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BY MATT PFIFFNER
The one-loss Panthers, ranked third in the latest 1A dual rankings, handed undefeated and ninth-ranked Tri-Center a shocking 47-13 loss. The Trojans have definitely improved a great deal in the past few years, but Logan-Magnolia showed they aren't ready to give up their title as the best 1A team in Western Iowa just quite yet. "The kids came to wrestle. They were intense and we wanted it," L-M Coach Kent Kersten said. "We knew Tri-Center had a good team and has some tough kids. We just wanted to have everyone perform at their best and the kids did that. We just wanted to go out and turn it loose." Tri-Center coach Andy Hensley had nothing but praise for the Panthers after the meet. "Logan was far more ready than we were. They basically ran us out of the gym," he said. "I thought our guys were focused and ready, but they obviously weren't. We just need to pick ourselves back up and keep competing hard." The two teams will meet again Feb. 10 at a Class 1A Sectional and will likely battle for the championship, which means a berth in the Regional Duals. "This doesn't change our goals. We still want to compete with them at Sectionals," Hensley said. "We have to go over film and review the close matches and turn them around." Kersten said many outcomes from the dual could be the difference between a No. 1 or No. 2 seed at Sectionals, which would be huge. "I told them this is the only time we see them and this makes the seeding meeting go a lot better if we win the head-to-head matches," he said. The dual began at 135, where Collin Mann of Lo-Ma handed Corey Ring an 8-3 loss. It was a 4-3 match heading into the third period, where Mann earned a reversal and two near fall points. One of the top matches of the night came at 140, where sixth-ranked Ben Sojka of Lo-Ma escaped Jake Clevenger in overtime, 3-1. The Trojan nearly ended the match early in overtime with a takedown, but the wrestlers were called out of bounds. Clevenger took another shot later in overtime and Sojka was able to snap him down and spin around for the winning score, for a 6-0 Panther lead. "Ben was hurt a week ago and has been nursing that," Kersten said. "To come in here and battle back and get that overtime win was important for him. Clevenger is good." The Trojans dented the scoreboard at 145, where John Clevenger handled Clayton Michael, 13-3, for a major decision. That closed the Panther lead to 6-4. But the Panthers ran off four consecutive wins after that for a 22-4 lead. Reserve Jake Branstetter stepped into the lineup and won 7-1 at 152 and top-ranked Marshall Barney pinned Cody Redinbaugh at 160, for a 15-4 Panther advantage. At 171, second-ranked Jacey Garren and No. 5 Daniel Mikels of Logan-Magnolia faced off in the match of the night. Garren drew first blood with a first-period takedown, but Mikels earned escapes in the first and second periods for a 2-2 tie. Garren chose down to start the third, but Mikels was able to work in the legs and tilt the Trojan to his back for a two count and a pair of nearfall points, for a 4-2 lead. After a stalemate was called, Garren got a fresh start and hit a quick switch for a reversal with 20 seconds left. Mikels never stopped moving on the bottom and escaped with eight seconds remaining in the bout and held on for the big 5-4 victory. "Daniel is so strong. If he stays in good position, he can wrestle with anyone. And if they get out of position, he can take advantage," Kersten said. That gave the Panthers an 18-4 lead and Chris Wilkens made it 22-4 with an impressive 10-2 major decision over No. 8 Andy Manhart at 189. Wilkens used a cradle in the second and third periods for four nearfall points in the win. The Trojan fans finally had something to cheer about again at 215, where second-ranked Colton White decked Nathan Foutch in the second period, to close the gap to 22-10. Tri-Center may have still been thinking about a comeback at that point, but those hopes were dashed at heavyweight, where Logan-Magnolia's Justin Gouchenour pinned ninth-ranked James Driver in 4:26. Like many of his Panther teammates, Gouchenour used a cradle to get the job done. The Panther led 3-0 in the third and continued to work for points, instead of laying on top of Driver and cruising to a decision win. "He's a very aggressive wrestler," Kersten said of his big man. "He never quits. He's a hustler and keeps moving. Both of his losses were by one point and could have gone either way." Ryan Brosnahan won 9-2 at 103 for the Panthers and Kolton Kersten pinned Alex Lindvall in 51 seconds at 112 to give the Panthers a 37-10 lead, which locked up the dual win. Sixth-ranked Kendall Witt defeated Adam Whisney, 6-1 at 119, to give the Trojans their final win of the night. A 42-second pin by Mike Whisney at 125 and a 14-4 major decision by 10th-ranked Kody Kersten at 130 closed out the night in style for the Panthers.
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