SPASH Wrestlers Ready As Possible For Rapids
By Ken McKenzie
The dual match long ago marked on the SPASH Panther wrestling team calendar is finally here as the Panthers travel to Wisconsin Rapids Thursday to take on #4 ranked team among D1 schools in the state in a showdown of top Wisconsin Valley conference wrestling squads with the WVC dual title potentially at stake. Rapids got the best of Marshfield in last Thursday’s WVC dual by a 61-6 mark to move to 4-0 while SPASH is 3-0.
The Panthers are coming off Friday’s 60-15 loss at #2 Stoughton, a team with nine of their 14 weight class wrestlers boasting earned state rankings. With injuries contributing to roster adjustments and unavoidable forfeits at 120, 138 and 285, SPASH knew winning at Stoughton was next to impossible.
But several wrestlers made strong showings at Stoughton with sophomore Brady Koontz winning a 9-6 decision at 106# over #2 ranked wrestler, Brandon Klein, a fourth place finisher at recent Cheesehead Invitational at Kaukauna. SPASH’s 220# Noel Winch earned a fall at 2:37 over Stoughton’s Josiah Nelson as another bright spot on the Friday long road trip.
Coach Duane Groshak has high hopes that the team’s team health will be as close to full strength in Thursday’s dual as is possible with several wrestlers due back with doctors’ clearances. Then all the stops will be pulled and whatever scoring strategies that can be applied will attempt to aid the Panthers’ mat action.
The Rapids team is led by the state’s top ranked individual at 220# Beau Thompson and second ranked 160# Brock Benitz. Varsity action is scheduled for a 7:30 PM start at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School Thursday.
