Comeback victory propels Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Jean Ngoma into boys’ state wrestling finals

DES MOINES – Jean Ngoma forced Cedar Rapids Xavier Coach Ryan Chambers to update his wardrobe.

In a slightly superstitious move, Chambers didn’t pack the customary formal attire for championship matches. So, he will have to find a store to purchase a 42 Regular with a blue-and-silver tie with a fancy handkerchief.

“I have to go buy a suit or sport coat, now,” Chambers said. “I brought one for a few years and a couple after Clint’s (Lembeck) finals match and it’s been a drought. So, I switched it up.”

Ngoma ended that stretch with a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory in tiebreaker-1 over Southeast Polk’s No. 2 Holden Hansen in the semifinals of the Class 3A boys’ state wrestling tournament Friday at Wells Fargo Arena. He is Xavier’s third state finalist, joining 2016 runner-up Lembeck and two-time state champion Michael Shedek (2000-01).

“I always believed in myself,” Ngoma said. “The coaches believed in me. I just always have that thought in me that I can go win any match. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

Ngoma’s resilience paid dividends, erasing a 4-0 deficit with 75 seconds remaining. Hansen opened the scoring with a second-period escape and then added a three-point tilt in the third. Ngoma didn’t lose faith and started to battle back.

“It was all in my head,” Ngoma said. “I knew I was going to do it. I didn’t want to stop at all, so I had to keep going.

“I lost to him last year. I knew this year I’d beat him. Simple as that.”

Ngoma escaped and tied the score with a single-leg takedown, riding Hansen the last 26 seconds of regulation. After a scoreless sudden-victory period, Ngoma escaped in the first 30-second tiebreaker period and closed the win with a ride out in the last 30-second frame.

“He was put in a situation he has never been put in,” said Chambers, who gave Ngoma a bear hug on the edge of the mat. “He’s never been chopped, on his stomach on the mat this year and never been turned, for sure. It shows you how much of an athlete he is to overcome that and not stop.

“For as many matches as he’s won in a short time, he’s conditioned to go the length. It’s because of his workout partners and his work ethic. He cares.”

A loud crowd was in the stands near the mat. He drew motivation from their cheering as they spurred him on. He even acknowledged another section of Xavier fans, including family, in the crowd as he left the floor.

“Every time the match stopped, I looked over and saw them cheering at me,” said Ngoma, who will play football and wrestle at Ellsworth Community College next year. “That made me think about how much it really means to me. I could have stopped and let my team down. I had to keep going.”

Ngoma wasn’t a Mississippi Valley Conference junior varsity champion as a freshman. He was a backup at 170 as a sophomore. Last year, he bulked up to be a light 215-pounder and placed seventh here. Now, he’s taking a 38-0 record into the state finals.

“He has really come a long way,” Chambers said. “He really takes it personal. He loves to work hard.”

Ngoma has to face Fort Dodge’s No. 1 seed and two-time state champion Dreshaun Ross (19-0). Ross is one of the nation’s top-ranked wrestlers, who has committed to Oklahoma State, and beat Ngoma in last year’s tournament.

“It feels great,” Ngoma said. “I just have to keep working. I have one more.”

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Iowa City West duo Alexander Pierce and Justin Avila made a declaration to each other at the start of the season. So far, they’re still in position to see it come to fruition.

“We told each other we’re winning state at the beginning of the season,” Avila said. “We’re both a match away.”

They reached the finals via different means. No. 3 Avila (48-3) broke open a scoreless match with an escape and takedown in the second period against Carlisle’s No. 7 Mason Lucas, neck-wrenching him to his back for a pin just before the final second of the period at 150.

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“It means a lot,” Avila said. “We both put in a lot of work this season.”

His older brother, Robert, won three state titles, while his older sister, Jannell, won an Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association championship. The younger Avila can join his siblings and he knows what it will take.

“Mental toughness,” Avila said about what it takes to win a state title. “It’s going to take a full six minutes of wrestling, possibly with longer. You have to be prepared for everything. Don’t let up.”

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Pierce (47-2) was the rare – if not only – recipient of a medical forfeit to reach his third straight state final. Pierce was supposed to face Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Dylan Munson, who was injured in the quarterfinal by an illegal slam and won by disqualification over Lewis Central’s Weston Porter. Munson was carted off on a stretcher and had to default from the tournament.

“The overall situation is a little strange not wrestling the semifinal,” Pierce said. “I’d love to wrestle either of the opponents but it’s out of my control. My goal is to be a state champ. I’m just focused on the next match.”

Pierce tried to keep his routine the same, wrestling a 6-minute match with a 157-pound teammate, blowing out his lungs and avoiding a day off. He focused on recovery Friday to prepare for a much-anticipated match with Southeast Polk No. 1 Nico DeSalvo (37-0) for the 113 title.

Pierce was the 106 champion as a freshman in 2023 and the 113 runner-up a year ago. DeSalvo won the 106 crown.

“The hay is in the barn,” Pierce said. “All the work has been put in, so now it’s the fun part. Now you get to perform in front of 17,000 people. Just let it fly and have me a day,

“This feels like Christmas morning to me. This is what I look forward to. Saturday night is amazing.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com