MINNESOTA CLASS A STATE INDIVIDUAL STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT / DAVID SCHUH & TAYLOR SQUIRES
TMB/WWG senior places 5th at state
He might have been wearing a “Panther Basketball” shirt after his state tournament ride ended with a fifth-place finish early Saturday afternoon at Grand Casino Arena, but David Schuh was in full wrestling mode last week — just as he has been for so many years. And the TMB/WWG senior became one of only a number of wrestlers to have his hand raised after the final bout of the his season — and his high school wrestling career for that matter.
“As you watch the medal round matches unfold, it is very apparent how much these matches mean to these kids, especially the seniors,” TMB/WWG coach Karl Campbell said.
In Saturday’s semifinal bout, the third-ranked and fourth-seeded Schuh took on top-seeded Gage Bjerga, a 41-match winner this season from powerhouse Staples-Motley, which won this year’s Class A team title by trampling every team in its way.
Bierga had earned 18-3 and 17-2 technical falls in his first two matches to reach the semifinals against Schuh. A quick takedown put Bierga up 3-0; Schuh got an escape point with 1:03 to go in the first, but Bierga had another takedown with just :08 left in the first. Another takedown at the :46 mark of the second gave Bierga a 9-1 lead that just grew from there to a 15-1 major decision.
“He’s just a stud,” Schuh said of Bierga. He knows everything; I could’ve wrestled a better match, but that kid deserved it. He’s a sophomore, he’s going to go somewhere.”
In Saturday’s consolation semifinal, Schuh was pitted against LPGE-Browerville’s Brodie Pachan, a 44-match winner this year. Pachan carried a 3-1 cushion into the second period and widened that lead to 5-2 before Schuh got on the board with an escape with :37 left.
Another escape pulled Schuh to within 5-3 with 1:57 remaining in regulation, but Pachan countered with a takedown at 1:05 before another Schuh escape point. Schuh was unable to muster much offense the rest of the way and lost 11-4.
“I was hand-fighting tough; he got in a couple shots, which I defended, but I think I was in the driver’s seat for most of it,” Schuh said.
“ The combination of David not defending well and not getting any leg attacks going bit him in this match,” Campbell said. “Pachan came in ranked seventh, and he wrestled a good match to keep David at bay.”
FIFTH-PLACE
Against Benson’s Max Nygaard, Schuh said he felt in control the entire way, even though it was a close 4-1 overtime win.
After a scoreless first period, Schuh went up 1-0 with an escape 30 seconds into the second period. The lead held up until the third when Nygaard — a 42-match winner this season — tied it with 1:21 left in regulation. In overtime, Schuh put himself in a position for a takedown and got it with :22 left to seal the victory.
“I’m definitely disappointed, but I had to shake off (the semifinal loss) and finish with a win,” Schuh said. “I don’t think I could go out a different way.”
Like he did last year when he lost in the semis, Schuh had to find something in himself to bounce back and go out on a winning note. But, it wasn’t easy.
“I get so mad when I lose,” he said. “I hate losing.”
The notion of being done with his high school wrestling career hadn’t hit Schuh until well after his final bout. He said not wrestling will be a major adjustment, but he plans on continuing to be a part of the TMB/WWG wrestling program in some capacity.
FRIDAY
In the state quarterfinals Friday, Schuh, who entered the tournament with a 43-6 record, was matched up against Layne Root of Chatfield, and this one could’ve gone either way. After a scoreless first couple of minutes, Root went up 2-0 with a secondperiod takedown. An escape by Schuh with :51 left in the second cut Root’s lead in half, and Schuh tied it with another escape with 1:55 to go in the third. With time winding down, Schuh scored a late takedown to seal the match with a 5-2 decision.
THURSDAY
In his opener Thursday, Schuh took on Section 8A champ Kamryn Thompson of Fosston-Bagley, who entered the tournament one win shy of 40. Schuh was in control for most of the match, opening up a 7-2 lead on a takedown, and was up 11-2 at the end the first period. Thompson scored two points to make it 11-4, but Schuh increased his lead to 14-4 with 1:17 left and went on to win a 14-7 decision.
“David wrestled confident and was able to put up a lot of points in this match to cruise to a win,” Campbell said.
Schuh, who had finished in sixth place in his first two state appearances, finished the season at 43-6 and is now fourth place on the school’s all-time wins list with a 215-60 career record. He also set the record for pins in a career with 129 — only four other wrestlers in the program have surpassed 100.
