Westfield struck down in semis

Westfield wrestling saw its team season come to a close last weekend after losing its semifinal round dual against Kenyon-Wanamingo 51-12.
The Razorbacks looked sharp in their prior outing when the team beat Blue Earth Area (BEA) 38-25, but the Knights were ready for everything Westfield threw at them.
“This was a frustrating way to end our dual season, but hopefully we can take some of these losses and learn from them. I’m proud of the way our team battled throughout this season, and (I know that we) can continue to grow as a young team. We are already looking forward to individual sections next weekend, and having another opportunity to compete,” said Westfield co-head coach David Lassahn.
The Razorbacks’ loss to the Knights was confirmed just halfway through the dual when Kenyon-Wanamingo won its eighth consecutive match to lead 39-0, which mathematically eliminated the Razorbacks from making a comeback.
A slow start plagued the team, with three of its first five matches ending in loss by fall. They trailed 24-0 after 133 pounds.
Standouts Bentley Miller (121 pounds) and Derek Miner (133) mitigated the damage early and were closest to earning a win for the Razorbacks; the former dropped a 7-4 decision, and the latter fell 9-7.
The middle weights saw Kenyon-Wanamingo rack up two more falls at 139 and 145 before scooping a highly-contested 10-7 sudden victory win at 152.
Westfield wrestler Cayden Maly showed tremendous heart fighting through the match and into the sudden victory period, but a late takedown ended his day in heartbreak, as it gave the Knights their unbeatable 39-0 lead.
Westfield’s best matches came soon after elimination when 160-pounder David Clennon scored a 15-8 decision to put the Razorbacks on the board.
Westfield was forced to forfeit at 172 pounds but made up some points with its only other win of the day at 189.
Razorback wrestler Chase Kiser got the job done in a tough 7-3 decision against Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Colton Hanson to add to the team’s total.
However, Westfield was open again at 215 pounds and subsequently forced to forfeit another match.
Kenyon-Wanamingo led 51-6 heading into the final match where Razorback heavyweight Braxton Lee made his presence felt with a win by fall in just 18 seconds.
Earlier in the week, Westfield earned the right to face the Knights by beating the BEA Buccaneers 38-25 in Hayfield.
This time around, Westfield utilized a hot start to jump out to a 19-4 lead through 133 pounds.
Building the team’s score were Easton Busho (107 pounds — fall 2:39), Caleb Borcherding (121 — 10-4 decision), Miller (127 — 9-0 major decision) and Miner (133 — fall 3:41).
BEA scored an overtime decision at 139 to trail 19-7, but the Razorbacks quickly went back to work collecting points with Isaac Fort, Maly and Clennon all securing wins from 145-160 pounds.
Fort snagged a close 9-8 decision, but Maly and Clennon left little doubt in their matches, with the former taking a 12-4 major decision, and the latter earning a second-period fall.
Clennon’s pin was enough to mathematically eliminate the Buccaneers after 160 pounds as his win pushed the total to 32-7 with just four matches remaining.
The Buccaneers finished the dual by winning three of four matches, but the final score remained in favor of the Razorbacks at 38-25.
Westfield’s team season concluded with the 51-12 loss to Kenyon-Wanamingo, but the team will still have an opportunity to wrestle next at the section individual tournament held at JWP on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.