Sports News

State-bound.
For the first time since 2002, the Hillsboro Burro wrestling team will compete in the state dual tournament.
The favored-but-battered Burros “survived” the Region 2 qualifying tournament, eking out a win in a tie-breaker and overcoming a challenge match to secure a “true 2nd” place finish.
“The team accomplished a goal the Burros have had for five years now,” coach Eric Ptacek said.
With a 10-0 dual record in the region, Hillsboro entered the tournament at Central Cass Feb. 3 as the No. 1 seed. The Burros opened with a 48-27 win over Harvey.
“Good enough,” remarked coach Eric Ptacek.
“We had to be at our best to make it by them,” added coach Mark McLean.
In the semifinals, the Burros were “just barely good enough” to be awarded the win after a 36-36 tie match against Cavalier.
“Cavalier came ready to wrestle,” coach McLean said. “They caught us by surprise.”
Hillsboro needed three pins in the final three matches to tie the match. The fate of the team rested with three 8th graders — Oakly Zink at 103, Tyler Anderson at 112 and Josh Riendeau at 119. The intensity of the match heightened as each of the young Burro wrestlers took the mat and one after the other “worked their tails off,” recounted coach McLean.
“If it wasn’t for them finishing the way they did, we would not have qualified as a team,” he added.
The Burros were awarded the win on criteria — most pins.
In the finals, Hillsboro faced No. 2 seed Central Cass. The teams’ most recent dual January 23 had also ended in a tie — broken by criteria in favor of Hillsboro.
This time, the Burros gave up two forfeits and the Squirrels cashed in with six pins. This time the score wasn’t even close, 51-21.
“Not quite good enough,” conceded coach Ptacek.
“We knew it would be nothing short of a small miracle for us to beat them again. In a very evenly contested match, giving up a pin where we earned a pin before creates a 12-point swing,” McLean said.
“Our goal was to win the region but we ran into too many injuries to overcome. We wrestled good enough to place second,” Ptacek said of the taped, bandaged, iced and braced Burros.
The day wasn’t over, though for the Burros. Cavalier and North Border battled it out for third place, ending in a tie shortly after Hillsboro’s loss to Central Cass. Again Cavalier would lose on criteria.
This set up a challenge match between North Border and the “bumped and bruised” Burros, since the two teams had not yet wrestled that day. With a berth in the state dual tournament at stake, a “true second” had to be decided.
Ptacek said the final match of the day was the Burros’ best — “excellent!”
Despite a litany of injuries, Hillsboro “limped” to a 45-22 win.
“We have 15 young men on this team and the greatest thing is six of them are in the 8th grade and two are freshmen. Over half the team is underclassmen. You usually don’t see this type of success against upperclassmen in any sport. This really shows how far we’ve come since last year. The combination of our young guys and our upperclassmen really worked out for this year . . . so far.”
“The boys we have been counting on all year showed up and performed for us as they have all year. They are what makes us a solid team,” added coach McLean.
The 17-8 Burro team now faces five-time defending state champion Napoleon in their first dual at the state tournament on Thursday.
“I expect to see the best there is right away,” Ptacek said. “It is definitely not a draw you like to see with our young team but it’s one we will accept and work hard to overcome.”
In the meantime, the next step for the Burros is the Region 2 individual tournament Saturday at Carrington. Wrestling starts at 10 a.m. with finals scheduled for 5 p.m. The top four wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes will qualify for the state tournament Feb. 15-17 at the Fargodome.
At a seeding meeting Wednesday, four Hillsboro wrestlers were pegged as No. 1 seeds — senior Gus Lee at 135 lbs.(22-2); junior Anthony Von Ruden, 140 (33-1); sophomore Jake McLean, 160 (27-12); and sophomore Andrew Grothmann, 171 (32-4). Senior Lee Siegert (18- is No. 2 at 189. No. 3 seeds for the Burros are senior Dan Rude (23-15) at 145 and freshman Tanner Boeddeker (21-12) at 130.
Freshman Garrett Burg (12-13) is seeded No. 4 at 152 and 8th grader Tyler Anderson (23-15) is No. 4 at 112.
It’s the No. 5 seeds that will need to give the extra effort to qualify. All have the potential, their coaches are convinced — Oakly Zink (14-16) at 103, Josh Riendeau (11-12) at 119 and Alex McLean (14-1 at 125, all 8th graders and junior Blake Higginbotham (8-25) at heavyweight.
“Hopefully we can recover from last weekend and give another run at a region title this weekend,” Ptacek said.
Starting Thursday, the Burros continue the battle on the mats at the Fargodome, aiming for recognition on the state level.