Messenger photos by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Dreshaun Ross gain control in his semifinal match on Friday at the state wrestling tournament in Des Moines. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

DES MOINES — Damarion Ross and Dreshaun Ross have wrestled in the state finals before — hypothetically speaking.

Now, the dream is about to become a reality.

The Ross brothers, along with fellow Dodger Dru Ayala, reached the finals at the state tournament here on Friday. The Dodgers will have multiple athletes in Saturday night’s championship round for the ninth consecutive year.

Ayala (113 pounds) will wrestle in the finals for the second consecutive season. The Ross siblings — Damarion, a junior, and Dreshaun, a freshman — will make their debuts on the big stage.

“Reaching the state finals is awesome. I’ve been working for this for most of my life and it’s finally time,” Damarion said. “I remember wrestling my brothers in the living room and pretending like we were in the state finals…crazy how we’re actually here now.”

This marks the sixth time since 2015 Fort Dodge has had advanced at least three wrestlers to the title round.

Meanwhile, sophomore Koy Davidson (138) and junior Cal Hartman (170) will compete on the backside on Saturday, giving FDSH five medalists in all. This will be the ninth consecutive time that the Dodgers have secured five-plus medals. From 1986 through 2014, the Fort Dodge wrestling program had at least five medalists at state only once: in 2004.

“It was a good day for us, putting five guys through to the medal round,” said FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson. “We had some big wins and will have three guys wrestling on Saturday night, which is tremendous.

“It would be nice to start the day with a seventh-place and third-place medal (from Hartman and Davidson). That would set the tone.”

With the strong outing on Friday, the Dodgers jumped to sixth in the Class 3A team standings with 99.5 points. Waverly-Shell Rock (152), Linn-Mar (128) and Southeast Polk (112) are the top three. Also ahead of the Dodgers are Bettendorf (111.5) and Iowa City High (101).

Ayala, the top seed in the field, won a tightly contested match over No. 5 sophomore Ryker Graff (33-8) of Waverly-Shell Rock.

The Dodger junior held a 4-2 lead when he was called for stalling, and Graff was released to make the score 4-4.

“He capitalized on some things,” Ayala said of Graff. “He basically fixed himself … I needed to take some more shots.”

The score remained tied through the one minute SV-1 period. Ayala escapced in TB-1 and held Graff down for 30 seconds to preserve the victory and advance to the finals.

“Dru didn’t wrestle his best. He was hurrying his leg attacks and didn’t get to his finish,” Thompson said. “That says a lot when you don’t wrestle your best and you win a state semifinal match in Class 3A.

“In the third there were two stalling calls and then we cut him. There was a little confusion on the calls.”

Damarion Ross, the top-seed at 160, continued his dominance over Valley’s fifth-seeded Cinsere Clark, winning a tight 1-0 decision.

“It’s always tough wrestling Cinsere…he’s a good wrestler and I have respect for him,” Damarion said. “I just kept my composure and wrestling smart is my biggest weapon when wrestling him.”

Ross (43-3), who now has 98 career victories, rode out Clark for the entire third period for the win. Ross beat Clark 4-2 for the district championship in the Dodger gym.

“It helped us a little that we’ve seen him so many times, but it also helps him,” Thompson said. “Damarion did a great job of controlling the pace.”

Dreshaun Ross (195) became the heaviest freshman finalist in Class 3A since former Iowa State Cyclone Gannon Gremmel of Dubuque Hempstead (220 pounds) in 2013 to reach the state finals.

“This is what the main goal has been all season for my brother and I, as well as my teammates, so I’m super happy it’s finally time,” Dreshaun said. “I know it’s not over yet, though. I have to win one more.

“The quarterfinals didn’t go exactly as planned, but it happens sometimes. I feel I did better in the semis and am definitely ready for this finals match.”

Ross (43-2), the third seed, dominated second-seeded senior Harrison Gibson (21-7) of Southeast Polk, 12-3. Gibson was fifth for the Rams a year ago.

“Dreshaun was dominant from the get-go on leg attacks,” Thompson said. “His emotions are calm and controlled. Dreshaun took enough out of him early and he was able to attack a mature senior. We are taking about an 18- or 19-year-old against a 15-year-old (in Ross).

“It’s so impressive that he’s that young but so calm and ready.”

Davidson (31-6), the fourth seed, picked up two victories on the backside to reach the consolation semifinals.

In the blood round, Davidson — the No. 4 seed — edged Norwalk’s No. 8 Donovan Card (32-14) by a 3-2 count. He advanced to Saturday’s semifinal with a 5-3 victory over Ankeny Centennial’s ninth-seeded Isaac Bruhl (24-8).

Up next for the Dodger sophomore is No. 3 Benjamin Hansen (38-8) of Ankeny.

“Koy is in a very deep weight class (at 138),” Thompson said. “Bruhl and Card are tough opponents. Now we have the three seed, and if we are fortunate to win that, we will have (Bondurant-Farrar freshman Nolan) Fellers again in gut check matches.

“Koy just needs to have his mind right and go get two more.”

In his first state trip, the junior Hartman will now wrestle for seventh. Hartman (39-13) beat No. 14 Asa Hemsted (41-7) of Carlisle, 7-3. He lost to second-seed Brent Slade (42-5) of Southeast Polk, 7-3.

Hartman, the No. 7 seed, will face 12th-seeded Jackson Van Kley (42-9), a junior from Pella.

“(Cal) had a really good match in the blood round and wrestled well,” Thompson said. “With the unfortunate slam (in quarters), Slade was sent to the back side and the bracket was a bust. Cal had to wrestle what could have been the state champion.

“Cal has made giant gains and has a bright future.”

Freshman Sam Davidson (106) came up one win shy of reaching the medal round. Davidson, the 12th seed, lost to Bondurant-Farrar’s No. 8 Reid Foster (42-6).

“Sammy had a great tournament,” Thompson said. “It’s much tougher to place this year with the quality of wrestling. Now if you wrestle in the first round, you have to win four matches to place.

“If this was last year, he’s a medalist. The field is really tough at the top and you saw that in the semifinals.”

The state finals will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday inside Wells Fargo Arena.