Iowa City West boys wrestling team fuel by accomplished veterans, young talent

IOWA CITY – Experienced leaders. Young talent.

Iowa City West has meshed both to field an impressive lineup.

“As the season has advanced, they just keep getting better and better, especially the freshmen,” Trojans Coach Nate Moore said. “They are just going up and up with every challenge, and you can just really see the progress.”

The Class 3A seventh-ranked Trojans won nine matches, including eight by pin or technical fall, and dominated Cedar Rapids Xavier, 47-19, in a Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division boys wrestling dual Thursday night at home. West added a 42-39 win in the girls wrestling dual.

“We did a pretty good job,” said West freshman Blest Woods, who posted technical fall at 157 pounds. “There were a couple of losses that we definitely should have won but that's just a part of building and growing. I'm just proud of how we wrestled and how we carried each other.”

West returned a strong nucleus of veterans, including three-time state finalist and 2023 champion Alexander Pierce, state medalist Matthew Tran and 2024 state qualifiers Charlie Barnhouse and Campbell Janis. They have welcomed an impressive group of freshman that includes Diego Robertty (113), Hugo Hughes at 120, Owin Koethe, who bumped up to 150, and Woods.

Pierce, a Northwestern commit, and Robertty each recorded first-period pins, while Barnhouse (138) and Janis (165) won by technical fall.

“Our veterans are really starting to be leaders themselves,” Moore said. “We’ve got Pierce, who's starting to step up. Campbell has really been stepping up out there. You can see them just go out to score points. Then you’ve got these young hungry guys that have been with each other the last couple years.

“They were hungry to get into high school and they're excited. They're really just responsive. They’re willing to really do whatever we need them to do.”

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Some of the freshman have strong family ties in the sport. Robertty’s mom and dad were Olympians for Venezuela with his dad wrestling World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in the Pan American games, according to West coaches. Koethe is the son of former Iowa State wrestler Marshall Koethe, who won 1A state titles at 125 and 130 in 2006 and 2007 for Akron-Westfield. Woods is the younger brother of former University of Iowa NCAA finalist Real Woods.

The trio, along with Hughes, have combined for 53 wins this season.

“We just had to step up, get a feel of it and see where we need improve on, where need to develop and I say for all my freshman teammates, and myself too, we’ve all improved rapidly throughout this season, so far,” Woods said. “We're going to continue on doing that.”

Moore said the upper classmen have led by example, conveying the standards and how to conduct work. They have also fostered a strong bond by coming together outside of practice. Reminiscent of past Trojan teams that Moore was on as a two-time state champion and four-time finalist from 2005-08.

“When you suffer together and you spend time with each other outside the wrestling room, that's when I feel like real teams are formed,” Moore said. “There's a little bit more accountability.”

The freshmen have acclimated to the varsity season. Woods said he has witnessed everyone’s improvement and he has benefited from get a feel of different styles in workouts.

“All those like senior guys just know more about high school wrestling so they help us be better and get along,” Woods said. “It's just the grind in the practice room, and pure confidence, believing in ourselves that helps each other get better.”

Ashten Holmes (215) and heavyweight Kaden Stitt closed with consecutive pins, moving West to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in the MVC Mississippi. The Trojans only losses have been to No. 2 Indianola, No. 3 West Des Moines Dowling and No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes. The Trojans still have strides to make and a very high ceiling.

“Their goals were pretty clear at the beginning of the year with what they want to achieve,” Moore said. “More than state titles. They have Fargo aspirations and junior world championships that they want to be a part of.

“They know what is in that recipe. It’s a really good thing going on right now.”

Xavier (1-5, 1-2) received technical falls from Annakin Deppe at 106 and 190-pounder Dusty Cook. Taitumn Deppe (132), Ryan Kelly at 144 and 175-pounder Keegan Kalainoff added decisions for the Saints.

WEST 42, XAVIER 39 – The Trojans received pins from Angela Wang at 110 and Noah Overholt (135) and collected five forfeits to outlast the Saints.

Xavier won six of the eight contested weights, including pins from Alicia Burgos Guzman (100), Lili Moses (125), Megan Talyat at 130, Ava Cless at 145 and 190-pounder Emily DeMeulenaere.

Moses overcame a double-digit deficit, hitting a headlock for a pin in 5:10 against Josie Clark. Cless notched a pin in her varsity debut.

Xavier sophomore Aly Flack claimed a notable win, knocking off No. 12 Sylvia Broffitt, 11-5, at 140. Flack, who leads the Saints with 12 wins, scored a takedown and four nearfall in the opening period. She added a third-period takedown to secure the victory.

BOYS’ RESULTS

AT IOWA CITY

Iowa City West 47, C.R. Xavier 19

106 pounds – Annakin Deppe (CRX) tech. fall Nicholas Rubio, 21-4; 113 – Diego Robertty (ICW) pinned Leonard Mananga, :35; 120 – Hugo Hughes (ICW) tech. fall Miguel Astorga, 18-2; 126 – Alexander Pierce (ICW) pinned Elliott Gnewuch, 1:14; 132 – Taitumn Deppe (CRX) dec. Owen Smock, 5-0; 138 – Charlie Barnhouse (ICW) tech. fall Atley Coyle, 21-5; 144 – Ryan Kelly (CRX) dec. Medhi Bangana, 17-10; 150 – Owin Koethe (ICW) dec. Bryce Naber, 9-4; 157 – Blest Woods (ICW) tech. fall Calvin Hacke, 16-1; 165 – Campbell Janis (ICW) tech. fall Brady DeCamp, 15-0; 175 – Keegan Kalainoff (CRX) dec. Lincoln Bopp, 12-6; 190 – Dusty Cook (CRX) tech. fall Jack Law, 16-1; 215 – Ashten Holmes (ICW) pinned Andrew Renner, 1:26; 285 – Kaden Stitt (ICW) pinned Kei Evans, 2:32.

GIRLS’ RESULTS

AT IOWA CITY

Iowa City West 42, C.R. Xavier 39

100 pounds – Alicia Burgos Guzman (CRX) pinned Minna Abdalla, 3:46; 105 – Lila Bihun (ICW) won by forfeit; 110 – Angela Wang (ICW) pinned Joey Hines, 2:16; 115 – Brianna Lucero (ICW) won by forfeit; 120 – Kaylee Hampton (ICW) won by forfeit; 125 – Lili Moses (CRX) pinned Josie Clark, 5:10; 130 – Megan Talyat (CRX) pinned MK Vogel, 1:51; 135 – Noah Overholt (ICW) pinned Elliana Casey, 2:18; 140 – Aly Flack (CRX) dec. Sylvia Broffitt, 11-5; 145 – Ava Cless (CRX) pinned Ayla Bleil, 3:12; 155 – Hannah Pfab (CRX) won by forfeit; 170 – Emmerson Reimers (ICW) won by forfeit; 190 – Emily DeMeulenaere (CRX) pinned Aya Adam, 2:36; 235 – Amira Vazquez (ICW) won by forfeit.

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