Bettendorf edges Prairie for Five Seasons Duals crown

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Prairie made a statement, but just missed adding the exclamation mark at the end.

The Hawks message was very clear, and that is they can contend with some of the best teams in the region.

Prairie earned a runner-up finish Saturday at the Five Seasons Duals, dropping nationally-ranked and defending champ Kaukauna (Wis.) before falling 38-33 to Class 3A Bettendorf in the finals at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Both duals came down to the final match to determine the winner. The Bulldogs won the final four matches, preventing Prairie from pulling out victory in the final weight for the second straight dual.

'We were on both ends of the spectrum,” Prairie Coach Blake Williams said. 'We were on the good end the first meet and the short end on the second one.

'Those are two perfect examples of why this is a team sport. So many people think wrestling is just an individual sport, but when you get in meets like that it's a team sport.”

The Hawks had Bettendorf on ropes with a 15-point lead with four matches left. Top-ranked Jack Wagner (113) and Jacob Schwam (120) posted falls to cut the deficit to 33-30 with two to go.

Bettendorf's seventh-ranked Jackson Gallagher took the mat at 126 pounds against No. 2 Sam Uthoff, who sealed Prairie's 30-27 semifinal win over Kaukauna, which is ranked 32nd nationally. Another win and Prairie would have at least a six-point lead with tiebreaker criteria in its favor.

In the previous round, Gallagher helped the Bulldogs beat Linn-Mar, 57-12, in the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Noah Ajram, who is ranked fifth at 120. He capped a strong showing with a 7-4 victory, setting up top-ranked Paul Glynn's technical fall at 132 to claim the title.

'He had an awesome day,” Knight said. 'Performances like that were big, because if he doesn't win that … we were dead.”

Gallagher trailed 3-0 in the waning seconds of the second period, scoring a takedown as time expired. He followed it with a third period takedown and late nearfall points.

'He kept focused,” Bettendorf Coach Dan Knight said. 'He's a long body at 126 and he's figured out how to use that to his advantage.”

The Bulldogs were powered by the pin, getting five against the Hawks. Bonus points loomed large. Bettendorf was able to tally them and prevent Prairie from doing the same.

'A team like that, that has six or seven hammers, you have to find a way to save some points and you have to capitalize on getting bonus points,” Williams said. 'We let a few matches slip by without getting bonus points and just couldn't not give up big bonus points. It's huge.”

The Hawks received a big contribution from second-ranked 106-pound junior Marcus England. He had falls in the final two rounds, decking Bettendorf's Mason Morris in 47 seconds for a 33-18 lead.

'You have to think about yourself in the match, but you also have to think about your team,” England said. 'I knew that was something I needed to do, so if I could get it then definitely go for it.

'I always try to get bonus points because every point counts in a match like that.”

England finished with three pins and a forfeit for the Hawks. Dominance is a product of his performance and not necessarily on his mind when he takes the mat.

'I don't think of it that way,” England said. 'I just come out and put forth my best effort to see what I can do.”

Coming up short in the final didn't overshadow the semifinal win, trailing 22-3 until winning six straight matches and seven of the last eight.

'It's always tough to take a loss, because no one wants to lose,” England said. 'It was a great victory against Kaukauna. They are a very tough team. I think we really came together as a team.”

Williams said the duals were a learning experience. He added that the Hawks can compete with anybody.

'We have to get better in all positions,” Williams said. 'The fight was there. We just have to get technically better.”

In addition to wins over Prairie and Linn-Mar, the Bulldogs rolled over Charles City, 62-18, in the quarterfinals. Knight said the Bulldogs are starting to transfer lessons learned in practice to competition.

'It's big for us as a team,” Knight said. 'We've been preaching this is the kind of stuff we have to do come February. This is a step.”

Linn-Mar finished fourth, handling Urbandale (53-21) and West Delaware (48-27). The Lions lost to Kaukauna, 60-12, in the final round.

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