Bus Broken But Cobbers Perfect At Duals
Even a broken-down bus couldn’t slow down Concordia as they went 3-0 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolf duals.
LINCOLN, NEB. (12/14/19)---Even a broken-down bus couldn't slow down Concordia as they came away with three dominant wins and went 3-0 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolf duals.
Concordia started the day by cruising to a 55-0 win over Fontbonne (Mo.) and then followed that up with a decisive 41-10 victory over host Neb. Wesleyan before finishing the day with a resounding 30-8 win over Buena Vista.
The duals wins are the first of the year for the Cobbers who opened with a pair of Division II opponents. Concordia is now 3-2 in duals this season.
In the end it was a complete team effort from the Cobbers as 13 different wrestlers scored at least three team points on the day.
Concordia 55, Fontbonne (Mo.) 0
In the first dual meet of the day against Fontbonne, the lightweights staked Concordia to a big early lead from which they would not look back.
Junior 125-pounder Cole Kubesh led off with a pin and sophomore 133-pounder Jacob Prunty followed that up with a quick technical fall to push the team score to 11-0 after only two matches.
Concordia's lead grew to 15-0 when freshman 141-pounder Cade Lundeen tacked on four more team points with a major decision.
Not to be outdone, the Cobber middleweights kept the momentum going as freshman Tyler Bents pinned his opponent early in the match. 157-pound freshman Gabe Allen earned a victory by forfeit and then junior 165-pounder Alex Skaare added another pin. The middle portion of the match was finished off by 174-pound freshman Ian Frenzel who demolished his opponent with a technical fall.
Even though the dual win was already assured, the top three weight-class athletes kept the foot on the gas pedal. Jacob Arends, Gabe Zierden and Austin Ratliff proved unrelenting. Arends won by fall at 184 while Zierden scored 18 unanswered points for a technical fall at 197. Ratliff wrapped things up with a hard-earned pin at 285 to make the final tally 55-0 in favor of the Cobbers.
Concordia 41, Neb. Wesleyan 10
Concordia faced a stiffer test in match No.2 when they faced off against Neb. Wesleyan. For the second straight match Concordia was able to bolt out of the starting gate and establish an insurmountable early lead.
Kubesh again set the tone with a pin, followed by a dominant 8-2 decision from Prunty. Lundeen fell behind early, but he fired up the Cobber faithful when he came back with a third-period pin.
Bents controlled the 149-pound match from start to finish to win a 9-0 major decision and put CC up 19-0.
After a loss at 157, Concordia went right back on the attack as sophomore 165-pounder Kaden Spindler broke open a tight match with a pin.
The Cobbers led 37-4 after 174-pounder Frenzel pinned his opponent, and the 184-pound Arends continued to display his impressive top offense with a pin of his own.
A comeback win from Zierden and a loss at heavyweight meant the Cobbers turned back the Prairie Wolves by a score of 41-10.
Concordia 30, Buena Vista 8
Kubesh and Prunty once again set the pace for the Cobbers in the third match of the day against Buena Vista. The two stayed undefeated and put Concordia up 7-0 after two bouts.
Junior 141-pounder Benjamin Bogart saw his first action of the after making a comeback from the latest in a long line of knee injuries. He won a gritty match by picking up the only takedown and adding several minutes of riding time.
When asked how it felt to be back in competition, Bogart said, "It feels very rewarding to have reached this stage in the recovery process, and I'm excited for the possibilities coming."
After a decision win by Bents and a 15-2 major-decision victory by sophomore 157-pounder Bret Wilson, the Cobbers led by the unusual score of 17-minus 1. The Beavers lost a point in the match after being assessed a penalty point for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Spindler won by pin and Frenzel posted a 4-3 decision before Arends added a 9-1 major decision to give the Cobbers 30 team points.
A few tough losses at 197 and 285 brought the final score to 30-8.
The dual meet also featured exhibition matches and freshman 141-pounder AJ Backes had an impressive outing with a pair of pins.
All told, the Cobbers won 28 matches on the day - 22 of which came by bonus points.
UP NEXT: Concordia will get a much-deserved rest and return to action after the Christmas break. The Cobbers will start up in 2020 when they travel to Iowa to participate in the Jim Fox Duals in Dubuque on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Concordia-Moorhead 30, Buena Vista 8
Date: December 14, 2019
Event: Neb. Wesleyan Prairie Wolf Duals
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Start Time: 12:00 p.m.
End Time: 1:35 p.m.
Total Time: 1:35
Individual Match Results:
125 - Cole Kubesh (CC) dec. Byron Flemming (BVU); 5-3 (CC leads 3-0)
133 - Jacob Prunty (CC) maj. dec. Axel Hernandez (BVU); 14-0 (CC leads 7-0)
141 - Benjamin Bogart (CC) dec. Jacob Hanssen (BVU); 3-0 (CC leads 10-0)
149 - Tyler Bents (CC) dec. Collin Stilson (BVU); 8-6 (CC leads 13-0)
157 - Bret Wilson (CC) maj. dec. Teyler Bruch (BVU); 15-2 (CC leads 17-0)
165 - Kaden Spindler (CC) pin Parker Preul (BVU); 1:38 (CC leads 23-0)
174 - Ian Frenzel (CC) dec. Floyd Miller (BVU); 4-3 (CC leads 26-0)
184 - Jake Arends (CC) maj. dec. Stephen White (BVU); 9-1 (CC leads 30-0)
197 - Don Phillips II (BVU) pin Gabe Zierden (CC); 3:43 (CC leads 30-5)
285 - Nick Mitchell (BVU) dec. Austin Ratliff (CC); SV-1, 5-3 (CC wins 30-8)
*- Buena Vista was assessed a point deduction for unsportsmanlike conduct in the match
Saturday recaps sponsored by Bufffalo Wild Wings: Grab your friends and get to B-Dubs on Sunday nights for College Nights at 9 p.m. 50% off 1 food item with ID and $3 apps at the Buffalo Wild Wings located on Hwy 10 in Moorhead.
