BEA’s Ty Peterson works for a takedown against Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Alec Johnson.

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights won the first five matches against Blue Earth Area in the Section 2A team finals on their way to a 45-24 victory over the Bucs. The contest took place at St. James.

BEA, the defending 2A champions, tried to rally but could not string together enough wins to overtake K-W.

“As well as we wrestled earlier in the week, I felt like we came out a little flat against the Knights,” BEA head coach Randy Wirtjes said.

With the win, K-W advanced to the Class A state quarterfinal against Jackson County Central. The Knights’ season came to an end when the Huskies were triumphant by a score of 45-30.

Tate Miller drew first blood for the Knights with a first period pin over Cooper Peterson at 106 pounds. Reed Sommer made it 12-0 in favor of K-W when he pinned 113-pounder Cale Borris in 3:42.

K-W kept their string of pins going in the 120-pound match. No. 8-ranked Gavin Johnson scored a fall over Caleb Langager in 1:42 to give the Knights an 18-0 lead. Langager had moved up to 120 pounds from his normal 113-pound weight bracket.

BEA’s Carson Sturtz moved up a weight class to take on Trent Foss at 126 pounds. Foss scored four team points for K-W with an 11-4 major decision to put K-W on top 22-0.

The 132-pound match saw K-W’s Kiefer Olson defeat Blair Lunz by a 16-0 technical fall and increase the Knights’ lead to 27-0.

Ty Peterson finally put some points on the board for the Bucs with an 8-2 decision over Alec Johnson at 138 pounds.

Jaedin Johnson defeated Parker Meyers 2-1 in the 145-pound match to add three more points to K-W’s total and give them a 30-3 advantage.

The Knights’ Bray Olson scored a fall over Cory Kitchel in 55 seconds to boost K-W’s lead to 36-3.

BEA’s Max Ehrich, ranked No. 2 at 170 pounds, dropped to 160 pounds and pinned Owen Craig in 4:30.

K-W’s Tyler Craig outlasted Kean Hicks at 170 pounds to win a 5-3 decision and give the Knights a 39-9 lead.

BEA then scored back-to-back pins. No. 10-ranked 195-pounder Nick Frank dropped to 182 pounds and pinned Dillon Bartel in 4:20. Adam Schavey won the 195-pound match for the Bucs with a pin over Logan Meyers in 3:52 to make the score 39-21 in favor of the Knights.

No. 5-ranked Carter Quam scored the Knights’ final six points with a pin of Logan Johnson in 3:43 at 220 pounds.

The Bucs’ Luke Mertens defeated the Knights’ No. 10-ranked Armani Tucker 5-3 in the 285-pound match.

“It was a good year, a good season. It is always good to get to the Section finals,” Wirtjes commented. “The younger guys started to wrestle better at the end of the year and that’s what you want to see. Our older guys have bailed us out all year and they were the ones to get us wins today.”