The Clash XIII Duals featured 14 great individual matches

Jordan Joseph (right) of St. Michael-Albertville vs Isaac Florell of Totino-Grace. (Photo by Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

By Rob Sherrill

The 13^th edition of The Clash — the prestigious high school dual-meet tournament — recently took place Jan. 2-3 in Rochester, Minn., where Oak Park-River Forest from Illinois won the team championship among 32 schools that were flighted in eight brackets on Day 2 based on Day 1 competition. The following is a closer look at the most significant individual bouts at all 14 weight classes.

106 – Anthony Madrigal, Oak Park-River Forest, over Louie Hayes, Carl Sandburg, 10-1

The first match of the championship dual, between two of the state’s top three 3A 106-pounders – both in the national rankings as well – helped the Huskies breeze to a 16-0 lead. OPRF outscored its six Clash opponents by an average 51-11 margin.

113 – Jack Wagner, Bettendorf, over Tyler Eischens, Anoka, 6-4 OT

As a weight class, 113 pounds lacked individual drama. But in the Bracket D semifinals, Bettendorf trailed Anoka 15-9 after four matches. Wagner, who went 5-1 in the tournament, ignited an eight-match winning streak for the Bulldogs. Bettendorf’s 43-20 victory helped them advance to the Championship Bracket.

120 – Nick Lukanich, Marist, over Alec Kelly, St. Peter’s Prep, 7-2

In the Bracket B semifinals, Marist raced to a 22-0 lead over St. Peter’s Prep. After the Marauders pulled within 22-12, Lukanich scored his victory over state place-winner Kelly and the Redhawks went on to avenge a loss last year, 34-27.

126 – Rudy Yates, Carl Sandburg, over Mitchell McKee, St. Michael-Albertville, 3-1

Yates, who transferred to Sandburg this season after spending two seasons at Chicago Brother Rice, went 6-0 with a pin and three technical falls. But his win over Junior National champion McKee snapped a 13-13 tie and gave Sandburg its first lead en route to a 26-22 victory in the Bracket B semifinals.

132 – Sonny Simonetti, St. Peter’s Prep, over Tanner Thurmond, Jefferson, 3-1 OT

Tied with 14-time defending Georgia champion Jefferson 13-13 in Fourth-Place Bracket competition, St. Peter’s Prep went on a four-match run that included Simonetti’s overtime win over state runner-up Thurmond. The Marauders went on to a 35-24 victory.

138 – Jake Allar, St. Michael-Albertville over Connor Burkert, St. Peter’s Prep, by fall

Many will remember the headlock Allar used to win the Cadet National Greco-Roman title last summer. Now at St. Michael-Albertville after transferring from Golden Valley Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Allar all but sealed the Eagles’ 43-17 victory with his pin in a battle of state place-winners.

145 – Stephan Glasgow, Bound Brook, over Nick Gasbarro, Marist, 5-3

Glasgow racked up victories over Georgia state champion Chase Piperato of Jefferson and Brock Morgan of Apple Valley as well as this win over Gasbarro, part of a four-match run that helped the Crusaders snap a 13-13 tie. Their 35-27 over the Redhawks helped seal Second Bracket supremacy.

152 – Isaiah White, Oak Park-River Forest, over Dayton Racer, Bettendorf, 3-1

There was no team drama on the line – the Huskies blasted the Bulldogs, 51-8 in this Championship-Bracket match – but White prevailed in this battle of nationally-ranked state champions.

160 – Matt Rundell, Oak Park-River Forest, over Owen Webster, Shakopee, 6-1

The Huskies breezed to a 41-0 lead in the Bracket A final before the Sabers won two straight and had state and Cadet National champion Webster taking the mat. But two-time state place-winner Rundell’s victory helped OPRF close out a 53-9 win.

170 – Mark Hall, Apple Valley, over Joshua Ugalde, Bound Brook, technical fall

Apple Valley was nursing a 27-24 lead in the Bracket C final with two matches remaining, but the Eagles had four-time state champion Hall up, and he wrapped up a 32-27 victory with his technical fall over the New Jersey state runner-up.

182 – Jordan Joseph, St. Michael-Albertville, over Isaac Florell, Totino-Grace, 8-3

Joseph edged Florell, 10-9 in the Minnesota State Christmas Tournament semifinals, and if Florell had gained revenge in their Bracket B opener, Totino-Grace would have opened a 23-0 lead. But Joseph’s win helped the Eagles win 51-23. It was the only loss for either wrestler in the competition.

195 – Keegan Moore, Jackson County Central, over Steven Holloway, Mediapolis, 4-3

With double Cadet National champion Moore scoring this victory in the second round of Bracket C competition, the Huskies won the first six matches of the dual and opened up a 31-0 lead. They would need every one of those wins as they held on to win, 39-32.

220 – Rylee Streifel, Prior Lake, over Edgar Silva, Grand Island, 6-0

The 3A dual state runner-up last season, Prior Lake fell far short of its expectations at The Clash, advancing only to the Fifth Bracket. But this battle between wrestlers who finished third in their respective states a year ago went to Streifel, who finished 6-0 in the competition.

285 – Alex Hart, Prior Lake, over Tony Cassioppi, Hononegah, 11-3

The present — Hart was clearly the top heavyweight in the competition — prevailed over the future in the Fifth-Bracket’s final match. Hart, a senior, went 6-0 and pinned every opponent but Cassioppi, a freshman who finished fourth in the Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational prior to the holidays.