Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights, and to hear comments from Escanaba Coach Josh Ling, IM Coach Cory McLean, and IM wrestlers Evan Haferkorn and Hunter Stroud.
ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School wrestling team hosted its only home match of the season Tuesday night, and picked up victories over the Iron Mountain Mountaineers (42-38) and Marquette Redmen (65-12) in a quad meet.
Iron Mountain topped Kingsford, 38-30, while the Flivvers beat Marquette, 48-18, in the other matches.
The only other time the Eskymos will wrestle at home will be when they host the multi-team Elks Invitational in January.
That's why Tuesday night was Parent's Night in Escanaba.
"I just told them to go out there, light a fly, have fun, and put points on the board, shoulder blades on the mat," Escanaba Coach Josh Ling said. "Just show off for the fans for one of the only times you get an opportunity. I think they did a good job."
"We're hoping that next year, we can work more home meets in, and get the kids more opportunities in front of their friends and family."
Iron Mountain boasts a line-up full of guys who made deep playoff runs in the MHSAA Division Four team and individual state tournaments last year, with a spot in the Final Four for the team and several guys making the podium at the individual finals at Detroit's Ford Field.
"It was fun beating Kingsford, our rivals from across the street," Iron Mountain Coach Cory McLain said. "But we came in a little shorthanded against Escanaba. You can't give up 18, 24 points. They're too good to be giving up points (on forfeits) to a team that good. But, it was still good. Our kids looked good for early in the season."
In fact, the match-deciding points for Escanaba came at the end when Iron Mountain did not have a 144-pounder to go up against the Eskymos' Trevor DeGrand. The score was 38-36 om favor of te Mountaineers, but those six walk-over points for DeGrand gave Esky the 42-38 win.
Escanaba also gave up points, however, as the Eskymos were without the injured Eli Gardner at 120 pounds, and the team does not have a 106-pound wrestler. So, 12 free points went to IM.
"Eli took a real good shot to the throat in Bay Port (Wisconsin) this week, and we're hoping he'll be back for the (Marquette) Challenge on Saturday," Ling said. "We're still fighting (to recruit) a 106. I'm spending as much time here at the scholl as I can."
Iron Mountain's state from a year ago looked good on Tuesday. Evan Haferkorn ground out a 16-1 tech fall win over Escanaba's Adam Reimer at 157 pounds, but could not get the pin. Haferjorn pinned Kingsford's Troit Maki at 3:40 in the earlier match.
"I felt pretty good going into it," said Haferkorn, who finished fourth in the state last year. "Adam Reimer, shout out to him. I've wrestled him throughout the years and I just got it done. Hard work and dedication. I've just got to put in the work to get the outcome that I want, which is the top of the podium (at Ford Field). Adam is a strong kid, and he's very flexible, too. I've wrestled him since eighth grade even. He;s been a pretty tough and strong opponent."
Reimer, earlier in the day, beat Marquette's Brayden Borman, by a 16-1 score.
Iron Mountain's Shawn McGuire, who won the state championship last year, barely broke a sweat in his matches Tuesday night at 132 pounds. He pinned Kingsford's Mac Kalcoc early in the third period, and then took out Escanaba's Cannon Arnt with a 49-second pin.
Mountaineer Fulton Stroud, who finished fifth in the state last year, won both of his 165-pound matches. He beat Escanaba's Kalen Gagne on a pin in 1:12, after beating Kingsford's Isaiah Reed on a 16-1 tech fall decision.
"I knew he (Gagne) was strong, so I went out there and I knew I had to use my speed against him," Stroud said. "And I just caught him! I just have to keep preparing like I have been the whole year. As long as I keep wrestling with the good kids in our room, I'll be able to get there (Ford Field) again."
Stroud's older brother, Parker, was a state champion last year and now attends Northern Michigan University. He was in attendance in Escanaba Tuesday night.
Escanaba's Noah Gagne, who transferred last year from Bark River-Harris, pinned Marquette's Pearce Ross in 53 seconds and disposed of Mountaineer Cayden Willman in 1:15 in his 175-pound matches.
Escanaba's Tommy Neumann defeated Iron Mountain's Christian Hammond in a 215-pound match on a pin in 79 seconds.
Iron Mountain's Tyler Winch, who lost to teammate Parker Stroud in last year's state championship match and settled for runner-up, had quite a battle with Escanaba's Cade Krueger in a 126-pound match. Winch survived, posting a 6-5 victory in the best match of the evening. Winch also pinned Kingsford's Mason Paoli in the first period of their match.
Kingsford's best win on the evening was Noah Johnson at heavyweight, as he pinned Iron Mountain's Gio Saldana in the second period of their match.
Marquette's best win also came at the heavyweight bracket, with Dasan Smith beating Escanaba's Tom Benoit on a pin at 2:55.
The Iron Mountain-Kingsford match wasn't decided until the final 138-pound match between Mountaineer Danny Manier and Kingsford's Reed Degroot. Had Degroor pinned Manier, the Flivvers would have won the team score, 36-35. But Manier not only did not get pinned, but he won the match on points, clinching Iron Mountain's 38-30 team victory.
ESCANABA---The Escanaba High School wrestling team hosted its only home match of the season Tuesday night, and picked up victories over the Iron Mountain Mountaineers (42-38) and Marquette Redmen (65-12) in a quad meet.
The only other time the Eskymos will wrestle at home will be when they host the multi-team Elks Invitational in January.
That's why Tuesday night was Parent's Night in Escanaba.
"I just told them to go out there, light a fly, have fun, and put points on the board, shoulder blades on the mat," Escanaba Coach Josh Ling said. "Just show off for the fans for one of the only times you get an opportunity. I think they did a good job."
"We're hoping that next year, we can work more home meets in, and get the kids more opportunities in front of their friends and family."
Iron Mountain boasts a line-up full of guys who made deep playoff runs in the MHSAA Division Four team and individual state tournaments last year, with a spot in the Final Four for the team and several guys making the podium at the individual finals at Detroit's Ford Field.
"It was fun beating Kingsford, our rivals from across the street," Iron Mountain Coach Cory McLain said. "But we came in a little shorthanded against Escanaba. You can't give up 18, 24 points. They're too good to be giving up points (on forfeits) to a team that good. But, it was still good. Our kids looked good for early in the season."
Escanaba also gave up points, however, as the Eskymos were without the injured Eli Gardner at 120 pounds, and the team does not have a 106-pound wrestler. So, 12 free points went to IM.
"Eli took a real good shot to the throat in Bay Port (Wisconsin) this week, and we're hoping he'll be back for the (Marquette) Challenge on Saturday," Ling said. "We're still fighting (to recruit) a 106. I'm spending as much time here at the scholl as I can."
Iron Mountain's state from a year ago looked good on Tuesday. Evan Haferkorn ground out a 16-1 tech fall win over Escanaba's Adam Reimer at 157 pounds, but could not get the pin. Haferjorn pinned Kingsford's Troit Maki at 3:40 in the earlier match.
"I felt pretty good going into it," said Haferkorn, who finished fourth in the state last year. "Adam Reimer, shout out to him. I've wrestled him throughout the years and I just got it done. Hard work and dedication. I've just got to put in the work to get the outcome that I want, which is the top of the podium (at Ford Field). Adam is a strong kid, and he's very flexible, too. I've wrestled him since eighth grade even. He;s been a pretty tough and strong opponent."
Iron Mountain's Shawn McGuire, who won the state championship last year, barely broke a sweat in his matches Tuesday night at 132 pounds. He pinned Kingsford's Mac Kalcoc early in the third period, and then took out Escanaba's Cannon Arnt with a 49-second pin.
Mountaineer Fulton Stroud, who finished fifth in the state last year, won both of his 165-pound matches. He beat Escanaba's Kalen Gagne on a pin in 1:12, after beating Kingsford's Isaiah Reed on a 16-1 tech fall decision.
"I knew he (Gagne) was strong, so I went out there and I knew I had to use my speed against him," Stroud said. "And I just caught him! I just have to keep preparing like I have been the whole year. As long as I keep wrestling with the good kids in our room, I'll be able to get there (Ford Field) again."
Stroud's older brother, Parker, was a state champion last year and now attends Northern Michigan University. He was in attendance in Escanaba Tuesday night.
Escanaba's Noah Gagne, who transferred last year from Bark River-Harris, pinned Marquette's Pearce Ross in 53 seconds and disposed of Mountaineer Cayden Willman in 1:15 in his 175-pound matches.
Iron Mountain's Tyler Winch, who lost to teammate Parker Stroud in last year's state championship match and settled for runner-up, had quite a battle with Escanaba's Cade Krueger in a 126-pound match. Winch survived, posting a 6-5 victory in the best match of the evening. Winch also pinned Kingsford's Mason Paoli in the first period of their match.
Kingsford's best win on the evening was Noah Johnson at heavyweight, as he pinned Iron Mountain's Gio Saldana in the second period of their match.
Marquette's best win also came at the heavyweight bracket, with Dasan Smith beating Escanaba's Tom Benoit on a pin at 2:55.
The Iron Mountain-Kingsford match wasn't decided until the final 138-pound match between Mountaineer Danny Manier and Kingsford's Reed Degroot. Had Degroor pinned Manier, the Flivvers would have won the team score, 36-35. But Manier not only did not get pinned, but he won the match on points, clinching Iron Mountain's 38-30 team victory.
