Ballard's all business in win

Bombers 4-0 at Classic, Waverly-Shell Rock their victim in finalBy K.J. PilcherThe GazetteCEDAR RAPIDS - Ballard wrestling has no catchy slogans, inspirational mottos or antics.Who needs them? The Bombers' actions say a lot more than a spiffy catchphrase.Ballard let its performance speak volumes Saturday, beating Waverly-Shell Rock, 39-28, in the final round of the Cedar Rapids Prairie Holiday Wrestling Classic to claim the team title.The Bombers (12-0) posted a 4-0 record and averaged more than 10 wins per dual. They made wrestling hard, shaking hands and walking off the mat with the victory, routine."We want to win like that instead of being cocky and showboat," Ballard senior Trent Weatherman said. "We just want to do our job and get out of there."Ballard, the top-ranked defending Class 2A state champions and ranked eighth nationally, started with six straight wins for a 30-0 lead in the final.Taylor Eichinger helped the Bombers take control early by edging the Go-Hawks' Keelan Moore, 4-3, at 145 pounds. Moore, ranked second in 3A at 140, owned a 3-2 lead after a second-period takedown and an escape to start the third. Eichinger hit a fireman's carry for the decisive takedown and rode Moore the last 90 seconds, giving the Bombers a 7-0 lead after two matches."It was a good match," Ballard Coach Jeff Weatherman said. "Taylor wrestled well, did a good job and got the victory."The next seven matches were pins or technical fall - five in Ballard's favor.Trent Weatherman (152), Brock Weatherman (171), Dillon Weatherman (189) and Chris Schaudt (285) scored falls, and T.J. Hiatt notched a 16-0 technical fall at 160."Our guys thrive off these big matches," said Trent Weatherman, a defending state champ and Iowa State signee. "Everybody thrives off each other. It's real easy to do when your guys are winning."The most spirited matchup was at 112 between freshmen Dakota Bauer of Ballard and Waverly-Shell Rock's Eric DeVos.The two could have been battling for a varsity spot this season, but Bauer transferred to Ballard from Waverly when DeVos transferred in after winning a state title as an eighth grader last year for Apple Valley, Minn.Bauer broke open a 3-3 tie to start the third after being released for an escape and dropping in on a double for his second takedown. They traded takedowns, and No. 3 Bauer held off top-ranked DeVos for the 9-8 win."It's more of a personal thing for him. Not us so much as a team, but we know the history and situation," Jeff Weatherman said. "It was a great win for him. We knew he was good enough to compete at that level."The Go-Hawks (10-1) won the remaining four matches with decisions from Jordan Rinken (119) and Jake Ballweg (135), a major decision from Cody Caldwell (125) and pin from 130-pounder Luke Pint. Cody Krumwiede (215) and Tanner Werner added falls for Waverly-Shell Rock, which beat Mount Vernon, 52-16; Cedar Falls, 58-22; and Prairie, 49-26.The Bombers dominated Prairie (62-6), Mount Vernon (63-13) and Cedar Falls (56-22)."We had a lot of good performances," Jeff Weatherman said, noting Brock Weatherman's pin of Cedar Falls' Aidan Brock. "Up and down the lineup I thought we had a real good day."Prairie finished 2-2 to place third. The Hawks bracketed their two losses with lopsided wins over Cedar Falls, 52-16, and Mount Vernon, 48-27.The Hawks (9-2) rebounded slightly against Waverly-Shell Rock after nearly getting blanked by Ballard. Austin Teel earned a fall at 285 for Prairie's lone win against the Bombers. It was the second straight weekend Teel scored four pins.Contact the writer: (319) 368-8679 or kj.pilcher@gazcomm.com