Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Southeast Valley's Aaron Graves

HUMBOLDT — Southeast Valley’s Aaron Graves hasn’t spent a lot of time on the mat, but in his first season he is headed to the state tournament.

“It’s an honor to go to state my first year,” Graves said. “I feel very humbled to make it thanks to my workout partners and great coaches.”

Graves (285), who will play football for the University of Iowa, has been playing basketball in his high school career and this year decided to join the wrestling team.

The Jaguar lineman enters the state tournament as a district champion with a 30-3 record.

Graves won by injury default in the championship, after pinning Algona’s Logan Meendering in 1:07 of the finals.

“Even though I wasn’t able to go to many practices,” Graves said. “I learned what it meant to work hard and focus when I had a lot going on.”

Sophomore Caelan Oakes (113) punched his ticket as a runner up. He topped Humboldt’s Dylan Vaudt in the semifinals by fall, but lost by fall in the championship. Oakes advanced by rule.

Senior Harley Bryson (182) finished third.

HUMBOLDT

HUMBOLDT — Fifth-ranked Jase Goodell (126) will be making his return to the state tournament.

The Wildcat sophomore (31-2) earned a district championship on Saturday. Goodell earned a 9-0 major decision over ninth-ranked Kellen Moore of Forest City. He picked up a 11-4 decision over Calen Kirstein of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows in the seminfinals.

Sophomore Jayden Gargano (27-8) was a runner up at 106 pounds. He lost to ninth-ranked Jacob Zabka of Algona in the championship round. He advanced by rule with a win over Osage’s Darren Adams in the semifinals.

Junior Dylan Vaudt (113), junior D.J. Muir (120) and sophomore Ty Gargano (132) all finished third.

WEBSTER CITY

NEW HAMPTON — Top-ranked and defending state champion Camron Phetxoumphone (31-1) suffered his first loss of the season.

Phetxoumphone (113) lost to third-ranked Anders Kittelson Crestwood 2-1 in the championship match.

The Webster City sophomore bounced back with a 17-1 tech fall over Roland-Story’s Ben Sarver. Phetxoumphone is now 116-6 in his career.

Freshman Chase Rattenborg (132) was a district champion. Rattenborg won by tech over Crestwood’s Cole Butikofer in the finals.

Third-ranked freshman Carson Doolittle (106) advanced as a runner up. Doolittle lost to fourth-ranked Kade Blume (40-1) of Roland-Story in the finals. Doolittle advanced by rule with a 5-1 win over sixth-ranked Nathaniel Bigalk of Crestwood in the semifinals.

CJ HIsler (182) and Trey Shannon (220) finished third for Webster City.

CLARION-GOLDFIELD-DOWS

HUMBOLDT — Four Clarion-Goldfield-Dows wrestlers will enter Wells Fargo Arena this weekend.

Fifth-ranked Reed Abbas (138), fourth-ranked Garrett Seba (160) and Kain Nelson (220) earned district titles.

Abbas (32-2) earned a major decision over Jack Wajda of Spirit Lake Park (14-5), Seaba pinned Emmetsburg’s Cade Shirk (1:28) and Nelson (22-2) won by injury default.

Third-ranked senior Remington Hanson (145) lost a 6-0 decision to Nick Fox of Osage, who he pinned in the sectional meet. Hanson bounced back with a fall over Emmetsburg’s Sean Brennan (1:29).

Cale Kirstein (126) placed third.

EMMETSBURG

HUMBOLDT — Four Emmetsburg wrestlers advanced to the state tournament.

Junior Matthew Wirtz (195), who was a state qualifier a year ago was a district champion.

Wirtz (26-3), ranked seventh earned a 10-5 decision over Forest City’s fourth-ranked Reese Moore in the championship match.

Ryan Brennan (138), Cade Shirk (160) and Jordan Anderson (220) were runner ups.

Brennan (20-6) lost in the semifinals, but bounded back with two wins. Shirk won his semifinal match before losing to Seaba. He advanced with a fall in the second place match.

After losing by injury default to Nelson, the seventh-ranked Anderson (28-2) advanced by rule with a win over Osage’s Barrett Muller in the semis.

Sean Brennan (145) was third.

ALGONA

HUMBOLDT — ninth-ranked sophomore Jacob Zabka will be a state participant for Algona.

Zabka (30-3) pinned Jayden Gargano of Humboldt in the championship (3:03). He had a fall in 5:01 over Clear Lake’s Tyler LeFevre in the semifinals.

GREENE COUNTY

ADEL — Sophomore McKinley Robbins will be making his second state trip to Des Moines.

Robbins (120), who finished second a year ago cruised to a district title. The top-ranked wrestler pinned fourth-ranked Rylie Anderson of Bondurant-Farrar in the finals (5:19). Robbins (30-0) won by fall in the semifinals.

Brady Stauffer (27-5) won a 3-1 decision over Ballard’s Gage Long at 138 pounds for the district championship.

Sawyer Schiltz (25-9) gave the Rams three titles with a fall over Cole Sanger of North Polk (1:47) in the 285 pound match.

Gavin Scheuermann (145) lost in the championship match, but advanced by rule after a decision over Easton White of North Polk in the semifinals.

Nathan Black (160) and Broc Hamann (220) were third.