The AP/GC boys wrestling team went 1-1 at a North Iowa Cedar League triangular at Hudson Thursday, as aired on 99 The Wave. They defeated the Pirates 51-29 and lost to #9 (1A) Jesup 62-15.
Against Hudson, the Falcons split the first four matches, where Kellen Reints won a 16-12 decision at 150 and Elias Cakerice won a 0:46 fall at 157. Trailing 11-9, AP/GC won the next four contested weight classes to take a commanding lead and clinch the dual. Klayton Freed at 175, Maison Copp at 190, Jesse Brouwer at 215 and Brayden Jara at 120 each earned pins, and the final win was a pin by Carter Liston at 132. Head Coach Joel Reints.
“We had some kids step up, do some good things that we probably weren’t expecting,” Reints says. “Brayden Jara getting a good win, Kellen Reints stepping up getting a good win there, and obviously Carter Liston and the guys that we know, Maison, Jesse, all of them stepping in and feeling better each day out, and we’re just trying to get better. Good dual win against Hudson.”
It was an uphill battle against an undefeated J-Hawk team. Brouwer won by fall, Liston won a 14-4 major decision, a Jesup open weight and a penalty point accounted for the 15 points won. Reints says it was a learning experience.
“They’ve got it rolling right now. Up and down the lineup, their kids look stronger than ours, and they’re probably more experienced for the most part. So we’re learning. We’re a young team yet, too, ourselves. And we battled them as much as we could.”
AP/GC (4-3) will return to action at Saturday’s Jones Brothers Invitational at Iowa Falls-Alden.
The AP/GC girls went 3-2 at the Battle of Waterloo inside Young Arena. In Bracket B, they lost to Decorah 66-18, fell to Des Moines Public Schools 54-30 and defeated Cedar Rapids Xavier 44-6. In the seventh place pool, they defeated Waterloo West 48-30 and defeated Valley 48-30. Reints on the experience of the program’s first dual competition.
“It was a different environment for us. That was really our first experience with dual meets in a big tournament like that. We wrestled Waterloo West and put it to them pretty good and then wrestled another huge school in West Des Moines Valley and took it to them as well. I think we only lost, in each of those two duals, we lost one head to head match. Otherwise, everything else we were giving up were forfeits. So like I said, I really like how the girls team is progressing. They’ve got to keep learning and getting better as well. And they’re doing a good job of that. Heck, their season’s about half over here. So it’s coming to an end quick. So trying to get them on the right path for regionals.”
AP/GC will be at Friday’s tournament at Iowa Falls-Alden, which will air on 99 The Wave.
Joel Reints interview:
