Prairie's lineup shuffling proves beneficial as Hawks qualify for state duals

CEDAR RAPIDS – Getting to the state duals tournament takes a team effort, and No. 6 Cedar Rapids Prairie got one Wednesday night.

The Prairie Hawks defeated No. 14 North Scott, 51-21, in the Prairie gym to earn their fifth straight trip to the Class 3A state duals.

Prairie (19-3) is the fifth seed and opens against Johnston (21-2) at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

'We want to leave (for state) Tuesday night,' Prairie Coach Kane Thompson said.

State duals are Feb. 17 and the traditional state tournament starts the next day.

'I told the team you can't expect it just because it happens quite often. We had to perform tonight.'

After the starting weight was drawn at 120 pounds, Thompson asked Marcus England, who is ranked fifth at 113, if he'd move up a weight for the team.

'He gave me the option,' England said. 'I wanted the opportunity to be the guy to get us going.'

England engineered a 9-0 major decision over Mayson Shannon.

'We didn't want to start the night with a forfeit,' Thompson said. 'It's nice our wrestlers are willing to do what it takes.'

With an injury to their regular 138-pounder, the Prairie Hawks also shuffled Sam Uthoff — ranked No. 1 at 132 — up a weight. Junior Lucas Harmening stepped in at 132.

'It was my fourth varsity match,' Harmening said. 'I was pumped up to be able to go out there.'

It showed. Harmening pinned Quuentin Albright with a double armbar in the second period and it sparked a string of eight straight Prairie Hawk wins.

By the time fourth-ranked Taylor Mehmen got a 58-second pin at 195, Prairie was ahead 47-6 and could confirm those Tuesday night hotel reservations in Des Moines.

'I feel proud as a coach to know we have kids willing to do that,' Thompson said. 'Lucas has been hurt, he's wrestled JV and has settled into his role for the team, but he stepped up when we needed him.'

Harmening is certainly a dangerous back-up, spending most of his days battling in the Prairie weight room with Uthoff.

'It makes me better,' Harmening said. 'But it is a lot of work.'

North Scott (22-9) beat No. 23 Ottumwa, 44-24, in the 3A semifinal to open the night, but never got much going against Prairie.

Collin Lewis had a pin at 126 to put the Lancers ahead 6-4, but North Scott didn't score any more team points until their ranked wrestlers took the mat at 220 and 285.

'I'm glad it's not Saturday,' North Scott Coach Drew Kelly said, looking ahead to 3A Sectionals. 'We didn't get it going. It wasn't our best performance by any mean

In the one match featuring two ranked wrestlers, Prairie's Conrad Braswell, ranked 5th at 106, wrangled a 10-0 major decision over Riley Thomas, ranked 10th.

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