ST. PAUL-Before the Class 1A state team tournament, Pierz Pioneers coach Mark Jensen thought almost every team was capable of winning the title.
That team turned out to be the fourth-ranked and fourth-seeded Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars, who defeated the top-ranked and second-seeded Pioneers 35-16 for the state championship Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.
Pierz won just four matches in suffering only its second defeat in 36 dual meets this season.
"We knew we could make it to the state tournament, where we were going to place was questionable," said Jensen, who said he believes this is his final year of coaching. "It was anybody's ballgame in Class A.
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Zumbrota-Mazeppa 35, Pierz 16
- The key: The Cougars won 10 matches, including the last four
- Records: Pierz finishes 34-2, Z-M 26-6
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"I thought our kids wrestled well throughout the tournament and I'm proud of them."
The Pioneers' only winners were Sebastian Warzecha at 113, Brandon Ortman by fall at 132, Jalen Jansen at 152 and Logan Lease at 170.
Jensen thought a key match for the Pioneers was at 138 where the Cougars' Spencer DeFrang pinned Reese Kapsner.
"We were glad (Zumbrota-Mazeppa was) on the other side of the bracket for one thing," Jensen said. "When Reese ended up getting pinned at 138, that kind of shifted the momentum. That was kind of the turning point of the match."
Jake Andres lost 3-2 in an ultimate tiebreaker, losing on a penalty point for pushing his opponent out of bounds.
At 152, Pierz's Jalen Jansen scored a near fall in the final 30 seconds for his victory. Lease's 9-7 decision at 170 shaved Pierz's deficit to 23-16.
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At 195, the Cougars' top-ranked 182-pounder Caden Steffen squared off against Pierz's third-ranked 182-pounder Matt Kummet. Steffen scored a third-period takedown for a 3-1 victory, handing Kummet his first defeat. Steffen's victory clinched the state title for the Cougars as they maintained a 29-16 edge with two matches remaining.
Pierz rallied from early deficits before prevailing in its semifinal and quarterfinal matches, 35-21 over West Central and 44-19 over Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
"The kids just really came out and wrestled well," Jensen said. "They did what they had to do to get where we got to so they really wrestled pretty well those two matches."
Pierz was making its seventh straight and its 14th overall trip to state. The Pioneers won state titles in 2004 and 2005.
In the Class 3A state championship match, Apple Valley defeated Anoka 30-24.
Kasson-Mantorville beat Simley 45-18 for the 2A title.
Championship
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Zumbrota-Mazeppa 35, Pierz 16
106: Michael Majerus (ZM) maj. dec. Brandon Funk 12-4
113: Sebastian Warzecha (P) maj. dec. John Poulin 10-2
120: Connor Heitman (ZM) dec. Jake Andres ultimate tie breaker 3-2
126: Mike Vath (ZM) dec. Lukas Popp 8-2
132: Brandon Ortman (P) pinned Jack Smothers 3:30
138: Spencer DeFrang (ZM) pinned Reese Kapsner 3:15
145: Maverick Jackson (ZM) dec. Andrew Tomala 3-0
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152: Jalen Jansen (P) dec. Luke Tupper 7-4
160: Sam Nordquist (ZM) maj. Dec. Luke Girtz 11-3
170: Logan Lease (P) dec. Tyler Soltau 9-7
182:Hayden Voxland (ZM) dec. Brett Kapsner 5-4
195: Caden Steffen (ZM) dec. Matt Kummet 3-1
220: Jacob Bennett (ZM) dec. Carson Huls 5-0
285: Jarret Haglund (ZM) dec. Troy Fischer 5-3
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Semifinals
Pierz 35, West Central 21
Austin Dickmann avoided getting pinned at 220, assuring that the Pioneers would wrestle for the title. Dickman lost 4-2, but gave Pierz an 8-point edge with one match remaining.
At 170, Brett Kapsner's pin put the Pioneers ahead 21-18. Pierz rolled to three victories in the last four bouts to advance to the final.
Matt Kummet and Carson Huls followed Kapsner with major decisions. Troy Fischer capped the dual with a fall at 285.
One of the Pioneers' key victories came at 132. Pierz's Brandon Ortman, ranked sixth at 132, beat West Central's Jake Nohre, ranked No. 2 at 126, by a 5-3 margin.
Third-ranked and third-seeded West Central administered the Pioneers' only dual meet setback during the regular season-36-24.
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Semifinals
Pierz 35, West Central 21
106: Jordan Lohse (WC) dec. Brandon Funk 2-0
113: Kaleb Getz (WC) dec. Sebastian Warzecha 11-5
120: Drake Swanson (WC) dec. Jake Andres 6-2
126: Lukas Popp (P) pinned Chris Onstad 5:51
132: Brandon Ortman (P) dec. Jake Nohre 5-3
138: Reese Kapsner (P) dec. Hunter Mickelson 4-2
145: Andrew Tomala (P) dec. Kaden Spindler 5-3
152: Keaton Long (WC) pinned Luke Girtz 3:29
160: Tyler Onstad (WC) dec. Jalen Jansen 4-0
170: Brett Kapsner (P) pinned Alex Butcher 1:54
182: Matt Kummet (P) maj. dec. Levi Larkin 9-1
195: Carson Huls (P) maj. Dec. Wyatt Olson 11-2
220: Mason Nibbe (WC) dec. Austin Dickmann 4-2
285: Troy Fischer (P) pinned Zach Mattson 0:54
Quarterfinals
Pierz 44, KMS 19
Carson Huls locked up Pierz's rally from a 15-13 deficit with a decision at 195 for an insurmountable 13-point edge with two matches left.
After 160, the dual with eighth-ranked and unseeded KMS was tied 19-19. Brett Kapsner's pin at 170, Matt Kummet's major decision at 182 and Huls' decision at 195 put victory out of KMS' reach. Pins by Austin Dickmann and Troy Fischer closed out the Pierz victory.
Quarterfinals
Pierz 44, KMS 19
106: Will Magaard (KMS) pinned Brandon Funk 3:08
113: Sebastian Warzecha (P) dec. Kyle Meyer 4-2
120: Jake Andres (P) dec Jared Carlson 1-0
126: Jacob Carlson (KMS) pinned Lukas Popp 2:24
132: Brandon Ortman (P) maj. dec. Jonathan Tostenson 11-3
138: Dylan Rudningen dec. Reese Kapsner 9-7
145: Andrew Tomala (P) dec. Caleb Collins 5-3
152: Jalen Jansen (P) pinned Jake Magaard 2:33
160: Derek Krieger (KMS) dec. Luke Girtz 9-1
170: Brett Kapsner (P) pinned Marc Collins 0:34
182: Matt Kummet (P) maj. dec. Brandin Dahl 9-1
195: Carson Huls (P) dec. Ryan Torkelson 7-2
220: Austin Dickmann (P) pinned Michael Doubek
285: Troy Fischer (P) pinned Brody Forsell 0:22
Class 1A state tournament
Quarterfinals
Pierz 44, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 19
West Central 30, Pipestone 29
Frazee 33, Sibley East 25
Zumbrota-Mazeppa 31, Kenyon-Wanamingo 23
Championship semifinals:
Pierz 35, West Central 21
Zumbrota-Mazeppa 32, Frazee 25
Consolation semifinals:
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 37, Pipestone 36
Kenyon-Wanamingo 37, Sibley East 12
Consolation final:
Kenyon-Wanamingo 37, KMS 19
Third place:
Frazee 40, West Central 18
Championship:
Zumbrota-Mazeppa 35, Pierz 16
