ST. PAUL -- For the second year in a row, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City will wrestle for the third-place trophy on the final day of the Class A state wrestling meet at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Frazee Hornets trimmed the Falcons 28-18 Friday afternoon in the semifinal round. The difference in the match was the Hornets' balance -- strongest in the middle, but solid to open and close. The No. 3-ranked Hornets had bumped off No. 1 Pierz, the two-time defending champions, 30-19 in the quarterfinals.
Against ACGC, Frazee won eight matches, half by majors. There were no falls, indicating how soundly coached and talent-rich these two semifinalists are.
ACGC (26-4) will face Wabasso at 10 a.m. today; the Hornets meet Canby, which is in the championship match for a second year in a row.
The Falcons trailed 21-12 going into the 171-pound match. With the Leither brothers on deck, ACGC could look forward to a couple of wins from Nic (41-0) and Matt (35-6).
ADVERTISEMENT
What the Falcons needed now were falls from both but the Hornets wouldn't comply. They sent out competent wrestlers in Kyler Wegner (15-12) and Cory Sandberg (25-15). They limited the damage to decisions and Frazee still led 21-18.
The Hornets had ACGC outgunned the last two weights. Austin Bachmann (30-8) beat David Nelson (10-7) by a 9-2 count for a 24-18 lead, then Nick Galbrecht (23-16) majored Joshua Lies 17-8.
The Hornets won state title in 1992 and '02 (shared with Medford) and have two runner-up trophies. Frazee had the edge in age with seven seniors to the Falcons' four and in 20-plus win wrestlers (11 to 9).
ACGC coach Tim Roberg made a bold attempt to counter the Hornets' advantage. After Jeremy Anderson got the Falcons off to a 3-0 lead, Roberg bumped Ben Meyer up to 119 and inserted freshman Scott Litzau (7-1) to wrestle sophomore Isaac Galbrecht (18-18). The Hornet grappler got up 10-1 but Litzau retaliated with a takedown and nearfall to eliminate the four-point major.
Meyer won a major for a 7-3 lead before the Hornet middleweight advantage kicked in. They won the next four matches, though the Falcons wrestled tough at every spot, limiting the total damage to 14 points. Freshman Micah Larson stopped the run with a 6-5 upset of senior Kerry Lockerm (27-12) and A.J. Frederiksen squeezed out a 2-1 win at 152 to cut the Frazee lead to 17-13.
At 160, junior Justin Skillings (29-9) majored Eric Peterson (22-13). ACGC also was assessed a penalty point during this match for unsportsmanlike conduct putting the Hornets in command 21-12 with four matches left.
Frazee 28, ACGC 18
103: Jeremy Anderson, A, dec Mike Lucero 4-3
ADVERTISEMENT
112: Isaac Galbrecht, Fra, dec Scott Litzau 10-6
119: Ben Meyer, A, maj Jake Schermerhorn 13-5
125: Andy Lockrem, Fra, maj Bill Wheeler 11-0
130: Zach Sullinger, Fra, dec Matt Pearson 3-2
135: Ben Anderson, Fra, dec Erick Larson 5-3
140: Derek Shipman,F,mj Travis Frederiksen 11-0
145: Micah Larson, A, dec Kerry Lockerm 6-5
152: A.J. Frederiksen, ACGC, dec Jake Sailer 2-1
ADVERTISEMENT
160: Justin Skillings, Fra, maj Eric Peterson 10-2
171: Nic Leither, ACGC, dec Kyler Wegner 3-0
189: Mat Leither, ACGC, dec Cory Sandberg 8-2
215: Austin Bachmann, Fra, dec David Nelson 9-2
275: Nick Galbrecht, Fra, maj Josh Lies 17-8
NEXT -- ACGC: 10 a.m. today 3rd-place match vs. Wabasso, Xcel Energy Center.
