Tigers will compete at UW Fieldhouse in Madison on March 5

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

MANAWA — For the first time in 12 years, the Stratford wrestling team is going to the WIAA state tournament.

Stratford blanked Crandon 73-0 in the semifinals and topped Coleman 35-21 in the championship match to win the WIAA Division 3 sectional on Tuesday at Manawa High School.

The Tigers snapped Coleman’s streak of eight-straight sectional titles and state tournament appearances.

Stratford moves on to the 2016 WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament on March 5 at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison. The Tigers will be making their fifth appearance at the state tournament in the program’s history and first since going four-straight years from 2001-04. Stratford finished second in 2001, 2002, and 2003 and lost in the semifinals in 2004.

Stratford will take on Spring Valley/Elmwood in a Division 3 semifinal at 10 a.m. Fennimore and Random Lake will face off in the other semifinal, and the championship match is set for 3 p.m.

Spring Valley/Elmwood defeated Coleman in last year’s D-3 state championship after losing in the finals to Coleman in 2014. Random Lake is making its fifth-straight state tournament appearance, and Fennimore is back for the second year in a row.

“I’m very proud of these kids,” Stratford coach Joe Schwabe said. “They defined the word ‘team’ by their effort and sacrifices. Some kids moved up two weight classes, others gave up their spot to teammates they have beaten out because the teammate may be better at not getting pinned. Not one complained. They have had a common goal all year and competed so hard tonight to reach toward their goal.”

In the shutout of Crandon, Stratford won six matches by pin and four others by forfeit.

Dylan Schoenherr (170 pounds), Kamren Bornbach (182), Jon Aguirre (285), Macey Kilty (106), A.J. Schoenfuss (120), and Kaelin Schmitt (145) each won by pin for the Tigers.

Mason Kauffman (160) earned a win by major decision, and Sam Wenzel (152) and Dilan Dehlinger (132) won by decision for Stratford.

Against Coleman, Stratford won the first two matches to take the lead for good.

David Marquardt won at 160 over Abraham Nowak 5-4, and Kauffman pinned Brock Martinson in 3:41 at 170 to give the Tigers a 9-0 lead.

Bornbach won 7-2 at 195, and Tyson Kauffman earned a 5-0 win at 285 as Stratford maintained a 15-9 lead before winning five-straight matches to clinch the victory.

Jake Drexler won 4-2 at 113, Schoenfuss (120) and Jeremy Schoenherr (126) earned major decisions, Derek Marten pinned Jake Baldwin in 3:04 at 132, and Jordan Becker won 11-6 at 138 to push Stratford to a 35-9 lead. The Tigers forfeited the last two matches after clinching the win.

“Our fans and parents were amazing on their following of these guys,” Schwabe said. “It was just a great night of wrestling. Coleman is so well coached. It was nice taking this tonight.”

Twelve Stratford wrestlers will compete at the Division 3 individual sectional on Saturday at Shawano. The top three finishers in each weight class qualify for the 2016 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison on Feb. 25-27.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

Semifinals

Stratford 73, Crandon 0

152: Sam Wenzel (ST) def. Ty Flannery 7-0.
160: Mason Kauffman (ST) won by major dec. over John Doane 13-1.
170: Dylan Schoenherr (ST) pinned Tanner Theison in 1:59.
182: Kamren Bornbach (ST) pinned Dylan Bukovic in 0:35.
195: Noah Knetter (ST) def. Chase Dewing 5-2.
220: Hector Rojas (ST) won by forfeit.
285: Jon Aguirre (ST) pinned Bobby Pfeiffer in 2:19.
106: Macey Kilty (ST) pinned Ryan Kalkofen in 0:55.
113: Jake Drexler (ST) won by forfeit.
120: A.J. Schoenfuss (ST) pinned Jacob Hoyt in 1:34.
126: Jeremy Schoenherr (ST) won by forfeit.
132: Dilan Dehlinger (ST) def. Ben Kalata 6-3.
138: Jordan Becker (ST) won by forfeit.
145: Kaelen Schmitt (ST) pinned Andrew Lehman in 2:49.

Championship

Stratford 35, Coleman 21

160: David Marquardt (ST) def. Abraham Nowak 5-4.
170: Mason Kauffman (ST) pinned Brock Martinson in 3:41.
182: Josh Pillath (COL) def. Kyle Giebel 7-0.
195: Kamren Bornbach (ST) def. Hutner Stodola 7-2.
220: Jacob Zeitler (COL) def. Ethan Fabry 5-3.
285: Tyson Kauffman (ST) def. Donovan Salewski 5-0.
106: Koltin Grzybowski (COL) def. Macey Kilty 8-7.
113: Jake Drexler (ST) def. Caleb Gross 4-2.
120: A.J. Schoenfuss (ST) won major dec. over Kasey Casper 11-0.
126: Jeremy Schoenherr (ST) won major dec. over Derick Teteak 12-3.
132: Derek Marten (ST) pinned Jake Baldwin in 3:04.
138: Jordan Becker (ST) def. Bryce Karban 11-6.
145: Jordan Blanchard (COL) won by forfeit.
152: Kevin Lansin (COL) won by forfeit.