Photos Courtesy of IAWrestle.com Social Media
Five area wrestlers have advanced to Championship Saturday at the 2024 Iowa High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Meet at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Two local athletes will wrestle for titles tonight under the championship lights. In Class 2A, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union Senior Russell Coil is on a run all the way to the championship match at 285lbs. Friday, he won a semifinal by 3-1 decision over Paul Ballard of Albia, avenging a loss to Ballard at last year’s state meet. With the match even at one with one minute to go, Coil scored a takedown and ride out to seal the deal. The Wildcat spoke Friday with KCII Sports about the winning sequence, how it felt to get the victory and the keys to Saturday’s title bout. Coil said, “I just capitalized on his mistake. I ended up taking him down and riding him out for the rest of the period. I just thought ‘Keep him down! Keep my hips on him and keep him down!’. (After the win) it was pure joy! It’s been a while since we’ve had a kid in the finals, so I felt like me getting to the finals was a big accomplishment for the program, not just myself. That made me really ecstatic. Saturday is about staying focused throughout the day, understanding what’s at stake and what I need to do to get this match won.”
Coil takes his 48-1 record into tonight’s final against Mac Muller of Osage, who is 51-0 this season, pinning his way to the finals. Coil is trying to become the 14th wrestler in school history to win an individual crown and the first since Seth Noble at 140lbs in 2010.
In Class 1A, WACO junior Louden Huisenga will also take the mat in search of a title on Championship Saturday. He advanced through the 190lb semis Friday with a sudden victory, come-from-behind win, over Nathan Beitz of Maquoketa Valley 5-3. Trailing 3-1 with less than 15 seconds left, the Warrior was clutch, getting the tying takedown and ride-out to force OT and winning with a second takedown in sudden victory to score a spot in the title bout. He spoke Friday night with KCII Sports about the late drama, the win, and how it felt. Huisenga said, “I have a lot of gratitude toward my coaches. I was down in the match and they were over in my corner like ‘Let’s Go!’. That kept me in the match. That late I was like ‘You know you gotta go!’. So I just took a shot, caught both of his legs, sat around the corner and got my two. Then in overtime I was like ‘This is it! This is my time!’. He tied my arm again and I pushed his underhook down and hit him with a little elbow drag trip, got him off-balance, he was on the mat and I chased him down for my two. It felt amazing! Looking up at all of our fans and coaches like ‘We just did that!’ Pretty surreal moment!”
It’s a battle of unbeatens on Championship Saturday for the 1A title at 190 with Huisenga bringing his undefeated mark of 37-0 to the mat, where he’ll meet 39-0 MaKade Bloker of North Butler-Clarksville. Huisenga is trying to become the fourth Warrior all-time to win an individual championship and the first since Eric Davis in 2005 at 130lbs.
Other action in Des Moines involving local athletes Friday included Washington’s Aaron Boone at 132lbs in Class 2A. He won a pair of Friday wrestlebacks, beating Kolton Keller of Saydel by fall, then Stelle Diercks of Davenport Assumption by 7-4 decision. Boone will wrestle in the consolation semifinals Saturday against Mason Avila of Decorah.
For Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union on the consolation side, Ty Scorpil saw his State Tournament come to an end at 126, falling in a 5-2 wrestleback to Burlington Notre Dame’s CJ Davis.
In Class 1A, Highland’s Luke Guseman is alive on the backside at 120lbs after splitting a pair of wrestlebacks Friday evening, scoring a fall over Austin Etzel of Wilton and dropping a 7-5 decision to Dawson Jacobsen of Central Springs. Guseman will wrestle for seventh Saturday against Sam Egan of Sumner-Fredericksburg.
WACO’s Gage Samo continues to work his way through the consolation side of the bracket after a 2-0 Friday night that saw him score a 6-2 wrestleback win over Jesse Burton of Westwood, Sloan and an exciting 2-0 win in sudden victory over Nic Brase of Nashua-Plainfield. Samo is set for a consolation semifinal Saturday against Dallas Canoyer of Earlham.
Listen for updates at the top of every hour, all day Saturday, from the 2024 Iowa High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Tournament and find results updated in real time, free, on our website at KCIIradio.com.