The Longhorns’ Noah Gonzalez is in control during his match against a NRHEG wrestler earlier in the year. Gonzalez placed fourth at 127 pounds at the Pizza Ranch Tournament held in Jackson on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The Maple River/United South Central Longhorns wrestling team participated in the 2024 Pizza Ranch Wrestling Tournament in Jackson on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The Longhorns had two wrestlers place fourth, one at fifth and three placed sixth. The team took eighth place out of the 17 teams at the tournament with a team score of 73.5.

Hutchinson won the tourney with a 211 score. Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial was second with 186, Jackson County Central was third with 159.5 and Paynesville Area was fourth with 138.5. Albert Lea was fifth with 130 points and Fairmont-Martin County West was sixth at 92 and Fulda-Murray County Central just edged out MR/USC for seventh place with a score of 74.5.

Placing fourth for the Longhorns were Noah Gonzalez at 127 pounds and Wyatt Walters at 145.

Gonzalez lost to Roman Roberg of Paynesville Area by a technical fall in the third place match.

Walters lost by a fall to Kameron Korner of Windom-Mountain Lake in the third place match.

Isaiah Gonzalez won his fifth place match at 152 pounds against Brody Ignaszewski of Albert Lea due to an injury time.

Taking sixth place were Alex Walser at 107 pounds, Riley Sparks at 121 and Kolt Bullerman at 172. All three lost in their matches to determine fifth place.

Triton Triangular

The Maple River/United South Central Longhorns wrestling team participated in the Triton Triangular on Thursday, Dec. 12, and came away with two victories.

The Longhorns defeated the Triton Cobras 39-25, and then downed the La Crescent-Hokah Lancers 64-12.

MR/USC 39, Triton 25

Alex Walser got the Longhorns off to a good start with a 7-3 win over Adriana Kunz at 107 pounds. MR/USC forfeited at 114 pounds. At 121 pounds MR/USC’s Riley Sparks won by a forfeit.

At 127 pounds the Longhorns’ Noah Gonzalez won by a 16-1 technical fall over Jaxon Jensen. Jace Ignaszewski had an 18-4 major decision over Luis Rivera at 133 pounds. At 139 pounds MR/USC’s Waylon Simon won by forfeit, as did Wyatt Walters at 145 pounds.

Isaiah Gonzalez of MR/USC pinned Isaiah Selthun at 152 pounds. Brayden Mithun lost by a 16-1 technical fall to Hunter Garness at 160 pounds. Longhorn Kolt Bullerman won a 15-11 battle over Cole Kodada at 172 pounds.

MR/USC lost the final three matches. Max Fuller lost a 16-1 technical fall to Triton’s Wylie Deml at 189 pounds. Dizel Butler lost a 5-1 decision to Christian Schrom at 215 and the Longhorns forfeited at 285 pounds.

MR/USC 64, LaC-H 12

The Longhorns lost only the last two matches against the La Crescent-Hokah Lancers.

Alex Walser started things off with a pin of Sam Rislov at 107 pounds and Austin Sanders got a pin at 114 over Tyler Dickey.

At 121 pounds Riley Sparks won by forfeit, as did Noah Gonzalez at 127.

Jace Ignaszewski got a pin over Gage Shimon at 133 pounds and Waylon Simon got a pin over Dylan James at 139.

At 145 pounds Wyatt Walters won by a forfeit. At 152 pounds Isaiah Gonzalez won a 10-2 major decision over Henry Dohnalik.

Brayden Mithun won by a fall over Adrien Michaels at 160 pounds, Kolt Bullerman won by a fall over Eithan Hunt at 172 pounds and Max Fuller won by a fall at 189 pounds over Matthew Lamb.

Dizel Butler lost by a fall to Kullen Fagan at 215 pounds and the Longhorns forfeited at 285.

MR/USC’s next match is set for January.