The Bucs Cody Eckhardt shoots in for a takedown in his match against Class A No. 11-ranked Jackson County Central Tuesday night in Blue Earth.

The upset minded Blue Earth Area Buccaneer wrestlers played host to Jackson County Central (JCC) last Tuesday evening.

JCC, ranked 11th by The Guillotine wrestling publication, was coming off winning the Dick Maher Invitational in Blue Earth the previous weekend and are the defending Class A champions.

This time it was the Bucs who would come away with the win by a score of 33-29.

“This was a good win for us, a confidence builder,” says Head Coach Randy Wirtjes. “We still wrestled a little tentative at some weights but we didn’t give up a lot of bonus points (falls) while we were able to score some bonus points ourselves.”

Getting the Bucs off to a good start was 103-pounder Travis Hagedorn. He rebounded from a 6-4 deficit at the end of the second period to pin his opponent with just two seconds left in the match.

At 112, Jake Wirtjes won by a fall at 1:09 to give Blue Earth Area a 12-0 lead and energize the crowd.

The Huskies put a damper on things as they went on to win the next seven matches, one by fall, two by major decisions, and four by decisions, to take a 26-12 lead, with five matches remaining.

Going into the match, the Bucs knew that JCC would be forfeiting two matches. That meant BEA was assured of 12 points out of the last five matches.

The first forfeit came at 160 pounds as Tyler Johnsrud picked up the win to make the score 26-18 in favor of the Huskies.

Next came the 171-pound match with the Bucs Cody Eckhardt going up against Jordan Phibbs.

In a very close battle it was Phibbs who was able to hold on for a 4-3 decision, making the team score 29-18 in favor of JCC.

Taylor Andrews at 189 pounds would prove to be a pivotal match.

A win by decision for the Huskies would give them a 14-point lead and make it impossible for the Bucs to win the meet with just two matches remaining.

However, a win by Andrews would set the stage for a Bucs’ victory with Mat Willner and Jake Lee left to wrestle and one of them would win by forfeit.

Although the Huskies’ Jared Tirevold would score the first points of the match with an opening take down, it was Andrews who would prevail with an 8-3 decision to make the score 29-21 in favor of the Huskies.

Next, Willner took the mat against Collin Munoz from JCC.

Knowing Lee would gain six points by forfeit, all the Bucs needed was a decision from the 215-pound Will-ner to wrap up the victory.

The Buc senior took the drama out of the outcome early as he pinned his opponent in 36 seconds.

The win gives the Bucs a 2-0 record in dual meets this season.

BEA 33, JCC 29

103: Travis Hagedorn (BEA) fall Kyle Edlin, 5:58.

112: Jake Wirtjes (BEA) fall Dylan Riggle ,1:09.

119: Darick Vancura (JCC) fall D.J. Gronewold, 3:12.

125: Spencer Johnson (JCC) major dec. Jared Resutek, 18-5.

130: Bronson Steuber (JCC) major dec. Joe Franta, 16-7.

135: Patrick Hanson (JCC) dec. Bryce Werner, 3-2.

140: Tanner Menke (JCC) dec. Collin Nienhaus, 8-4.

145: Taylor Menke (JCC) dec. Sinjin Bell, 11-5.

152: Cooper Moore (JCC) dec. Dan Eckhardt, 6-5.

160: Tyler Johnson (BEA) forfeit.

171: Jordan Phibbs (JCC) dec. Cody Eckhardt, 4-3.

189: Taylor Andrews (BEA) dec. Jared Tirevold, 8-3.

215: Mat Willner (BEA) fall Collin Munoz, 0:36.

285: Jake Lee (BEA) forfeit.

Bucs take third

Blue Earth Area wrestlers took third place in a field that included two state ranked teams and three listed in the ‘Lean and Mean’ category at the Dick Maher Invitational held Saturday, Dec. 6.

The Bucs scored 144 points, while Jackson County Central — Class A No. 11-ranked and defending state champion — claimed the team title with 174 points.

Adrian — listed as ‘Lean and Mean’ and getting votes from coaches — was second with 168.

A state qualifier last year and currently ranked No. 6 in Class A, Madelia-Truman finished fourth with 139.5

BEA was led by two champions in the upperweights.

Class A No. 8-ranked Mat Willner (215) and No. 3 ranked Jake Lee (285) each took home a gold medal.

Willner scored a 7-4 decision over Adrian’s Shea Klooster, who started the season ranked sixth at 189 pounds in Class AA. Lee downed Worthington’s Class AA No. 2-ranked Jordan Schroeder, 5-2 in the finals.

At 152, Dan Eckhardt dropped a 7-2 decision to No. 2-ranked Bryce Andrews of Madelia/Truman.

The Bucs’ 112-pound Jake Wirtjes also claimed one of the other Buc medals, finishing in third place with a 10-7 decision over Jackson County Central’s Anthony Pygman.

Tucker Freeman of Madelia/Truman, who is ranked No. 5 in Class A at 160 pounds, received the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler’s Award, JCC’s 119-pounder Darick Vancura earned the Dick Boran Award.

Maher Invitational

Team scores: 1. Jackson County Central 174; 2. Adrian 168; 3. Blue Earth Area 144; 4. Madelia/Truman 139.5; 5. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 134; 6. Brainerd 132; 7. Maple River 124.5; 8. United South Central 107.5; 9. Worthington 99; 10. Martin County West 83.5.

Individual results:

103: Travis Hagedorn (BEA), bye; Jared Kinley (Worthington) dec. Hagedorn, 5-2; Hagedorn pinned Isaac Pfeffer (M/T), 2:25; Hagedorn pinned Jay Staloch (USC), 3:25; Luke Boran (Brainerd) dec. Hagedorn, 8-1; Hagedorn dec. Kyle Edlin (JCC), 4-0 for fifth place.

112: Jake Wirtjes (BEA) pinned Seth Olson (USC), 1:29; Adam Cooling (M/T) dec. Wirtjes, 7-2; Wirtjes pinned Dustin Wolff (WEM-JWP), 1:57; Wirtjes (BEA) dec. Anthony Pygman (JCC), 10-7 for third place.

119: D.J. Gronewald (BEA), bye; Kyle Wiese (Worthington) pinned Gronewald, 5:54; Tyler Ardolf (M/T) pinned Gronewald, 1:36.

125: Jared Resutek (BEA) pinned Mitchell Sieve (Adrian), 1:40; Zach Wigren (USC) maj. dec. Resutek, 10-2; Resutek maj. dec. Will Howieson (MR), 12-2; Eric Lease (WOR) pinned Resutek, 4:18; Resutek (BEA) won by injury default for fifth place.

130: Alex Cooling (M/T) dec. Joe Franta (BEA), 13-6; Franta dec. Joey Kinley (WOR), 12-6; Franta pinned Christian Dorr (MCW), 3:35; Dustin Dylla (USC) dec. Franta, 5-0; Franta dec. Nick Grausam (Brainerd), 4-2 for fifth place.

135: Bryce Werner (BEA), bye; Werner dec. Charlie Sieberg (MR), 6-3; Alex Anderson (MCW) pinned Werner, 2:39; Jake Dorn (Adrian) maj. dec. Werner, 10-2; Spencer Johnson (JCC) dec. Werner (BEA), 3-2 for fifth place.

140: Levi Rubin (Brainerd) pinned Collin Nienhaus (BEA), 3:41; Levi Ringnell (MCW) maj. dec. Nienhaus, 12-3.

145: Sinjin Bell (BEA), bye; Cooper Moore (JCC) pinned Bell, 2:41; Bell dec. Alex Schubbe (MR), 6-5; Mack Glasby (Brainerd) dec. Bell, 2-1.

152: Dan Eckhardt (BEA) pinned Brandon Pygman (JCC), 1:01; Eckhardt dec. Dylan Thisius (USC), 2-0; Bryce Andrews (M/T) dec. Eckhardt (BEA), 7-2 for first place.

160: Tyler Johnsrud (BEA), bye; Tony Thier (WOR) pinned Johnsrud, 1:42; Lance Brolsma (MCW) pinned Johnsrud, 2:57.

171: Cody Eckhardt (BEA), bye; Eckhardt pinned Nick Dorschner (MCW), 5:39; Alex Eustice (WEM-JWP) dec. Eckhardt, 9-4; Stephen Loosbrock dec. Eckhardt, 2-1; Jake Herman (USC) dec. Eckhardt, 6-0 for fifth place.

189: Taylor Andrews (BEA) dec. Sean Crayne (MCW), 8-3; Alex Bach (MR) pinned Andrews, 2:54; Dustin Polzine (Adrian) dec. Andrews, 6-4; Sam Pagel (Brainerd) pinned Taylor Andrews (BEA), 3:40 for fifth place.

215: Mat Willner (BEA) pinned Pete Guse (MR), 1:02; Willner pinned A.J. Dreyer (USC), :56; Willner (BEA) dec. Shea Klooster (Adrian), 7-4 for first place.

285: Jake Lee (BEA) pinned Tony Willette (USC), :41; Lee pinned Blake Crosby, 1:54; Lee dec. Jordan Schroeder (Worthington), 5-2 for first place.