The Cardinal boys are wrestling again after a two week Christmas break.

Thursday saw them in a dual meet against two tough teams, the Park Rapids Pa n - thers and the Road Crew from Pequot Lakes/ Pine River- Backus.

The Staples Motley boys defeated both teams and also went on to take first place at the

Pine and Lakes Tournament

in Fertile on Saturday. “I was very pleased with

the team’s overall performance. The guys are starting to be more aggressive. That was nice to see,” said Coach Dan Bjerga.

The Cards took on Park Rapids on Thursday, Jan. 7. Four SM starters were missing due to either sickness or injury, but the team still defeated the Panthers 38-27. They then faced the Road Crew and downed them 53-24. “Against Park Rapids, we were a little sluggish, but we had three really close matches that all went our way,” Bjerga said.

Taylor Bendson and Chandler Trout wrestled against two of PR’s better wrestlers and each won by fall. “Our first three wrestlers (Blake Miller, Jordan Heldman, Tyler Pogreba) really set the pace for the team by winning their matches in both duals,” said Bjerga. “Pogreba scored some big team points with first a tech fall and then a fall. Blake Miller returned to action after being injured and defeated a tough kid in sudden death overtime.”

Dylan Shequen wrestled one of Park Rapids’ best wrestlers and defeated him by getting a well executed take down in overtime.

All 14 wrestlers from Staples Motley placed in the Fertile tournament on Saturday despite some stiff competition. Eight were in the finals with three champions, Taylor Bendson (145) Jordan Bendson (160) and Dylan Shequen (171).

Finishing second were Blake Miller, Jordan Heldman, Sam Duberowski, Blake Petrich and Ryan Detloff. Brandon Flickinger had a third place finish, while Brett Lisson and David DeYonge finished fourth. Dylan Kylander and Tyler Holub were fifth and Tyler Pogreba sixth.

“I was really impressed with Dylan Shequen and Jordan Bendson,” Coach Bjerga remarked. “Not only did they win all three of their matches by fall, but they got through the tournament without a single point scored on them.

“Jordan was wrestling up a weight class and was still a little weak from the flu but still wrestled better than ever. Dylan looked very dominant. His technique and movement is outstanding…. very fun to watch.”

The Cardinal junior varsity team also had four champions, (Gage Brown 103, Travis Weite 152, Gavin Kadlec 160, Cody Drone 189), a second place from Austin Bendson at 112, and a third place finish from Shane Hamberg at 215. Assistant Coach Derek Holst remarked, “Cody wrestled three very tough matches and won all three by fall.”

The Cardinals will make appearances at a dual meet in Bertha-Hewitt Thursday night, and at the Kimball Invite on Saturday.

Wrestling results

Staples Motley 53, Pequot Lakes/Pine River Backus 24

Park Rapids Area 45, Pequot Lakes/Pine River Backus 30

Staples Motley 38, Park Rapids Area 27

103: Blake Miller dec. Ben Baumgartner (PRA) 6-5; tech fall Anthony Phillipson (PL) 5:11

112: Tyler Pogreba (SM) tech fall Laine Jensen (PRA) 6:00; fall Lance Squires (PL) 5:18

119: Jordan Heldman dec. Cameron Free (PRA) 7-6; fall Brandon Mager (PL) 0:43

125: Dylan Holmer (PRA) fall Tyler Holub (SM) 0:24; Kyle Jordan fall Holub 0:31

130: Luke Hartig (PRA) fall Dylan Kylander (SM) 5:26; Drey Loge fall Kylander 0:37

135: Adam Branstrom (PRA) win by forfeit ; Cody Schrupp (PL) win by forfeit

140: Brandon Flickinger dec Zac Steffen (PRA) 6-1; Darian Rubner (PL) dec Flickinger 9-4

145: Taylor Bendson fall Nick Schultz (PRA) 2:21; fall Peter Harrison (PL) 4:52

152: Brent Lisson dec Kevin Just (PRA) 9-2; Levi Allen (PL) dec Lisson 9-5

160: Dan Pike (PRA) dec Chandler Trout 7-4; Trout fall Peter Harrison (PL) 4:19

171: Dylan Shequen dec Jared Nash (PRA) 4-2; win by forfeit

189: Blake Petrich win by forfeit; win by forfeit

215: Ryan Detloff win by forfeit; win by forfeit

Hwt: Kenny Weaver (PRA) fall David DeYonge 4:20; DeYonge win by forfeit

Pine to Prairie Invitational

1. Staples-Motley, 229; 2. Wadena Deer Creek, 217; 3. Moorhead, 206; 4. Fosston-Bagley, 182; 5. United Clay Becker, 96; 6. Fertile- Beltrami, 80; 7. (tie) Red Lake County Central, 59; and United North Central, 59; 9. East Grand Forks/Sacred Heart, 56; 10. Warren Alvarado-Oslo

103: Blake Miller (Second) fall Sam Waln (WDC) 1:15; maj. decision Jacob Magnell (RLCC) 13-1; Swegarden (UCB) dec. Miller 3-2

112: Jordan Heldman (Second) dec Logan Gage (UCB) 8-2; fall Steven Henderson (FB) 2:34; Mitch Steffens (WDC) maj dec Heldman 18-4

119: Tyler Pogreba, (sixth) bye; Zach Bernu (WDC) fall Pogreba 0:38; Pogreba, bye; Pogreba dec. Ben Welin (WAO) 9-2; Sam Haugen (FB) fall Pogreba 2:37; Mark Harmon (FSB) dec. Pogreba 7-0

125: (Fifth) Tyler Holub lost by fall to Cody Beauchane (FB) 1:41; Holub, bye; Lucas Maul (FSB) fall Holub 4:42; Holub, bye

130: (Fifth) Dylan Kylander was dec. by Max Pajari (UNC) 4-2; Kylander, bye; Nick Langeberg (MRHD) fall Kylander 0:16; Kylander, bye

135: (Second) Sam Duberowski fall Mike Johnson (UNC) 3:52; dec. Casey Gajeski (EGFSH) 6-3; Jared Wegscheid (WDC) dec Duberowski 3-1

140: (Third) Brandon Flickinger dec. Cory McClung (FSB) 6-4; Chase Morlock maj. dec Flickinger 12-4; Flickinger maj dec Elijah Beaudine (UCB) 12-0; fall Wegscheid (WDC) 1:32

145: (First) Taylor Bendson fall Dylan Huttunen (UNC) 3:22; fall Wyatt LaFriniere (FSB) 0:51; dec. AJ Wheeler (Mrhd) 10-6

152: (Third) Brent Lisson, bye; Blake Olson (FSB) dec. Lisson 7-6; Lisson, bye; win by fall Taylor Carlson (UNC) 2:51; maj dec Blake Bixby (FB) 18-6; Jacob Ludovissie (WDC) dec. Lisson 0-0

160: (First) Jordan Bendson, bye; fall Dylan Fjerstand (FSB) 1:08; fall Brent Hagen (EGFSH) 0:20; fall Ben Gaughan (MRHD) 4:59

171: (First) Dylan Shequen fall Brett Morlock (MRHD) 3:14; fall Travis Larson (RLCC) 4:11; fall Jake Juve (FSB) 3:42

189: (Second) Blake Petrich fall Josh Dahlen (UCB) 0:45; fall Tyler Johnson (RLCC) 3:09; Andrew Juve (FSB) fall Petrich 3:44

215: Second) Ryan Detloff ma jdec Joe Anderson (UCB) 12-1; fall Keaton Laymon (WAO) 5:09; Cooper Wilson dec Detloff 8-3

Hwt: (Fourth) David DeYonge dec Brandon Schoeberl (UCB) 6-4; Michael Cormican (FSB) dec DeYonge 3-0; DeYonge win by default Tyler Tougas (RLCC); Brandon Schoeberl (UCB) fall DeYonge 2:02