Although TMB/WWG junior Taylor Squires didn’t make the podium at this year’s Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament, he didn’t walk away empty handed.
“The thing I learned and which I’m most thankful for wrestling at state, is that it really exposed my weaknesses,” he said. “Anything I do in regular matches that sometimes works … when you go up to state, everything has to be perfect. It really just showed what I’m lacking — just small details that I wouldn’t notice wrestling a kid from around here.”
Squires, a junior, began his tournament in the 121-pound division against Kenyon-Wanamingo’s 39-match winner Ryan Lacanne. Neither Squires nor Lacanne were able to put up any points in the first period, but in the second, Lacanne scored a takedown with :16 left. He got another in the third to seal it, 6-1. Lacanne would go on to take second place.
PANTHER 121-POUNDER TAYLOR SQUIRES had his hands full with Kenyon Wannamingo’s Ryan Lacanne in his opening bout at state. Squires lost a 6-1 decision to the eventual second-place finisher.
“It was a good match,” said coach Karl Campbell. “You never know how a kid is going to react in their first match in the state tourney. I felt like Taylor went after it; he got in on a couple of shots and just wasn’t able to finish with points.”
LaCanne went in as a five seed but was ranked second in the state; he knocked off a returning state champ in the semifinals.
“He has very heavy hands; his hand fighting is very good, and that makes it really hard to set up shots on him,” Squires said. “You can’t create angles on him, so every shot has to be strategic.”
On Friday in his wrestleback match, Squires went up against Isaiah Duberowski of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie. Squires led 3-0 after a first-period takedown, and then pinned Duberowski in 1:16.
“Taylor dominated from the start,” Campbell said. “He scored on an early single leg takedown and then powered him over for the fall. Taylor used a couple of the techniques in this match that got him into the state tournament.”
In the next round Friday, Squires took on Jackson Dietman of Royalton-Upsala, who won his first-round match. Squires trailed 3-0 at the end of the first period, and Dietman built on that lead, never letting Squires gain any ground en route to an 11-5 decision, ending Squires’ tournament.
“They had a good scout on how to shut down Taylor’s offense, and did a good job defending and then getting their offense going,” Campbell said. “Taylor had a good first state tournament. We wanted to get him on the podium, and I think he proved to himself he belongs in this tournament.
Squires finished the year 43-7 and is 83-27 for his career.
“Both of our guys competed hard, and represented our program and school with class,” Campbell said of Squires and David Schuh, who took fifth at 139 pounds. “Both sacrificed during the season for the team when we needed them to do so. I’m very proud of both of these guys in their efforts this past weekend.”
