Witte, Herman win 3A state titles

DES MOINES - A year of disappointment and determination finally resulted in a memory of a lifetime.After missing out on the state tournament the year following a finals appearance as a freshman, Cedar Rapids Prairie's Zach Witte took care of some unfinished business.Witte, a state runner-up in 2009, captured the 145-pound title with a 6-5 victory over Urbandale's Gabriel Moreno  in the finals of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 3A state wrestling tournament Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.“The thing last year was a huge let down,” Witte said. “Since then my goal was to be a state champion. I've done it. I've finally done it. I'm so proud.”Witte trained an entire year for this opportunity. The effort in the weight room and added wrestling in the offseason paid off. He had to wait a long time for this moment, which highlighted his perfect 38-0 season. “It's been my goal all year long," Witte said. "I'm so glad.”Prairie Coach Blake Williams said he instructed Witte to remember the disappointed when he missed the state meet last year, placing third at district behind the eventual state champion and runner-up.“He refused to want to get that close," Williams said. "and not get that title again.”Nerves may have contributed to a slow start for the Hawks junior. Moreno came out and scored a takedown right off the whistle. Witte rebounded right away, getting an escape and a takedown of his own. Moreno escaped to tie it 3-3 just 35 seconds into the match.“It calmed me down and I was ready to start the real match,” Witte said. “It got me to think of just the match and not everybody else. I don't think my mind was completely focused.”He was dialed in taking Moreno down in the second for a 5-4 lead. The pair exchanged escapes and Witte had his title.Now that Witte not only returned to the finals but also seized his crown, he will take time to celebrate the feat and then punch back in for work on another.“That's one of the biggest goals you can accomplish in wrestling,” Witte said. “So, I guess I'll have to go for it again.”The individual title drought for Cedar Rapids Jefferson is over. Conner Herman produced the J-Hawks' first state title since Tim Ironside won the 130-pound title in 1998. It was also the first time since 1998 that Prairie and Jefferson both had individual titles in the same year, when Ironside and Prairie's Paul Hynek (189) won titles.Herman beat North Scott's Ben Nagle, 5-3, in overtime in the 215-pound final. Herman trailed most of the mat until the final minute when he scored an escape and takedown for a 3-2 lead.  He almost fell victim to himself, getting called for an illegal move when locking his hands to keep Nagle down. In overtime, the two were locked into a scramble, but Herman's superior strength and balance paid off. He fought off a takedown attempt to earn the winning score with 14 seconds left in the sudden victory period.In an event where the celebrations are almost as entertaining and exciting as the action that create them, Phillip Laux was reserved and business-like similar to his performance. Laux scored five takedowns beating West Des Moines Valley's Jake Koethe, 12-3, in the 103-pound championship.Laux avoided any demonstrations or leaps into a coach's arms and signed his bout sheet and left the mat area.“I have to think of this as just another tournament,” Laux said. “Even after the state tournament there is more work to be done.”Laux controlled the bout, working takedowns out of the front headlock. West Coach Mark Reiland said he stuck to his game plan and it worked."That's what was happening and that's what he took," Reiland said. "He's got the ability to adapt. That's what makes him good."Laux went 41-1 last year and placed third for Pekin in 1A at 103. His only loss came in Des Moines. Not this time.“There was no thought of losing this year,” said Laux (43-2). “I knew I had to be on my game,” Laux said. “I had to not let up or let me opponent slow me down.”His teammate Jack Hathaway didn't let anything slow him down, including head trauma. Hathaway complained of a possible concussion suffered during the first takedown in a 6-1 win over Bettendorf's Connor Ryan at 125.Hathaway said he smacked heads with Ryan as he scored his first takedown and saw flashes, which persisted throughout the match. he was still able to add another escape and takedown.“I tried to stay focused on the match though,” Hathaway said. “It wasn't the toughest thing to do but it wasn't very easy either.“I wanted it pretty bad. I worked my butt off this year.”Each of the last two seasons ended with third place finishes at state, but once Hathaway threw the monkey off his back he wasn't going to let a "goose egg" on his forehead to slow him down.“Of course,” Hathaway said. “I've been through 100 times more than that to win that title.”Before he shook the cobwebs from his head he had to shake the doubts out first. Hathaway admitted to second-guessing himself earlier in the day.“I wasn't sure if I was going to get it done today,” Hathaway said. “I had a lot of doubts running through my head. I just wrestled my match. I got it done.”West as a team didn't. The Trojans took a  brief lead after Hathaway's victory, but then it slipped away. The Trojans had to settle for second place for the fifth time since 2003. West had 150 points, 2 behind champion Waverly-Shell Rock which won its fourth straight state title. Bettendorf was third with 148 in the first time three teams scored more than 140 points at state. West was deducted two team points in Friday's semifinal round, which essentially cost them a share of its first traditional title since 2007.“It bothers me a little bit,” Hathaway said about the team race. “Better things could have happened but no sense looking back on it now.”West's KeganWakefield(119) and Dakota Bauer (130) had tougher draws. Both had to face juniors looking for their third state title. Wakefield dropped a 5-2 decision to Southeast Polk's Cory Clark. Bauer gave up four takedowns in a 9-4 loss to Des Moines Roosevelt's John Meeks.Wakefield was upbeat about his performance, noting the difference was Clark was able to ride him and keep from scoring. He had mixed emotions about a silver medal.“It's bittersweet,” Wakefield said. “Second is good but first is where it's at.”Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Luke Kremer (135) and Ryan Sheldon (171) placed third and fifth, respectively. Alijah Jeffery was third at 103, Ross Lembeck was seventh at 135 and Mitch Wantock was sixth at 171 for Linn-Mar. Cedar Rapids Xavier's Braxton Chicchelly earned his second straight medal, placing fourth at 130. Prairie's Andrew Netolicky (189) and Cedar Rapids Washington heavyweight Tyler Burrell were both sixth.