By Matt Turkiewicz
Seventh-ranked Hatchet wrestling won 12 of 14 weight classes while scoring seven pins in a dominating 63-9 win over GNC rival Rhinelander last Thursday at Hatchet Fieldhouse. With the thrilling win, Tomahawk improves to 8-1 in duals and 2-0 in GNC duals on the season.
With the dual starting at 170 pounds, usual 160-pounder Logan Bishop wrestled up to face Rhinelander’s 12th ranked Walker Hartman. Bishop came out with a quick takedown and a near turn before Hartman scored an escape. Bishop got in on another quick shot, but Hartman countered and got a takedown of his own, giving him the lead; Hartman would ride tough to win the first match of the night.
At 182 pounds, KadeWenninger wrestled Rhinelander’s Connor Lund and came away with an 8-3 decision to tie the dual at 3-3. At 195 pounds, Erik Decker faced off against Rhinelander’s 12th-ranked Trevor Knapp. Decker came away with 7-5 decision that was more controlled and not as close as the final score indicates. Next up was Austin Leinen, who scored a second period fall at 220 pounds over Connor Jensen to put the Hatchets up 12-3. At heavyweight, Tony Matti made quick work of Rhinelander’s David Schramke with a 44-second fall.
Circling back down to the lower weights, at 106 pounds, Addison Peissig scored a first period fall, giving the Hatchets three straight pins and extending the lead to 24-3. At 113 pounds, Chris Bushong had a tough task in facing Rhinelander’s eighth-ranked Tim Fox. Fox came out attacking early, but Bushong fought hard before eventually giving Fox the win. It would be the last time Rhinelander would win on varsity for the night.
Lance Knight walked out at 120 pounds to face Hugh Wiese. Knight gave up an early takedown before scoring a quick escape and takedown of his own. Knight put in a cradle and scored another Tomahawk first period fall. Luke Knight and Mitchell Holloway received forfeits for the Hatchets at 126 and 132 pounds.
At 138 pounds, Mason Evans started another pin blitz for the Hatchets, securing another first period fall over Brady Schrieber. Alex Bishop followed up with a first period pin of his own over Jordan Sparling at the 145-pound weight class, bringing the Hatchets lead to 54-3. Making his season debut for the Hatchets was junior Isaiah Scheffler at 152 pounds. Scheffler found himself in a tight match against Cayden Neri. In the third period, with Scheffler losing by a point, Neri got in on a shot before Scheffler capitalized with a flying cradle that put Neri on his back and gave Scheffler the third period fall.
To finish off the dual, Tom Rigney won a 7-1 decision over Joe Fugle to give the Hatchets their 12th win of the night and moving the final score to 63-9 over their conference rival.
Isiah Ristau wrestled Rhinelander’s Kyle Weise in JV action on the night. Risatu and Weise wrestled one match before, then after the dual. Weise won a decision in the first match. In the second match, Ristau and Weise went back and forth and ended the third period tied at 8-8. In overtime, Ristau got in on a double leg before being thrown in a desperation headlock to give Weise the sudden victory win.
The Hatchets started off a busy week tonight with an away dual at Shawano. Then on Thursday night the Hatchets travel to Mosinee for their third GNC dual of the season. On Saturday, the varsity heads to Markesan for the Hornet Invite and the JV Hatchets head to Wausau West for the Wausau West JV Invite.