FD’s Ross puts on another show
URBANDALE — The wins just keep adding up for Dreshaun Ross, and it doesn’t take long for the Fort Dodge superstar to get to the point.
The senior continues to add to his allure, as his four wins at the Ed Winger Invitational here on Saturday pushed him into the Top-10 all-time wins list in program history.
Ross (26-0) helped lead the Dodgers to a fifth-place performance with 120.5 points. West Des Moines Dowling (176) was the team champion, followed by Bettendorf (156) and Waukee Northwest (136).
“It was kind of a mixed bag. We left some matches on the mat that we could have won,” said FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson. “As a unit, we need to make some adjustments in a short amount of time.”
Fourth-ranked (IAwrestle) Knox Ayala was a runner up, while No. 8 Trace Rial (120) and seventh-rated Rylee Brown (165) were both third.
No. 5 Damien Yeoman (113) placed fourth, and fourth-ranked Jesse Egli (190) was fifth.
Ross, a future Oklahoma State Cowboy, has now won 128 straight high school matches and is 137-2 in his prep career. He is tied for ninth on the win list with Erik Birnbaum (2015), who had a career mark of 137-38.
The top-rated heavyweight hasn’t been taken down since his freshman season.
Ross had two falls on the day in 49 seconds and 42 seconds, respectively. He had a technical fall (21-6) in the semifinals and another 21-6 tech in the finals over second-ranked Brady Hagan (26-4) of Dowling.
Two of Hagan’s losses are to Ross.
“Dreshaun is a special individual,” Thompson said. “It’s hard to know what to say about him, because he just goes out there and dominates.
“He won a loaded weight class with the second, third and fourth ranked kids in the bracket.”
Ayala (23-5) rolled into the finals with two pins and a decision. He lost 14-1 to top-ranked Cruz Gannon (26-0) of Dowling.
“Knox’s final was a lot closer than the score,” Thompson said. “There were a lot of positive things he can take away from the match.”
Rial (22-7) had a tech fall and pin to reach the semis, where he lost to third-ranked Kipton Lewis (31-2) of Waverly-Shell Rock by fall.
The Dodger junior bounced back with a tech fall in the consolation semifinals, then won a 13-9 decision over fourth-rated Kayden Eller of Dowling for bronze.
Brown (26-8), who now has 112 career victories, had a fall and a major decision before losing to sixth-rated Brayden Crosser (32-2) by a 5-2 count. He beat No. 11 Kinnick Thompson of Johnston for third.
Yeoman (24-12) reached the semifinals before losing to top-ranked Jack Wallukait (27-2) of Dowling. He won his consolation semifinals before losing in the third-place match.
Egli (22-8) fell in the quarterfinals to sixth-rated Kellen Wegner of Dallas Center-Grimes. Egli now has 110 career victories.
Brown is tied for 21st on the all-time win list at the school. Egli is the 26th.
The Dodgers are back in action on Thursday when they travel to Mason City for their final regular season dual.
