Linn-Mar wrestling falls short in regional duals final against North Scott

MARION — Linn-Mar picked the wrong night for a poor performance.

The Class 3A fourth-ranked Lions were in search of their first trip to the State Duals since 2022, but a determined bunch from North Scott delayed that return at least another year.

“We knew going into it that North Scott had a really tough program,” Linn-Mar Co-Coach Beau Westpfahl said after the Lions were ousted by the 18th-ranked Lancers, 39-27, in the finals of the regional duals Tuesday night at Linn-Mar High School. “We really didn’t know necessarily who we were going to face, but we knew that, matchup-wise, we were going to have to be ready to go.

“We had to take advantage of opportunities and we missed some of those opportunities.”

North Scott advanced to the final by eliminating No. 17 Bondurant-Farrar in the preceding semifinal as Linn-Mar awaited the outcome. The Lancers advance to the State Duals for the first time since 2021 this Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“Just willingness not to give up on themselves,” Linn-Mar junior Philip Jacobs said of the Lancers. “They capitalize on events.”

Jacobs — ranked fourth in the state at 175 pounds — moved up to 190 and scored an impressive, 14-12, decision over 10th-ranked Treyton Feist. Jacobs qualified for state last year at 190 and is actually a bit heavier this year after turning some “needless weight” into muscle.

“I walk around even bigger than I did last year,” Jacobs said. “I am actually cutting (weight) this year a little bit. But I don’t really mind wrestling up. Every home dual, I have wrestled up at 190 and gotten the fall. Just couldn’t do it tonight. He was strong. Definitely a full 190-pounder. That’s for sure.”

Jacobs’ triumph helped Linn-Mar to a 15-12 lead with seven matches to go, but North Scott scored pins in four of the next five matches to claim a decisive 39-15 advantage. As the falls piled up — the Lancers totaled five in the dual — the pressure mounted on Linn-Mar to play catch up.

“I think that affected some of the matches late in that dual,” Westpfahl said. “I think we had guys that were kind of going for it. They knew that they had to have big wins, they had to have bonus points, so they were maybe wrestling a little different style than they normally would wrestle.”

Linn-Mar scored pins of its own from 11th-ranked sophomore Hud Turner (138 pounds) and senior Evan Pulis (132), while ninth-ranked sophomore Noah Howk-Erwin (150) and senior Barrett Mieras — ranked fourth at 165 — won by decision.

Linn-Mar now shifts its focus to the district meet Feb. 15 at Waverly, where the Lions will try and earn spots in the traditional state tournament.

“Just keep wrestling how we do in practice,” Jacobs said. “Keep pushing each other hard individually. All the seniors, we all have got to shake it off.

“We can’t be putting the blame on others. People who lost, they watch film, correct themselves. If you won, I still have got to watch film of my match. I correct things. Just keep pushing forward and shake it off.”

CLASS 3A REGIONAL DUALS

At Linn-Mar

Finals

No. 18 North Scott 39, No. 4 Linn-Mar 27

106 — Dylan Ulloa (North Scott) pinned Ashton Landherr (Linn-Mar), 1:16

113 — Maxwell Davis (North Scott) pinned Aiden Kiesey (Linn-Mar), 5:59

120 — Matthew Williams (North Scott) pinned Will Smith (Linn-Mar), 5:29

126 — Malik DeBow, sr. (Linn-Mar) wins by forfeit

132 — Evan Pulis (Linn-Mar) pinned Tanner Yates (North Scott), 1:30

138 — Hud Turner, so. (Linn-Mar) pinned Eric Bachtel, 1:20

144 — Kepler Carmichael (North Scott) dec. Aidan Ehlinger (Linn-Mar), 7-3

150 — Noah Howk-Erwin (Linn-Mar) dec. Evan Ralfs (North Scott), 12-5

157 — Cole Green (North Scott) dec. Brayden Fish (Linn-Mar), 7-0

165 — Barrett Mieras (Linn-Mar) dec. Benjamin Lightle (North Scott), 9-3

175 — Jackson Stevenson (North Scott) pinned Steel Morgan (Linn-Mar), 3:31

190 — Philip Jacobs (Linn-Mar) dec. Treyton Feist (North Scott), 14-12

215 — Jace Tippet (North Scott) pinned Holden Heideman (Linn-Mar), 2:13

285 — Bryce Stewart (North Scott) dec. Jareth Navarro (Linn-Mar), 5-4