical fall, a pin, a major decision and another pin to take the 36-24 win.

NRHEG 36, New Prague 34

Dec. 7, at Northfield

103-Bucher (NP) won by forfeit; 112-Parriott (NP) pinned Johnson 1:45; 119-Stocker (NP) won by forfeit; 125-Schroeder (NR) pinned Dolezal 1:06; 130-Pendergast (NP) m. dec. Dalbec 9-0; 135-Minette (NP) dec. Espe 4-3; 140-Bartsch (NR) dec. Meger 12-7; 145-Schmitz (NP) dec. Schlaak 7-5; 152-Bartness (NR) pinned Mueller 1:02; 160-Grabosky (NP) pinned Eustice 3:09; 171-Schlaak (NR) tech fall Vlasak 21-6; 189-Lindell (NR) pinned Sirek 1:35; 215-Haggerty (NR) m. dec. Molitor 15-2; 285-Olson (NR) pinned Svoboda 1:50.

Trojans 54, JV All-Stars 16

New Prague lost just four matches against a group of JV wrestlers from the various schools in the tournament. The Trojans got forfeit wins by Natalie Rutt (103), Kody Dolezal (125) and Erick Pendergast (130) and pins from Parriott (112), Joey Meger (140), Schmitz (152), Vlasak (160) and Molitor (215). Other Trojan winners were Grabosky with an 11-6 decision at 171 and Roger Sirek with a 7-4 win at 189.

New Prague 54, JV All-Stars 16

Dec. 7, at Northfield

103-Rutt (NP) won by forfeit; 112-Parriott (NP) pinned Pat Dvorak (Scott West) :51; 119-Wingen (Faribault) dec. Stocker 9-6; 125-Dolezal (NP) won by forfeit; 130-Pendergast (NP) won by forfeit; 135-Paul Dvorak (SW) dec. Minette 6-3; 140-Meger (NP) pinned Turnacliff (Northfield) 2:58; 145-Hentges (SW) pinned Mueller :48; 152-Schmitz (NP) pinned Edmond (New Richland) :58; 160-Vlasak (NP) pinned Schultz (Nor) 3:47; 171-Grabosky (NP) dec. Petranek (NR) 11-6; 189-Sirek (NP) dec. Williams (Far) 7-4; 215-Molitor (NP) pinned LaChanse (Hastings) 1:46; 285-Wayne (NR) m. dec. Svoboda 10-1.

Trojans 33, Raiders 31

New Prague defeated the host Raiders for fifth place in their tournament. The Trojans got off to a good start when Rutt scored an 11-8 decision at 103, and Parriott followed with a pin at 112. The Raiders took the next four matches to take a 15-9 lead, but New Prague countered with a 6-3 decision by Meger a 140 and a pin by Alex Mueller at 145 to take an 18-15 lead.

That lead was short-lived as the Raiders got a pin at 152. Vlasak followed with a 7-3 decision at 160 to tie things at 21-21. Grabosky scored a pin at 171 to remain unbeaten and gave the Trojans a 27-21 lead. The Raiders scored a major decision at 189, but Zach Molitor clinched the match with a first period pin at 215.

New Prague 33, Northfield 31

Dec. 7, at Northfield

103-Rutt (NP) dec. Canedy 11-8; 112-Parriott (NP) pinned Jaeckels 3:46; 119-Schwalbe (Nor) pinned Stocker :46; 125-Woitalla (Nor) dec. Dolezal 6-4 (OT); 130-Faust (Nor) dec. Pendergast 7-4; 135-Hargis (Nor) dec. Minette 6-5 (2-OT); 140-Meger (NP) dec. Cowdin 6-3; 145-Mueller (NP) pinned Johnson 1:21; 152-Henwood (Nor) pinned Schmitz 5:53; 160-Vlasak (NP) dec. Courchaine 7-3; 171-Grabosky (NP) pinned Maniglia 1:34; 189-Jacobs (Nor) m. dec. Sirek 11-3; 215-Molitor (NP) pinned Christianson 1:48; 285-Allen (Nor) pinned Svoboda :56.