Wrestlers continue winning ways
The New Prague Trojan wrestling team continues to surge, winning a pair of dual meets last week, then placing first at the Bezdichek Invitational in Le Center.
New Prague (15-2, 2-0 Missota) hosts Delano and Maple River in a home triangular meet Thursday, Jan. 19. on Friday they wrestle at Prior Lake, and on Saturday, New Prague competes in the Tartan Invitational in Oakdale. The Trojans will travel to Farmington for a dual meet Thursday, Jan. 26.
Trojans 36,
StormHawks 30
New Prague and Chaska/Chanhassen's match was decided in the next-to-last contest, when Danny Saunders got his first varsity win in a fall at 220 pounds to put New Prague up 36-24 Friday, Jan.13.
The lead changed hands a couple of times along the way, as the teams traded wins in the first six matches. The match was tied at 24-24, then C/C forfeited to Nathan Preston at 195 pounds, hoping to win the final two matches to take the win. However Saunders dominated his match, taking a 5-0 lead and scoring a fall early in the second period. C/C won at 285 to make the final score 36-30.
New Prague had pinfall wins by Morgan Parriott (152 pounds), Logan Giles (170) and Saunders, and a forfeit win by Preston. They added a technical fall from Griffin Parriott (120), a major decision by Richard Reinartz (132) and a decision by Nick Knutson (106).
Trojans 58, Grizzlies 20
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton jumped to a 12-0 lead with a pair of falls, but the Trojans answered with a pair of technical falls by Griffin Parriott and James Berg, then took the lead for good on a fall by Reinartz.
WEM/JWP won only two matches the rest of the way. The Trojans got pinfall wins from Reinartz (132), Dakota Cole (138), Morgan Parriott (145), Giles (170), Alex McHugh (180), Preston (195), Saunders (220) and Zach LaFavor (280). Technical falls were scored by Griffin Parriott (120) and Berg (126).
Bezdichek Invitational
New Prague came out on top of a six-team meet at Le Center High School Saturday, Jan. 14.
The Trojans had 12 entries in the meet, and all placed in the top four. New Prague had 194 points, followed by Medford (150), Le Sueur-Henderson (150), Triton (148.5), Montgomery-Lonsdale/Le Center (142) and Mankato East (110).
The Trojans had three first place finishes, Griffin Parriott (120), Berg (126) and Preston (195).
Griffin Parriott won both of his matches, and defeated Patrick Ramirez of Triton, 6-5 in the finals. Ramierez is ranked in Class A.
Berg went 3-0 in winning his division and Preston had the easiest road to the championship, as he was in a two-man bracket at 195 pounds and won his only match.
Other Trojans who placed were: Second - Cole (126), LaFavor (285); Third - Knutson (106), Tyler Steele (113), Reinartz (132), Morgan Parriott (145), Saunders (220); Fourth - Keyandre Davis (152) and Andrew Maruska (160).
