Westside schools return to State Duals

Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Prairie are separated by about six miles on the southwest side of town.

The Metro rivals could face each other about 200 miles away from their respective homes.

For the second straight year, the J-Hawks and Hawks qualified for the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 3A State Duals wrestling tournament today at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Both teams open at 11 a.m.

Fourth-seeded Prairie (22-4) takes on No. 5 West Des Moines Valley (18-2). Sixth-seeded Jefferson (13-4) faces No. 3 Johnston (22-3).

'It's nice,” Prairie Coach Blake Williams said. 'You want to get as many local teams down there as possible to represent this part of the state.”

Eastern Iowa has been filled with strong teams. The Metro has up to three teams in the eight-team field and the Mississippi Valley Conference earned half the berths last season. Both westside powers returning is a good accomplishment.

'I think it's pretty cool,” Jefferson co-head coach Dick Briggs said. 'We're both homegrown teams.”

The Hawks are making their 15th trip to the State Duals, placing fourth the last two years. The goal is to wrestle their best and see how many wins result. The Hawks have meshed well after winning a third straight conference crown.

'We felt really good about this group of kids,” Williams said. 'They just felt like they were gelling. You can just tell something about them the last week or two of practice since the MVC.”

The Hawks have been powered by a 'team effort” that Williams says extends beyond the 14 starters. They need a performance similar to Saturday's district meet that produced nine state qualifiers if they want to get by the Tigers and meet top-seeded Southeast Polk in the semifinals.

'We'll go hard,” Prairie's 195-pound junior Taylor Mehmen said. 'We will give it all we got and upsets can happen.”

The J-Hawks dropped Western Dubuque for their fifth trip to State Duals and two straight for the first time since 1993-94.

'This is a pretty nice group that understands we're better with 14,” Briggs said. 'with that type of team unity, maybe we can make some noise in Des Moines.”

Jefferson has waited for a chance to soothe the sting of last year's seventh-place finish. Balance and depth have been a strength.

'I'm excited,” Briggs said. 'It's always fun for our program. It's a chance to step up the ladder with the best in the state.”

KNIGHTS ON GUARD

Union Community bolstered its schedule this season to face the toughest competition possible. The Knights, led by a strong senior class that includes three-time state champion Max Thomsen and defending state champion Jacob Holschlag, enter the State Duals battle-tested.

The approach is similar to earlier events, including the Battle of Waterloo and The Clash in Rochester, Minn.

'It's just another dual tournament,” Union Coach Pat Hogan said. 'Obviously, it isn't, but you have to prepare like we have in the past.”

The top-seeded Knights are 36-2 and face No. 8 Clear Lake (21-15) in the Class 2A quarterfinals, starting at 9 a.m. Union is making its ninth overall appearance and looking for its first State Duals title since 2004. Hogan said they are well aware of the teams in the field. The Knights own a 10-9 overall mark against No. 4 Independence, including a 49-21 win over the Mustangs in the Battle of Waterloo.

'We have a pretty good idea,” Hogan said of the competition. 'It's getting big wins and not giving up big wins. If we have a matchup, we think we need to get, we'll try to get it.”

Independence faces No. 5 Creston-Orient/Macksburg (17-0). The Mustangs beat the Panthers, 29-28, in the third-place dual at the 2014 State Duals.

BIG NAMES CLASH

Don Bosco and Lisbon are two of the top small-school programs in state history. They have combined for nearly 30 state duals appearances and 11 championships.

The fourth-seeded Dons (19-6) and No. 5 Lisbon (23-9) wrestle in the Class 1A quarterfinals, beginning at 9 a.m.

Don Bosco earned its 20th berth to the State Duals, winning eight crowns in 14 finals appearances. The Dons won six consecutive titles from 2005-10.

This marks Lisbon's ninth State Duals trip and first in the three years of Hall of Fame coach Brad Smith's second tenure with the program. The Lions reached five straight finals under Smith from 1987-91, winning in 1987, 1988 and 1991.

Don Bosco beat Lisbon, 38-26, on Jan. 3.

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