The name is synonymous with wrestling greatness in the state of Iowa.
Charles City freshman Jesse Etherington is the latest to carry the torch.
Jesse, a third generation wrestler whose dad and grandpa were both state champs for Algona, knows his way around the mat.
He knows the way to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines as well. It’s a trip the family will have no problem getting used to.
Etherington was one of the showstoppers at Saturday’s Class 2A district meet in Lake Mills, knocking off third-rated and previously unbeaten Tre Rutz of Humboldt 1-0 in their 125-pound title match.
“My family gives me the confidence,” said Etherington, whose dad was a state champ in 1983 while his grandpa did the same in 1960. “It’s going to be pretty sweet. I want to get to the semis and see what happens from there.”
Etherington said being in the room with former state champ Tanner Schmidt, a district champ of his own on Saturday, has paid dividends.
Etherington and Schmidt were two of four (Dalton Schutjer and Mark Tiedemann were the others) district champs for the Comets. Osage also crowned four district champs while Clear Lake had the most qualifiers with seven and won the district with 101 points.
But much of the talk revolved around Etherington (29-6) on Saturday, who isn’t ranked but will be a tough out in Des Moines.
“We go at it every day and it’s about even,” said Schmidt, now a senior who was a state champ as a sophomore. “He’s tough. If he lands on the right side of the bracket you could see me and him in the the finals at state. That would be great. (Saturday) was big for him.”
Etherington said going against Schmidt, who is about as strong as they come at 130 pounds, has helped him transform from a good wrestler to one that will by vying for a spot on the podium this week in Des Moines.
“I had to learn how to wrestle at the high school level,” Etherington said. “I had to be more physical. Tanner is pretty strong and has taught me a lot.”
While Etherington scrapped to a 1-0 victory in his title bout, Schutjer, the Comets’ 189-pounder, took a different route.
Schutjer, ranked sixth, overcame a 10-2 deficit to No. 7 James Morris of Emmetsburg before recording a second-period pin.
“I knew I could turn him,” Schutjer said. “There hasn’t been anybody I haven’t turned all year. I just had to do what I know how to do.”
In another high-profile match, Osage’s Trevor Hejhal (No. 1 at 135) beat Emmetsburg’s Skyler Rice (No. 4) for the second time this year via a takedown in overtime. He trailed 3-1 in the third period before winning 5-3.
“I was just thinking I had to stay in good position and wrestle smart,” said Hejhal, who moved to 38-2. “Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to be a state champ. That’s where I want to be. I’m working hard to get there and hopefully I’ll get there.”
Jobe Goodale continued his superb run through the tournament by pinning No. 6 Isaac Lundgren of Emmetsburg at 112 pounds while Brent Blaser (140) and Brad Ringhofer (171) each won district titles for the Green Devils.
“I know we practice just as hard as anybody,” Hejhal said.
One of the days high-tension moments came roughly 10 minutes after the meet started when Clear Lake’s second-rated (119) Jacob Colon was taken to his back twice in the first period in his bout against Emmetsburg’s Justin Studer.
“My heart sunk and there was nothing we could do,” Clear Lake coach Gary Weber said of the near pins. “He fought out of it and got cradled again and was down 8-0. It was crazy.”
Colon stormed back to win the match with a second-period pin and later went on to beat No. 4 Cole Anderson of Forest City 9-4 in the finals. Colon was the lone champ for the Lions.
“We have a lot of scratchers and fighters,” Weber said. “I feel bad for the ones that didn’t make it but we feel fortunate to get seven.
“(Levi) Kellogg didn’t wrestle last year and was 10-20 as a sophomore and he made it. Jordan Dahl was 4-15 and is now going to state. It’s ridiculous. These kids did everything our coaching staff asked. We have seven coaches that have given the kids the attention they need.”
Team Standings
State qualifiers in parenthesis
Clear Lake 101 (7), Emmetsburg/A-R 92 (4), Charles City 88.5 (4), Osage 79.5 (4) Algona 55 (3), Forest City 34.5 (2), Spirit Lake 30 (1), LMNK 26 (1), Hampton-Dumont 24 (1), Humboldt 22 (1), Laurens-Marathon 8 (0).
Championship matches
103 — Doug Miner (SL) pinned Matt Bieber (CL), 3:28. 112 — Jobe Goodale (O) pinned Isaac Lundgren (E), 5:39. 119 — Jacob Colon (CL) dec. Cole Anderson (FC), 9-4. 125 — Jesse Etherington (CC) dec. Tre Rutz (H), 1-0. 130 — Tanner Schmidt (CC) dec. Brady Horner (CL), 3-0. 135 — Trevor Hejhal (O) dec. Skyler Rice (E), 5-3. 140 — Brent Blaser (O) dec. James Moran (CL), 4-0. 145 — Sorenson (FC) pinned Kopriva (CL), 3:33. 152 — Royce Byrnes (LMNK) dec. Jordan Dahl (CL), 4-3. 160 — Joe Naig (E) major dec. Kyle Walker (A), 14-6. 171 — Brad Ringhofer (O) major dec. Levi Kellogg (CL), 10-1. 189 — Dalton Schutjer (CC) pinned Jacob Morris (E), 4:50. 215 — Logan Johnson (A) dec. Patrick Hansen (HD), 3-1. 285 — Mark Tiedemann (CC) dec. Jake Brekken (LMNK), 6-3.
Semifinals
103 – Doug Miner (CL) pinned Austin Hoeft (CC), :33; Matt Bieber (CL) dec. Tyler Leuer (E), 8-2. 112 — Isaac Lundgren (E) major dec. Alex Brown (HD), 4-1; Jobe Goodale tech. fall Colton Schnetzer (H), 17-2. 119 — Cole Anderson (FC) tech. fall Jake Adams (A), 18-3; Jacob Colon (CL) pinned Justin Studer (E), 2:52. 125 — Tre Rutz (H) dec. Austin Horner (CL), 9-2; Jesse Etherington (CC) major dec. Dylan Bryce, 12-3. 130 — Brady Horner (CL) major dec. Brady Bailey (E), 15-2; Tanner Schmidt (CC) tech. fall Nick Olthoff (H), 19-2. 135 — Skyler Rice (E) dec. Tyler Mitchell (CC), 8-5; Trevor Hejhal (O) recieved a bye. 140 — James Moran (CL) major dec. Eric Spencer (A), 12-2; Brent Blaser (O) pinned Jacob Stubbs (E) 3:14. 145 — Jake Kopriva (CL) dec. Austin McCartan (E), 11-5; Aaron Sorenson (FC) major dc. Rick Maris (SL), 12-3. 152 — Royce Byrnes (LMNK) dec. Andrew Wellik (E), 2-1; Jordan Dahl (CL) dec. Jake Larson (A), 6-5. 160 — Joe Naig (E) pinned Ryan Randall (O), 3:54; Kyle Walker (A) dec. Ryan Chaney (HD), 1-0. 171 — Levi Kellogg (CL) dec. Ethan Lindquist (LM), 6-4; Brad Ringhofer (O) major dec. Rick Wilson (SL), 16-4. 189 — Jacob Morris (E) dec. Logan Kellogg (CL), 9-3; Dalton Schutjer (CC) pinned Mitchell Erpelding (A), 2:11. 215 — Logan Johnson (A) pinned Brian Halligan (CC), :22; Patrick Hansen (HD) pinned Gable Bonner (ELC), 3:04. 285 — Mark Tiedemann (CC), dec. Brandon Keller (A), 6-3; Jake Brekken (LMNK) major dec. Shae Heinrichs (SL), 13-5.
Wrestlebacks
119 — Anderson pinned Studer, 1:12. 125 — Rutz (H) pinned Bryce, 1:50. 130 — Horner dec. Olthoff, 10-3. 152 — Dahl dec. Wellik, 3-1. 160 — Walker dec. Randall, 7-5. 215 — Hansen dec. Halligan, 7-3. 285 — Keller (A) pinned Brekken, 2:56.