STATE WRESTING: NB’s Trees fall in consolation second round

By John Burbridge, sports@charlescitypress.com

DES MOINES — North Butler wrestlers Bryce Trees and Brandon Trees both were denied award-stand photo-ops at the State Wrestling Championships when they were defeated in the second round of consolations, Friday at Wells Fargo Arena.

Competing in the Class 1A 106-bracket, sophomore Bryce Trees had rebounded from being pinned in Thursday’s first round against Lisbon’s Cobe Siebrecht when stopping Jose Flores of Sibley-Ovhevedan 5:03 into the subsequent consolation bout.

But after battling Maple Valley’s Bryce Kafton in a close match through two periods, Trees was pinned midway through the third.

Bryce Trees finished the season with a 38-8 record.

Bearcat 152-pound junior Brandon Trees had won his opening-round bout against Kaden Kilburg of Lisbon, but in Friday’s quarterfinal he was sent to the consolations when Skylar Solke of Alta-Aurelia pinned him 2:42 into their match.

Trailing Pleasantville’s Sawyer Phillips 3-2 in the waning moments of regulation, Trees nearly hooked Phillips with a match-winning and tournament-prolonging two-legged takedown, but Phillips managed to sprawl his way out of danger for the win.

Brandon Trees fell shy of a 40-win season with his record capped at 39-7.