The Longhorns’ Isaiah Gonzalez scores a takedown against the Panthers’ Logan Schiell in MR/USC’s 46-18 victory over NRHEG.

The Maple River/United South Central Longhorns kicked off their wrestling season by hosting a triangular meet in Wells on Thursday night, Dec. 5. Joining the Rebels were the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers and the Martin County Red Bulls.

It was also the first opportunity to wrestle with the new scoring rules which went into effect this season. Takedowns are now worth three points while near-falls can be two, three or four points.

In the opening contest, the Longhorns downed the Panthers 46-18. Next, NRHEG faced off with Martin County with the Red Bulls victorious 43-31. In the final event of the evening, Martin County rallied for a 36-28 triumph over MR/USC.

MR/USC 46, NRHEG 18

The Longhorns won the first eight matches to take a 43-0 lead on their way to a 46-18 victory.

MR/USC’s Austin Niebuhr scored an 18-3 technical fall over Owen Schlaak at 107 pounds to put the Longhorns on top 5-0.

The score became 10-0 when Alex Walser of the Longhorns scored a 16-2 technical fall over Grahm Jacobson at 114 pounds.

A 7-1 decision by Riley Sparks of the Longhorns over Charlie Tufte of the Panthers in the 121-pound match gave the home team a 13-0 advantage.

At 127 pounds MR/USC’s Noah Gonzalez built up a 14-1 lead over Dakota Schlaak before pinning his opponent at the 2:22 mark for a 19-0 Longhorns’ lead.

MR/USC’s Jace Ignazewski received a forfeit at 133 pounds to boost the lead for the home team to 25-0.

Waylon Simon’s pin in 1:10 over the Panthers’ Chase Johannsen at 145 pounds extended the Longhorns’ lead to 31-0.

Wyatt Walters of the Longhorns built up a 13-2 lead over the Panthers’ Khaiden Madson before pinning him at the 2:22 mark to make it 37-0 in favor of MR/USC.

At 152 pounds, a pin by MR/USC’s Isaiah Gonzalez over Logan Schiell made the score 43-0.

NRHEG’s Aidan Schlaak put Brayden Mithun’s shoulders to the mat in 1:48 in the 160-pound match to give the Panthers their first victory and make the score 43-6.

The Panthers got their second win of the night at 172 pounds when Harbor Cromwell earned a 10-3 decision over Kolt Bullerman.

Now trailing 43-9, NRHEG picked up six more points to make the score 43-15 when MR/USC forfeited the 189-pound match to Ryan Schlaak.

At 215 pounds, the Panthers’ Cole Hutchens won a 7-1 decision over Max Fuller to cut the Longhorns’ lead to 43-18.

MR/USC’s Dizel Butler and NRHEG’s Jace Ihrke battled to a 0-0 tie through two periods. Butler scored an escape and a takedown in the final period for a 4-0 decision to make the final score 46-18.

Martin County 36,

MR/USC 28

The Martin County Red Bulls rallied from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the MR/USC Longhorns 36-28.

MR/USC’s Austin Niebuhr, at 107 pounds, and Alex Walser, at 114 pounds, each received forfeits to give the Longhorns a 12-0 lead.

A pin by the Longhorns’ Riley Sparks over Adam Denson at 121 pounds and Noah Gonzalez’s win by forfeit at 127 pounds put MR/USC in front 24-0.

The Red Bulls’ Pierce Rohman scored a 17-0 technical fall over Jace Ignazewski at 133 pounds followed by Brock Stauffer’s 9-3 decision over the Longhorns’ Waylon Simon at 139 pounds to cut MR/USC’s lead to 24-8.

An 18-4 technical fall by Martin County’s Torrey Paplow over Wyatt Walters at 145 pounds made the score 24-13 in favor of the home team.

MR/USC’s Isaiah Gonzalez scored a 14-6 major decision over Kaedin Lange in the 152-pound match to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 28-13.

Three consecutive wins by the Red Bulls reduced the Longhorns’ lead to 28-27.

At 160 pounds, Martin County’s Maddex Faber won by a 19-4 technical fall over Brayden Mithun. The Red Bulls’ Ty Kolbe received a forfeit at 172 pounds and Aaron Becker scored a 9-2 decision over MR/USC’s Kolt Bullerman at 189 pounds.

Martin County took their first lead of the night when Hunter Johnson won the 215-pound match by an 8-5 decision over Max Fuller to put the Red Bulls on top 30-28.

The Red Bulls’ DJ Miller secured the victory for his team when he pinned Dizel Butler in 1:15 to give Martin County six more points and make the final score 36-28 with the Red Bulls on top.