Tigers rally in wrestlebacks

Patience pays off for NRHEG’s Lindell

Tigers battle through first round at state

USC puts two into quarterfinals

NRHEG’s top-ranked Lindell advances to quarters

One only United South Central wrestler remained after the second day of the Class A wrestling tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Third-ranked A.J. Dreyer (26-5) dropped his quarterfinal match against fourth-ranked Brandon Manderschied (32-2) at 215 pounds in a 7-2 decision but advanced through the wrestlebacks to still have a chance at placing.

Dreyer recovered in the wrestlebacks for a 13-1 major decision against Jarrod Norton of New York Mills.

Rebels eighth-grader Dylan Herman (32-6) and senior Dylan Thisius (32-8) saw their state tournament runs come to a close. Thisius earned a wrestleback match at 160 pounds, but lost a 6-3 decision to Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Jarid Groth.

Herman, ranked 10th at 103, faced undefeated and third-ranked Matt Hickerson (38-0) from Ogilvie in the quarterfinals. Herman proved to himself that he could compete with some of the best in the state but he couldn’t take Hickerson down in a 5-4 loss.

“I knew I had a chance with Hickerson, but I didn’t expect it to be that close,” Herman said.

Herman faced ninth-ranked Evan Knudson in the wrestlebacks and Knudson scored back points late to turn a close match into a 5-1 decision against Herman to end Herman’s tournament.