Late run propels Iowa City High past Cedar Rapids Prairie for Mississippi Valley Conference Valley dual title

CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa City High started the season inexperienced and untested.

Almost a whole new cast of starters filled a lineup that was decimated by graduation after last season. With so many Asics to fill, it made their accomplishment more impressive.

Class 3A No. 21 City High claimed seven of the final nine matches, beating No. 22 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 42-26, and capturing the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division dual title Thursday night at Prairie. The Little Hawks finished unbeaten in conference duals and won its first divisional dual crown since 2018.

“Coming into the season. I wasn't really expecting to be wrestling for a conference championship, in the sense of lost two state champs, two other state place winners, two other state qualifiers and three other kids from last year's team,” City High Coach Cory Connell said. “We only got four kids on our varsity team that were on last year's team. We are beating Prairie, (Dubuque) Hempstead, we're beating some solid programs and we've got kids that are just improving every time we step on the mat.”

The Little Hawks (11-7, 7-0) beat Prairie for the second time in less than a week, winning at their home dual tournament. They overcame a bit of a slow start and pulled away in the second half of the dual.

Christopher Davis provided a spark at 138 pounds. Davis scored a reversal and put Teagan Kendall on his back, recording a come-from-behind pin in five minutes.

Davis won by technical fall in the previous meeting, but survived the challenge, despite trailing most of the match.

“We dominated that match on Saturday and we kind of got away from how we scored points on Saturday and started doing other things,” Connell said. “We got lucky to get that win there. It was good that he came back and found a way to win.”

City High cut its deficit to 20-12 and only needed two more matches for its first lead. Donnovan Gipson tallied four takedowns before pinning Cohen Yossi in 3:13 at 144. Laith Alawneh (150) followed with a technical fall, giving the Little Hawks a 23-20 advantage.

Marshall Sheldon added a first-period pin at 165 and City High capped the dual with three more bonus-point victories. Kendall Kurtz also had a fall at 120.

Blaine Heick (190) won by major decision and Raph Etuma sealed the team victory with a 22-second pin over Connor Bistricky at 215. Heavyweight Kane Willey, ranked 10 th, used a late takedown and two nearfall to defeated No. 11 Romeo Klein, 6-2, in the finale.

“Some of those upper weight matches, we knew they could be tight, but we just put them back to back to back,” Connell said. “We asked the kids to step up and do some good things.”

Prairie (12-6, 6-1) jumped to a 20-6 lead after five matches. Hawks junior Jaxson Rausch rolled to a 16-1 technical fall over Jack Litton at 106. Chase Watkinson, ranked fourth at 106, bumped up and pinned Breckin Morrison in 1:09 of the 113-pound bout.

Prairie’s two-time state medalist Dylan Munson, ranked sixth at 113, moved to 126 and earned a decision. Aiden Kirk followed with a second-period pin at 132.

The Hawks received a win from 157-pounder Owen Langhurst, who used a takedown in sudden victory-1 for a 10-7 decision over Jude Seebeck. The win tied the score at 23 apiece.

Prairie conjured up only one more win. The Hawks’ fifth-ranked Louden Bloxham scored three sets of nearfall points in the second period and topped No. 12 Mason Tilley, 10-6, at 175.

Both teams will compete at the MVC Super Meet on Saturday at Cedar Rapids Xavier. The celebration was brief. Kurtz reminded teammates more work remains.

“The first thing he says is we got bigger things to come on Saturday,” Connell said. “He was like, ‘Hey, enjoy this for a little bit, but he's like refocus and let's get ready for Saturday” because this is big for our program, but the biggest things are still in front us. So, we need to keep getting better.”

AT C.R. PRAIRIE

Iowa City High 42, C.R. Prairie 26

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

106 pounds – Jaxson Rausch (CRP) tech. fall Jack Litton, 16-1 (4,0); 113 – Chase Watkinson (CRP) pinned Breckin Morrison, 1:09 (2,0); 120 – Kendall Kurtz (ICH) pinned Ethan McManus, 3:23 (2,0); 126 – Dylan Munson (CRP) dec. Chase Williams, 13-9 (3,2); 132 – Aiden Kirk (CRP) pinned Zyaire Washpun, 2:57 (1,1); 138 – Christopher Davis (ICH) pinned Teagan Kendall, 5:00 (0,1); 144 – Donovan Gipson (ICH) pinned Cohen Yossi, 3:13 (4,0); 150 – Laith Alawneh (ICH) tech. fall Garan Hynek, 18-3 (4,0); 157 – Owen Langhurst (CRP) dec. Jude Seebeck, 10-7 sudden victory-1 (2,1); 165 – Marshall Sheldon (ICH) pinned Chris Lange, 1:22 (1,0); 175 – Louden Bloxham (CRP) dec. Mason Tilley, 10-6 (0,1); 190 – Blaine Heick (ICH) major dec. Quinton Alexander, 12-4 (3,1); 215 – Raph Etuma (ICH) pinned Connor Bistricky, :22 (1,0); Hwt. – Kane Willey (ICH) dec. Romeo Klein, 6-2 (1,0)

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns: City High 21, Prairie 14. Reversals: City High 4, Prairie 3. Escapes: City High 12, Prairie 15. Nearfall points: City High 14, Prairie 18. Penalty points (awarded): City High 3, Prairie 2. Total match points: City High 100, Prairie 83.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com