Naaktgeboren brothers help Linn-Mar reach state duals semifinals for first time since 2002

DES MOINES — Their last name is hard to spell.

It can also be difficult to pronounce.

But finding a way to beat Linn-Mar wrestling brothers Kane and Tate Naakteboren proves to be an even more onerous task.

Kane, ranked third at 132 pounds by IAwrestle.com, and Tate, the top-ranked 170-pounder in Class 3A, provided nothing but pins Wednesday as the Lions advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2002 at Wells Fargo Arena. They narrowly lost to Waukee Northwest, 35-33, in the third-place match to take fourth.

“I’m crazy proud of all these guys,” said Tate Naaktgeboren, who won by fall in all three matches. “All these guys have been putting in hard work all year, varsity and JV included. Everyone’s pushing each other to get better. Everyone loves wrestling. So we come in with smiles on our faces and just have fun with the sport. That’s when you see your improvement.”

Naaktgeboren almost saw his team pull off a thrilling comeback win in the closing seconds of the consolation final. Linn-Mar heavyweight Luke Gaffney trailed Waukee Northwest’s Ben Reiland 1-0 until he nearly scored a pin, but settled for three back points to win by decision.

“He just did a low single and came off the backside,” Lions coach Doug Streicher said. “Unusual for a heavyweight. We had our chances that dual multiple times to find two or there more points, but just couldn’t get it done. Proud of our guys. They’ve had a helluva year. Now it’s moving on to the individual (meet) (Thursday) and seeing what we can do.”

Linn-Mar, the fourth seed, held off No. 5 Ankeny, 33-30, in the quarterfinals. The Lions fell to top-seeded Waverly Shell-Rock, 57-15, in the semifinals, but Kane Naaktgeboren, sixth-ranked 145-pounder Grant Kress and Gaffney — who is ranked fourth — did not wrestle.

“We looked to some individuals and how we wanted them to feel (Thursday) morning and that’s kind of what led to our decisions in (the semifinals), pulling a couple guys,” Streicher said. “We’re trying to kind of weigh the team and individual stuff together and that’s a decision we made.”

One of the semifinal highlights for the Lions hinged on a decision that 106-pound freshman Malik DeBow won. He got turned and fell behind 4-0 early to Waverly Shell-Rock’s Alex Hornyak, but nearly scored a pin moments later before polishing off a 10-7 victory.

“It was almost a pin, but they called it an illegal hold,” DeBow said. “So I didn’t get the call. At the end of the match it got close, but I got a takedown and sealed the match.”

Streicher said gutsy wins like DeBow’s can set a positive tone for the three-day grind of the traditional state meet. DeBow also won by fall in the Waukee Northwest match.

“Hopefully being on these mats and being down four, he gets his wits about him and it pays off on Thursday or Friday or later this weekend, too,” Streicher said. “So a really good response for him.”

In the quarterfinals, the Lions won four bouts by fall, with Gaffney and 152-pounder Grant Boddicker joining the Naaktgeboren brothers with pins.

Both Kane and Tate own more than 30 wins by fall this season. The school’s previous single-season record was 30. So it’s also difficult to stay on one’s feet against the Naaktgeboren brothers — and even harder to score points, let alone win.

“Their results speak for themselves,” Streicher said. “I don’t have to speak for them. I can say, ‘Look at what they do and how they do it.’ That’s the best part about them."