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The Bulldogs (22-9-1) were rated in state all season and lost in the Section 5AA finals to Litchfield for the second year in a row. The Dragons (30-2-1) won their first team wrestling title this year by claiming the Class AA championship.

During the regular season, the Bulldogs wrestled the Dragons to a 30-30 tie. The Bulldogs also defeated St. Michael-Albertville, the Class AA runner-up, and Hibbing, the Class AA third-place winner, in the regular season, noted head coach Virg Vagle at the banquet.

Four Bulldog wrestlers advanced individually to state: ninth grader Sean Glenz at 125; senior Adam Christian at 135; senior Ryan Glenz at 171; and senior Marty Engen at 189. Though Engen won two matches and Ryan Glenz beat a defending state champion, none of the PAHS wrestlers placed at state.

For the varsity awards, Ryan Glenz and Christian were selected as the most aggressive; Engen was chosen as hardest worker; and senior Brad Person was chosen as most improved.

Engen and Christian surpassed the 100-career victory plateau this season. Engen finished his career with a record of 129-31, including his record at BBE before transferring to Paynesville as a junior. He is tied for eighth on the Bulldogs' career victory list. He won the Class AA state title at 189 in 2002.

Christian finished his career with a record of 110-50. He is tied for 19th on the Bulldogs' career victory list.

Glenz finished his career five wins short of the 100-win mark. His record as a Bulldog was 95-40.

Glenz and Engen were named as the winners of the Greg Schwartz Scholarship. Glenz won the Jake Dahl/Greg Schwartz Scholarship for the top contribution to football and wrestling.

Individual varsity records for 2002-03 were: Engen 39-3; Christian 31-6; junior Pat Utsch 29-8; Ryan Glenz 29-9; Person 27-14; Sean Glenz 25-11; senior Josh Kerzman 25-17; junior Matt Kerzman 23-17; senior Pat Noonan 23-18; senior Justin Reeck 21-19; ninth grader Joel Kerzman 21-20; sophomore Cory Christensen 15-22; senior Josh Johnson 14-9; sophomore Jack Mueller 13-13; ninth grader Joey Sheridan 11-18; ninth grader Andrew Christian 5-13; ninth grader Keith Klein 2-2; junior Derrick Burris 1-2; eighth grader Aaron Burris 1-2; seventh grader Jordan Spaeth 0-1; seventh grader Cory Spanier 0-2; ninth grader John Hemingson 0-4; and sophomore Jim Jansen 0-5.

The Kerzman family - getting 69 varsity wins from Joel, Josh, and Matt - moved from eighth to fourth all-time among leading wrestling families with 284 total wins.

Adam Christian led the team with 104 takedowns and 36 near falls. Engen was second with 86 takedowns, yielding only nine all season. Sean Glenz was second with 30 near falls, and Utsch was third with 28. Christenson was third with 71 takedowns.

Johnson led the team with 24 reversals, and Matt Kerzman was second with 23.

Ryan Glenz had the fastest pin this seasonÉin 15 seconds.

The Bulldogs will lose nine wrestlers to graduation: Adam Christian, Engen, Austin Fry, Ryan Glenz, Johnson, Josh Kerzman, Noonan, Person, and Reeck.

The Bulldogs' junior varsity finished their season with a record of 12-7. Junior varsity awards went to: Klein for most aggressive; Derrick Burris for hardest worker; and sophomore Todd Thielen for most improved.

Junior high awards went to: seventh grader Jordan Christian for most aggressive; seventh grader Jordan Spaeth for hardest worker; and eighth grader Cole Kampsen and seventh grader Jeff Albright for most improved.