Jefferson claims MVC Valley Division title with statement victory

CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids Jefferson had plenty of motivation entering its regular season finale.

The J-Hawks were looking for a third straight Mississippi Valley Conference divisional crown, they were honoring their senior class and they felt slighted after rankings and regional dual pairings sent them a couple hours away, while Cedar Rapids Kennedy will compete at home.

Class 3A ninth-ranked Jefferson had something to prove and sent a message at the expense of the No. 7 Cougars.

The J-Hawks posted a 39-21 victory, edging Kennedy for the MVC Valley Division title Thursday night at Jefferson. The performance validates their claims they deserved a better regional dual.

'It's frustrating every year, feeling like you got passed over,' Jefferson co-head coach Matt Orton said. 'Everybody has a chip on their shoulder when that happens. It was just a great team effort by our kids.'

Jefferson (11-4, 6-0 MVC Valley) examined the possible matchups and shuffled its lineup. Almost every move paid dividends in one way or another, leading to nine wins and nine extra points.

'We thought about it for a long time,' Orton said. 'The nice thing was the nice things from the switches were initiated by the kids.

'Not all those things were coached designs. They wanted those challenges. I'm proud of our kids. It's nice when those things work out.'

The dual was a seesaw affair for the first half, with sixth-ranked Matt Culver's 6-4 overtime win over MVC champion Garrett Kubovec at 170 giving Jefferson a 13-9 edge.

One of those moves helped Jefferson take control. Seventh-ranked 182-pounder Nick Dreckman and 195-pounder Taylor Viktora switched spots.

Viktora went from his own back and a 5-2 deficit to placing Todd Gusta on his back and recording a pin in 4:56. Dreckman dominated Sam Pape for a 15-0 technical fall.

Dreckman offered the move the morning of the dual.

'I told the coaches I would be more than willing,' Dreckman said. 'I knew I had a better shot to get bonus points. I was trying to look ahead for what would benefit us.'

Viktora surrendered his 2-0 lead and was nearly pinned before the late heroics that sent the Jefferson team and its fans in a frenzy.

'It was awesome,' Dreckman said. 'It was scary, but then he came through and it helped out a lot.'

The teams traded wins, including three overtime bouts. Jefferson won all of them, receiving decisions from heavyweight David Bonner and 152-pounder Kyle Briggs.

Second-ranked Briggs scored a takedown in sudden victory over No. 4 Logen Rodriguez for a 10-8 victory in a rematch of the MVC championship.

Bonner had an escape in tiebreaker overtime for a 2-1 win over Matt Murphy. Coltin Endsley stepped in at 145 and earned a reversal with 11 seconds left for a 4-3 win over Kale Crawford.

Zach Main, who moved up from 126 to 132, gave Jefferson its first lead at 4-3 with a major decision over Austin McLeod.

'It was gritty, every one of our kids,' Orton said. 'It was fun to watch.'

Joseph Sibomana (113) and Colten Mastin (120) closed the dual with consecutive falls. The J-Hawks secured the division crown, which capped a special night.

'It feels great,' Dreckman said. 'It was great to end on senior night like this.'

Kennedy (13-2, 5-1) won two of the marquee bouts. Fourth-ranked 126-pounder Nolan Hromidko scored a takedown and reversal for a 4-2 win over Brenden Baker, who moved up from 120.

The Cougars' third-ranked Ben Sarasin beat No. 5 Tavian Rashed, 11-6, at 160, avenging a loss from the MVC semifinals.

Dalles Jacobus (220) and Eli Benion (106) added pins for Kennedy.

Both teams defeated Dubuque Senior. Kennedy opened the evening with a 66-10 victory, while Jefferson downed the Rams, 66-12.

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