RAPID CITY – Aberdeen Central advanced five wrestlers to the semifinals following the opening day of action at the Rapid City Invitational Friday at the Monument. Those results, plus three others who fell in quarterfinals action, put the Golden Eagles in a tie for fifth place midway through the prestigious early-season tournament.
“They showed fight,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “They went out and got after it. This is a really tough tournament.”
Central’s semifinals qualifiers include Jackson Dargatz at 126 pounds, Mason Backous at 132, Ridley Waldo at 157, Grayden Timm at 175 and Owen Ward at 190. Ward, Timm and Waldo each won all three of their opening-day matches via bonus-point victories.
But the sparkplug of the day may very well have been newcomer Backous.
“I think he’s surprising the world right now,” Bowden said. “He’s come out and beat some really, really quality opponents, and he’s done it in a big way.”
The five semifinalists will be joined on the mats by Bailey Gillen (113), Esten Foss (120) and Porter Lozenski (157), all of whom fell in quarterfinal action.
After a pair of dual victories on Thursday followed by stiff competition on Friday, Bowden said the message to his team heading into Saturday’s action is simple – keep wrestling.
“Don’t lose the fight,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to. Stay after it, stay hungry. We don’t stop halfway.”
106 – Henry Gillen
Champ. Round 1 – Henry Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Henry Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 won by decision over Noah Horsley (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 3-6 (Dec 6-4)
Champ. Round 3 – Cole Scott (Custer) 6-2 won by fall over Henry Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 (Fall 1:40)
Cons. Round 4 – Karsten Kilgore (Kelly Walsh) 2-1 won by decision over Henry Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 (Dec 7-4)
113 – Bailey Gillen
Champ. Round 1 – Bailey Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 6-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Bailey Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 6-1 won by fall over Eli Benson (Killdeer) 4-5 (Fall 2:40)
Champ. Round 3 – Bailey Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 6-1 won by decision over Rylan McCormick (Thunder Basin High School) 2-1 (Dec 9-7)
Quarterfinal – Caden Roe (West Central) 10-0 won by decision over Bailey Gillen (Aberdeen Central) 6-1 (Dec 6-4)
113 – Lawsen Stewart
Champ. Round 1 – Lawsen Stewart (Aberdeen Central) 3-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Lawsen Stewart (Aberdeen Central) 3-2 won by fall over Hazen Rutz (Hot Springs) 6-3 (Fall 5:12)
Champ. Round 3 – Deklin Titus (Valentine) 4-2 won by major decision over Lawsen Stewart (Aberdeen Central) 3-2 (MD 10-0)
Cons. Round 4 – Nolan Genereux (Sheyenne) 1-2 won by decision over Lawsen Stewart (Aberdeen Central) 3-2 (Dec 8-3)
120 – Esten Foss
Champ. Round 1 – Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) 5-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) 5-1 won by fall over Damian Janish (Yankton) 5-3 (Fall 1:42)
Champ. Round 3 – Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) 5-1 won by decision over Jack Clemenson (Sheyenne) 7-3 (Dec 4-3)
Quarterfinal – Blake Hawkins (Eaton) 9-0 won by major decision over Esten Foss (Aberdeen Central) 5-1 (MD 10-2)
126 – Jackson Dargatz
Champ. Round 1 – Jackson Dargatz (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Jackson Dargatz (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by fall over John Ryder Weiss (Hot Springs) 6-2 (Fall 4:12)
Champ. Round 3 – Jackson Dargatz (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by decision over Tarver Zebroski (Sturgis Brown) 5-5 (Dec 6-2)
Quarterfinal – Jackson Dargatz (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by decision over Chase Mathews (Watertown) 9-1 (Dec 4-0)
132 – Mason Backous
Champ. Round 1 – Mason Backous (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Mason Backous (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by fall over Sulley Krenz (Williston) 8-3 (Fall 5:02)
Champ. Round 3 – Mason Backous (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by decision over Parker Graveman (Sturgis Brown) 10-2 (Dec 11-10)
Quarterfinal – Mason Backous (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by major decision over Wyatt Davidson (Harrisburg) 6-4 (MD 12-0)
138 – Logan Heier
Champ. Round 1 – Logan Heier (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Garet Huston (Belle Fourche) 5-3 won by fall over Logan Heier (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 (Fall 1:38)
Cons. Round 2 – Logan Heier (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Anthony Morales (Gering) 8-2 won by fall over Logan Heier (Aberdeen Central) 4-4 (Fall 1:20)
144 – Marlon Batistat
Champ. Round 1 – Marlon Batista (Aberdeen Central) 5-3 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Langdon Klinkhammer (West Central) 9-1 won by fall over Marlon Batista (Aberdeen Central) 5-3 (Fall 2:44)
Cons. Round 2 – Quade Siemens (Natrona County) 4-1 won by fall over Marlon Batista (Aberdeen Central) 5-3 (Fall 2:57)
150 – Hunter Opitz
Champ. Round 1 – Hunter Opitz (Aberdeen Central) 5-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Hunter Opitz (Aberdeen Central) 5-5 won by decision over Jericho Morgan (Douglas/Rapid City Christian) 2-4 (Dec 5-3)
Champ. Round 3 – Jordan Schafer (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 8-1 won by tech fall over Hunter Opitz (Aberdeen Central) 5-5 (TF-1.5 3:34 (21-5))
Cons. Round 4 – Hunter Opitz (Aberdeen Central) 5-5 won by fall over Evan Hirsch (Mitchell) 1-4 (Fall 1:42)
Cons. Round 5 – Trell Gorsuch (Gering) 9-3 won by decision over Hunter Opitz (Aberdeen Central) 5-5 (Dec 4-3)
157 – Ridley Waldo
Champ. Round 1 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by fall over David Lewis (Custer) 4-7 (Fall 1:28)
Champ. Round 3 – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by major decision over Logan Johns (Harrisburg) 7-3 (MD 11-2)
Quarterfinal – Ridley Waldo (Aberdeen Central) 9-0 won by fall over Blake Edwards (Thunder Basin High School) 2-1 (Fall 1:31)
157 – Porter Lozenski
Champ. Round 1 – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by tech fall over Shea Deering (Sturgis Brown) 6-3 (TF-1.5 3:05 (19-4))
Champ. Round 3 – Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by fall over Landon Cronin (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 2-4 (Fall 1:31)
Quarterfinal – Conner Giedd (Canton) 3-0 won by fall over Porter Lozenski (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 (Fall 2:59)
175 – Grayden Timm
Champ. Round 1 – Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by fall over Xavier Donovan (Chamberlain) 6-2 (Fall 4:30)
Champ. Round 3 – Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by fall over Cole Lardy (Bismarck) 7-5 (Fall 1:35)
Quarterfinal – Grayden Timm (Aberdeen Central) 8-1 won by major decision over Porter Hunsley (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 8-3 (MD 13-0)
175 – Kaylor Swenson
Champ. Round 1 – Kaylor Swenson (Aberdeen Central) 4-2 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Kaylor Swenson (Aberdeen Central) 4-2 won by fall over Lucas Ramirez (Worland) 2-2 (Fall 0:10)
Champ. Round 3 – Ethan Hague (Kelly Walsh) 2-1 won by tech fall over Kaylor Swenson (Aberdeen Central) 4-2 (TF-1.5 5:10 (18-3))
Cons. Round 4 – James Fitzpatrick (Brookings) 3-4 won by fall over Kaylor Swenson (Aberdeen Central) 4-2 (Fall 4:58)
190 – Owen Ward
Champ. Round 1 – Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) 7-0 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) 7-0 won by fall over Chevy Eppens (Rapid City Central) 1-5 (Fall 1:47)
Champ. Round 3 – Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) 7-0 won by tech fall over Blake Kannegieter (Brookings) 4-2 (TF-1.5 4:35 (19-1))
Quarterfinal – Owen Ward (Aberdeen Central) 7-0 won by tech fall over Will Eilers (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 7-3 (TF-1.5 5:36 (16-0))
215 – Hunter Herceg
Champ. Round 1 – Hunter Herceg (Aberdeen Central) 3-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Jonas Crouse (Bismarck) 7-4 won by fall over Hunter Herceg (Aberdeen Central) 3-5 (Fall 2:50)
Cons. Round 2 – Hunter Herceg (Aberdeen Central) 3-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Hunter Herceg (Aberdeen Central) 3-5 won by fall over Mason Fosness (Mitchell) 1-5 (Fall 1:46)
Cons. Round 4 – Lukas Balfanz (Campbell County) 2-1 won by tech fall over Hunter Herceg (Aberdeen Central) 3-5 (TF-1.5 3:27 (16-0))
