Comets fall to top-ranked Chickasaws, 70-11

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

JACKSON JUNCTION — New Hampton Chickasaw Country has expanded its boundaries when it comes to wrestling.

On Thursday, Charles City traveled to its Turkey Valley outpost to take on defending Class 2A dual meet state champion New Hampton, which has recently combined forces with the TV Warriors.

Yet before the varsity dual meet, wrestlers from all three schools combined efforts to raise more than $1,500 in donations from the packed gym for “Donate Life” not-for-profit alliance of national organizations dedicated to educating the public and advocating for organ, eye and tissue donation.

The cause has hit home for both teams.

Last Fourth of July, Charles City teenager Logan Luft was fatally injured in an ATV accident. An outstanding multisport athlete, Logan was going to be a freshman at Charles City where he would have likely excelled in wrestling, his favorite sport.

In an uncommon gesture, New Hampton’s two-time state champion Michael Blockhus gave the Luft family his four state medals — including his runner-up medal as a sophomore and the team medal awarded as being part of New Hampton’s state champion team last year — to be buried with Logan.

During a ceremony before the varsity matches, the Luft family awarded Blockhus replicas of the medals.

“We were honored that he would give up such prized possessions,” Logan’s father Leonard Luft said about Blockhus, who is ranked No. 15 in the nation among 138-pounders by InterMat, and is due to continue his wrestling career at Northern Iowa.

During the dual, Blockhus — ranked No. 1 in Iowa at 138 according to IAwrestle and The Predicament — recorded a fall victory over Comet sophomore Elliott Sinnwell 32 seconds into their 152-pound match.

It wasn’t a battle the Comets were going to win as they spotted the Chickasaws — ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, by the said Predicament and IAwrestling websites — four open weight forfeits.

But Charles City, which lost 70-11, did come away with some late victories.

All-district football lineman Tylor Zuspan pinned Chickasaw heavyweight Tom Clark in 1:37. And Comet sophomore Bronson Forsyth, who like Blockhus was a good friend of Logan’s, earned an 18-3 technical fall over Alex Kriener in the 113-pound bout which, aside from several token arms raised to signify forfeit wins, ended the dual.

The toughest loss for the Comets came in the 170-pound match that featured Charles City’s returning state qualifier Dylan Koresh and Cale Reicks.

Koresh, ranked No. 9 as a 152-pounder by IAwrestle, nearly cradled Riecks, ranked No. 8 as a 160-pounder, for a fall in the first period and was leading for most of the match.

But Riecks managed to turn the tables and recorded a stunning fall midway through the third period.

All other wrestled bouts were won by the Chickasaws with returning state placer Noah Glaser pinning Comet sophomore Jack Sindlinger 58 seconds into their 182-pound match; Max Babcock earning a 12-1 major decision over Roush Jaeger at 145; Evan Rosonke pinning Comet senior Sam Niichel 4:25 into their 195-pound match; and No. 6-ranked 220-pounder Areon Day recording a fall in 3:02 against Josh Halligan.

NEW HAMPTON/TURKEY VALLEY 70,
CHARLES CITY 11

132: Mason  Cleveland (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.) 138: Hunter Pesek (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.) 145: Max Babcock (NEHA) over Roush Jaeger (CHCI) (MD 12-1) 152: Michael Blockhus (NEHA) over Elliott Sinnwell (CHCI) (Fall 0:32) 160: Noah  Fye (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.) 170: Cale Reicks (NEHA) over Dylan Koresh (CHCI) (Fall 4:50) 182: Noah  Glaser (NEHA) over Jack Sindlinger (CHCI) (Fall 0:58) 195: Evan  Rosonke (NEHA) over Sam Niichel (CHCI) (Fall 4:25) 220: Areon Day (NEHA) over Josh Halligan (CHCI) (Fall 3:02) 285: Tylor Zuspan (CHCI) over Tom Clark (NEHA) (Fall 1:37) 106: Jon Dreckman (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.) 113: Bronson Forsyth (CHCI) over Alex  Kriener (NEHA) (TF 18-3 5:36) 120: Brayden Anderson (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.) 126: Carson  Babcock (NEHA) over   (CHCI) (For.)