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The Dogs beat Bloomington Kennedy 37-23, Chatfield 51-25, and South St. Paul 59-18 but were edged by Henry Sibley 38-37. (Bloomington Kennedy beat Henry Sibley 45-23 to give the Dogs the pool title based on total point differential.)

The ten-team tournament was divided into two five-team pools. The Dogs, rated #6 in Class A, won Pool B, while Albert Lea Area, rated #1 in Class AAA, won Pool A, going 4-0, with their closest match being a 28-22 victory over Scott West, rated #7 in Class AA.

Against South St. Paul, the Dogs got nine pins and won 11 matches in beating the Packers 59-18. Eighth grader Hayden Spaeth (103), senior Joe Sheridan (119), ninth grader Jon Kerzman (130), senior Keith Klein (140), junior Aaron Burris (152), senior Sean Glenz (160), senior Dustin Utsch (171), sophomore Kevin Klein (189), and sophomore Luke Frank (275) recorded pins for the Dogs. Sophomore Cody Fuchs (125) and sophomore Ryan Gale (145) added decisions for the Dogs, who would have scored 60 but lost a point for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Against Bloomington Kennedy, the Dogs led only 18-17 with five weights to go but won four of the last five weights to win 37-23. Glenz started a run of four straight wins with a major decision at 160, which was followed by senior Aaron Bachman winning a decision at 171, giving the Dogs a 25-17 lead.

Senior Dustin Utsch and sophomore Kevin Klein then delivered back-to-back pins at 189 and 215, giving the Dogs a 37-17 lead before the Eagles won at 275.

Other winners for the Dogs were: sophomore Jordan Christian by pin at 112; Sheridan by decision at 119; senior A.J. Christian by pin at 135; and Keith Klein by pin at 140. The back-to-back pins by A.J. Christian and Keith Klein gave the Dogs an 18-11 lead, which they would not relinquish. (The Eagles also lost a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.)

The Dogs won the final six weights - including three forfeits - to turn a 25-18 deficit into a 51-25 victory over Chatfield. Burris started the run with a pin at 152, Bachman won a 9-7 decision at 171, and Frank recorded a pin at 275.

Chatfield forfeited at 160, 189, and 215.

The Dogs scored their first 18 points against Chatfied with pins by Jordan Christian (112), Sheridan (119), and Keith Klein (140).

Henry Sibley, however, beat the Dogs by rallying from a 37-23 deficit, winning the final three weights, and edging the Dogs 38-37.

Henry Sibley took leads of 12-0 and 23-4 before the Dogs rallied. Trailing 23-4, A.J. Christian got a pin at 135 to start a six-win streak for the Dogs. Keith Klein followed with a pin at 140, Gale followed with a pin at 145, Glenz won by decision at 152, giving the Dogs their first lead at 25-23, and Burris and Bachman recorded back-to-back pins at 160 and 171 to give the Dogs a 37-23 lead.

Sheridan scored the Dogs first points with a major decision at 119.

The two teams split the 14 weights with each winning seven. Each team had five pins, but Henry Sibley also had a technical fall and decision while the Dogs had a major decision and decision.

This week, the Dogs (13-4) will host their annual Paynesville Invitational on Saturday with five teams slated to wrestle: Dassel-Cokato, Paynesville, Scott West, Thief River Falls, and Waseca. Junior varsity action starts at 9:30 a.m. and the varsity at 11 a.m. Wrestling will be continuous throughout the day. The finals should start in the late afternoon.

Scott West, rated #7 in Class AA, has won this tournament for three straight years.

The Dogs also will host a home meet on Tuesday, Jan. 17, where they will wrestle three matches. They will wrestle LPGE at 5 p.m. (with their junior varsity facing the LPGE JV); they will wrestle Litch at 6:30 p.m. (with LPGE wrestling the Trinity School at River Ridge); and they will wrestle the Trinity School at River Ridge, a new section rival, at 8 p.m. (with their junior varsities squaring off at the same time).

Dogs 59, South St. Paul 18
103-Hayden Spaeth (P) pinned Jesse Munos, 0:58; 112-Danny Museus (SSP) pinned Jeff Albright, 3:35; 119-Joe Sheridan (P) pinned Jake Thiskie, 3:28; 125-Cody Fuchs (P) dec. Eric Mesiano, 8-2; 130-Jon Kerzman (P) pinned Tommy Buckman, 4:48; 135-Mike Munos (SSP) pinned A.J. Christian, 1:25; 140-Keith Klein (P) pinned Lucas Foster, 1:18; 145-Ryan Gale (P) dec. Vinny Branchaud, 10-7; 152-Aaron Burris (P) pinned Jake Hannah, 0:53; 160-Sean Glenz (P) pinned Mike Galley, 3:35; 171-Dustin Utsch (P) pinned Mike Comer, 1:45; 189-Kevin Klein (P) pinned Tim Comer, 0:47; 215-Mario Cassillos (SSP) won by forfeit; 275-Luke Frank (P) pinned Same Sevile, 0:49.

Dogs 37, Bloomington Kennedy 23
103-Dylan Ness (BK) maj. dec. Hayden Spaeth, 16-8; 112-Jordan Christian (P) dec. Bobby Fischer, 7-5; 119-Joe Sheridan (P) dec. Mike Holman, 10-4; 125-Hiev Pham (BK) tech. falled Cody Fuchs, 20-5; 130-Timmy Fischer (BK) dec. Jon Kerzman, 10-6; 135-A.J. Christian (P) pinned Carl Maiers, 0:33; 140-Keith Klein (P) pinned Robert Auerbach, 3:04; 145-Matt Newlin (BK) dec. Ryan Gale, 9-3; 152-Tony Lembeck (BK) dec. Aaron Burris, 5-2; 160-Sean Glenz (P) maj. dec. Tommy Sanders, 15-2; 171-Aaron Bachman (P) dec. Luke Erickson, 7-3; 189-Dustin Utsch (P) pinned Eric Amundson, 5:07; 215-Kevin Klein (P) pinned Ryan Foster, 1:33; 275-Matt Stark (BK) pinned Luke Frank, 5:20.

Dogs 51, Chatfield 25
103-Josh Finley (C) pinned Hayden Spaeth, 0:23; 112-Jordan Christian (P) pinned Jordan Hanson, 1:09; 119-Joe Sheridan (P) pinned Chris Finley, 3:53; 125-Tyler Clement (C) tech. falled Cody Fuchs, 17-2; 130-A. Young (C) maj. dec. Jon Kerzman, 15-5; 135-Chad Curry (C) maj. dec. A.J. Christian, 12-4; 140-Keith Klein (P) pinned Luke Bogom, 1:16; 145-Matt Merrick (C) pinned Ryan Gale, 1:33; 152-Aaron Burris (P) pinned Kurtis Harcey, 0:47; 160-Sean Glenz (P) won by forfeit; 171-Aaron Bachman (P) dec. Kyle Johnson, 9-7; 189-Dustin Utsch (P) won by forfeit; 215-Kevin Klein (P) won by forfeit; 275-Luke Frank (P) pinned Chad Pedretti, 2:48.

Henry Sibley 38, Dogs 37
103-Zak Coats (HS) pinned Hayden Spaeth, 3:39; 112-Mason Young (HS) pinned Jeff Albright, 1:17; 119-Joe Sheridan (P) maj. dec. Charlie Berg, 23-11; 125-Jeremy Kelly (HS) pinned Cody Fuchs, 3:56; 130-Matt Bergdahl (HS) tech. falled Jon Kerzman, 25-9; 135-A.J. Christian (P) pinned John Keenan, 1:15; 140-Keith Klein (P) pinned Andrew Goette, 1:00; 145-Ryan Gale (P) pinned Taylor Pass, 1:03; 152-Sean Glenz (P) dec. Dan Kirchner, 16-9; 160-Aaron Burris (P) pinned Zach Arndt, 3:11; 171-Aaron Bachman (P) pinned Eric Finley, 3:57; 189-Troy Beaman (HS) pinned Dustin Utsch, 3:41; 215-Corey Washington (HS) dec. Kevin Klein, 7-5; 275-Nick Lund (HS) pinned Luke Frank, 2:28.

Paynesville 66, Melrose 6
The Dogs rolled to an easy conference win at home against Melrose on Thursday, Jan. 5. The Dogs swept the first 12 weights, building a 66-0 lead, and won 66-6 to remain undefeated in the West Central Conference North (3-0).

In their 12 wins against Melrose, the Dogs got six forfeits, three pins, a technical fall, a major decision, and a decision. Winning by pin for the Dogs were: senior Keith Klein at 145; senior Aaron Bachman at 160; and senior Dustin Utsch at 189. Senior Joe Sheridan added a technical fall at 119, sophomore Jeff Albright won by major decision at 112, and senior A.J. Christian won by decision at 140.

Paynesville 66, Melrose 6
103-Hayden Spaeth (P) won by forfeit; 112-Jeff Albright (P) maj. dec. Kris Wensmann, 11-0; 119-Joe Sheridan (P) tech. falled Ryan Barthel, 21-4; 125-Aaron Gehrke (P) won by forfeit; 130-Justin Wendlandt (P) won by forfeit; 135-Jon Kerzman (P) won by forfeit; 140-A.J. Christian (P) dec. Nate Klaphake, 10-7; 145-Keith Klein (P) pinned Kirby Wensmann, 3:55; 152-Aaron Burris (P) won by forfeit; 160-Aaron Bachman (P) pinned Tyler Petermeier, 3:52; 171-Sean Glenz (P) won by forfeit; 189-Dustin Utsch (P) pinned Thomas Holdvogt, 1:26; 215-Dan Koecker (M) pinned Luke Frank, 1:38; 275-Double forfeit.