Upset special: Alburnett’s Hoyle beats third rank foe to reach final

DES MOINES - The start of the season brought dreams of a state championship.

The end of the season delivered the possibility of it becoming a reality.

Alburnett's Austin Hoyle knocked off his third straight ranked opponent in the semifinals of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A state tournament Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Hoyle advanced to tonight's 170-pound championship, beating Woodbury Central's second-ranked Gable Verschoor, 6-4, in an overtime tiebreaker. The Pirates have 114 points, leading Clarion-Goldfield-Dows by 29 1/2 points.

'At the beginning of the year, I thought about it,” Hoyle said. 'It seemed like it was a far goal. I knew to get there I had to train hard every day.”

The work paid dividends for the unranked senior, leading to wins over Hinton's fifth-ranked Daniel Bishop in the first round and a come-from-behind win over Sumner-Fredericksburg's No. 4 Trevor Pagel.

'Every single match he wrestled his own game plan, his own style,” Alburnett Coach Kane Thompson said. 'He made a march to the finals. Unbelievable.”

He received words of advice from family, expressing their faith in his ability. The message and his work ethic propelled through the first three rounds.

'They believed in me,” Hoyle said. 'The support and training with my coaches is the ship that sailed me to this point.”

Hoyle (35-15) demonstrated toughness and resolve against Verschoor. He scored a late takedown for a 3-1 lead, but went from punching a ticket to the finals to battling for another minute when Verschoor reversed him to tie it.

Hoyle scored the decisive escape and takedown in the tiebreaker.

Thompson said midway through the season Hoyle improved his knowledge and technique, avoiding fast starts that emptied his gas tank. He had plenty of stamina in the semifinal.

'He started to stay in good position,” Alburnett Coach Kane Thompson said. 'He started to understand wrestling and pick wrestling apart, instead of being a football player that wrestles.”

Lisbon's Carter Happel (54-0) has his sights set on bigger goals and the next on his agenda is a third state title. He could the achievement of his father, Dean, who also wrestled for Lisbon Coach Brad Smith.

'That was the ultimate goal from the start of the season, so it feels pretty good to accomplish it,” Happel said. 'I need to go out tomorrow and take care of business.”

The Lions' junior dominated his way to the 138-pound final with a 21-5 technical fall over Sumner-Fredericksburg's Karsen Seehase. He fired on all cylinders.

'I was kind of slow in my quarterfinal match,” Happel said. 'I didn't get to my offense very well. I wanted to get my offense going right away. That is what I did. I put points on the board.”

Highland's Bryce West suffered disappointment last season when he had to settle for third, while twin brother, Drew West, captured state gold. This time, Bryce West, will wrestle Saturday night, attempting to match his brother's feat. He built an 8-2 lead over Alta-Aurelia's Skylar Solko before getting the second-period fall in the 120 semifinal.

'It means a lot,” Bryce West said about reaching the finals. 'To finally redeem myself and get to where I wanted to be all year. This is what I've been working for the whole year.”

They reversed roles from a year ago. Drew West was upset in the quarterfinals at 113.

Edgewood-Colesburg's top-ranked Sawyer Amling has earned four state medals, but he was subdued after earning his first trip to the championship bout. He didn't celebrate after pinning Dakota Drenth of HMS in 5:52 at 152.

We haven't done anything yet,” Ed-Co Coach Alex Hanna said. 'Getting to the finals was the expectation.

'Anything less than that would be a failure. Getting there is the first step.”

Amling did not want to talk about his performance, but Hanna said he Amling is doing well.

'He's healthy,” Hanna said. 'He's wrestling hard. He is strong and physical. We're excited with our chances.”

He will face Alburnett's Bryce Paul, who returned to the finals for the second straight year, beating English Valleys' Zach Axmear. It is a rematch of the district final won by Amling.

'They know each other inside and out,” Hanna said. 'It's one of those matches whoever shows up will be the champion. It can go both ways.”

Maquoketa Valley's Ryan Parmely moved on at 220, looking for his second straight title, dropping AGWSR's Clay Meinders, 11-7. Alburnett's Hunter Washburn (132) reached the finals, going for a third title after not place a year ago. He beat Southeast Warren's Jake Hunderdosse, 7-3. The Pirates' Conner Shulista made the 145-pound finals, beating Audubon's Brad Kerkhoff, 13-6, and helping Alburnett pull away in the team race.

Tipton's Eric Lenz reached the 113-pound final, beating Fort Dodge St. Edmond's Cole Allison, 8-4.

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