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SOLID GOLD

Teske, Lara repeat; Dodgers place 2nd

Messenger photos by Britt Kudla Fort Dodge wrestlers Brody Teske (left) and Triston Lara celebrate state championships on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

DES MOINES — For the past three years, every team in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament has been chasing the juggernaut known as Southeast Polk.

No one has been able to catch the Rams, but Fort Dodge continues to be as close as anyone in the state.

Fort Dodge added to its rich wrestling history with an impressive performance at state this season. The Dodgers crowned two more individual champions and continued to reach levels the program hasn’t experienced in over eight decades.

Like last February, though, it just wasn’t enough to dethrone the Rams.

Southeast Polk captured its third straight Class 3A title, scoring 158.5 points to outdistance itself from Fort Dodge (123.5). Valley was third at 112. Those three finished in the same order a year ago.

It’s the fourth team title in five years for the Rams, who had this one locked up after Friday afternoon’s semifinals. Last year, SEP scored 141.5 points without an individual champion. The Rams went just 1-5 in title matches last night.

Fort Dodge was second a year ago with 131.5 points and three champions. In 2015, the Dodgers crowned two champs and had a state runner-up, but settled for bronze.

“I definitely thought we were the better tournament team. I thought we were last year too,” said FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson, whose team also finished second to SEP in the dual state tournament Wednesday. “We just keep falling just short. Southeast Polk got points from guys that weren’t really expected to place. They got some good draws and took advantage of it.”

Fort Dodge now has 21 first or second-place team finishes at state — second all time.

The Dodgers claimed two more individual titles here Saturday night, as senior Triston Lara and junior Brody Teske repeated as gold medalists.

Teske put on a clinic against No. 2 Gauge Perrien of Southeast Polk, winning by technical fall in 5:03 in the 120-pound final. Lara also beat a Southeast Polk wrestler, topping No. 2 ranked Nathan Lendt in overtime by a 5-1 count at 138.

The two individual crowns move Fort Dodge to third all-time in the state of Iowa with 57 champions.

For the third straight year, the Dodgers crowned multiple state champs — a first in their long history.

Teske became the school’s first ever three-time state champ and joined an elite list in the process; only 88 have won three straight, including six this year.

“It feels great, but this is just a stepping stone,” said Teske, now 135-0 in his career. “I am going to continue to work hard and stay humble. I’ll put my pants on the same way tomorrow as I did today.”

Teske scored seven takedowns and a pair of near falls in the final. He let Perrien up five times for his only points.

“I didn’t think he’d really try anything, so I decided I was going to put on a show. I just wrestled my match and it all worked out,” Teske added.

Teske will have a shot to join the list of four-timers next year. There are just 25 of them in state history. He also has a shot at an unbeaten prep career, something that has only happened six times in Iowa.

“Brody just goes out and gets the job done,” said Thompson. “He has such a growth mindset. He sees the big picture and wants to work on getting better every day.

“Last year we got home from state and he went for a run. He’s self-driven. You can’t coach that.”

Lara used a four-point move to put Lendt on his back in overtime and claim his second state title to go along with a runner-up finish as a sophomore and a fourth as a freshman.

The future UNI Panther moved his career record to 170-12, the most wins in school history.

“I can’t believe it’s my last match as a Dodger,” an emotional Lara said after the match. “(Lendt) kind of took a bad shot and he left his arms open. I caught him and got him on his back.”

The match was tied 1-1 heading into overtime, where Lara made his move to win.

“I knew he’d try to slow me down. He pushed the pace in the CIML final and it didn’t work out for him,” said Lara, who beat Lendt 16-4 in that match and 6-4 in the dual state final on Wednesday.

He also beat Lendt in the finals at 126 last year.

Lara finished 47-1 this year. Teske was 49-0.

“I am going to miss being in Triston Lara’s corner,” said Thompson. “He is such a solid kid. I can’t believe how fast time flies. I am looking forward to watching him at the Division I level.

“I will always been in his corner in life.”

Junior Cayd Lara barely missed out giving the Dodgers three champs for the second straight year, dropping an heart-breaking 11-9 decision to Nelson Brands of Iowa City West in the 152-pound final.

The top-rated Brands scored a takedown with 35 seconds left and held on for his second state crown.

Lara, who finishes 47-3, actually led 8-6 after catching Nelson in a cradle at the end of the second period for a four-point move. Brands got an escape and takedown in the third before Lara escaped to make it 9-9.

“Cayd is capable of beating him,” said Thompson. “If he had about 20 more seconds in that second period, I think he pins him.

“Cayd really pushed the pace. I am very proud of him. He’s a three-time medalist now, and I know he’ll be on the top of the stand next year.”

Lara’s three losses this year are all to Brands, who is ranked 19th nationally.

This year’s Dodgers also matched a run of team success that hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years. Fort Dodge had a run of Top-4 team finishes from 1983 to 1986, which included a state title in 1985 and a state runner-up finish in 1983.

It’s the first time ever the team has earned three straight team trophies, but not the longest run among the Top-3 in school history. From 1934 to 1938, the Dodgers were either first, second or third as a team before there were classes and trophies were handed out to the top three squads.

This year’s group garnered six medals among 11 state qualifiers. Aside from their finalists, the Dodgers got a third-place from junior Drew Bennett at 113, a fourth from junior Damond Lockner at 126, and an eighth from sophomore Drevon Ross at 132.

Bennett, who finishes 45-1, wasted little time taking out his frustrations in the consolation round, pinning Jacob Close of Western Dubuque in 20 seconds in the semifinals.

Bennett secured his second straight third-place effort with an 8-5 win over Kobey Pritchard of Indianola.

“I just wanted to get the next best finish I could have,” said Bennett. “I just felt bad letting my team down (when losing in semis). I know we needed the team points.

“I had some mixed emotions that first match (Saturday); I didn’t want to be on the mat very long, so I guess I took it out on (Close).”

Over the past two years, Bennett’s only losses have been to Waukee’s Kyle Biscoglia and Southeast Polk’s Cade DeVos. Both wrestled for championships last night.

Biscoglia beat Bennett in Friday’s semifinals. Last year, he knocked out Bennett in the quarterfinals.

“The same thing happened to me last year. I will make whatever adjustments I need so that it doesn’t happen again,” Bennett added.

Lockner earned his second straight medal at state after finishing 8th a year ago.

He won a 7-5 decision in overtime against Cedar Rapids Washington’s Will Foreman in the consolation semifinals, his second win over Foreman at state.

Lockner, who finishes 43-10, lost 7-3 to Johnston’s Zach Price in the third-place match, his third loss to Price this year.

Last year, Lockner was 32-12.

Ross finished his first trip to state with an eighth-place finish at 132. He lost Saturday to Will Jefferson of Bettendorf by technical fall in 5:15. Ross finishes 38-16 this year.

Fort Dodge will bring back five state place winners and nine state qualifiers next year. Other state qualifiers returning will be Brooks Cowell, Dorian Franklin, Kaden Smith and Triston Licht.

“We’ve got a shot to come down and win it all next year,” said Thompson. “I am very proud of our guys. We are bringing home two trophies from state.

“It was a very valuable experience for our kids. If you can’t be excited as a young wrestler in Fort Dodge right now, I don’t know what can get you excited.

“I am proud of our whole team, all 32 of them,” Thompson added. “As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village.'”

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