DRAGONS FIRE IT UP: STE. GENEVIEVE USES LATE PUSH TO REPEAT AS MEET CHAMPIONS

The Dragons Vogt-ed to impeach Seckman High School Saturday night.

Five Ste. Genevieve wrestlers, including Adam and Nick Vogt, took first place in their respective weight divisions and catapulted the Dragons to their second consecutive Tiger Classic championship Saturday night at the Tiger Field House.

Ste. Genevieve was in second place to Seckman for most of the tournament, but wins by Adam Vogt (103), Nick Vogt (112), Clint Wolk (119), Ben Bauman (145) and Ryan Gegg (160) pushed the Dragons over the top.

Ste. Gen finished with 224 points. Seckman finished second with 219.5. Lindbergh beat Jackson by half a point to take third with 150.5. Cape Central ended up seventh with 115.5 points in its best showing in years.

Bauman and both Vogts won by fall to gain much-needed points down the stretch.

Wolk is a defending state champion for Ste. Genevieve, and Bauman is a returning undefeated state champion.

"We have some tremendous individuals on the team," Ste. Genevieve coach Chris Werner said. "So you expect a lot out of guys like that. They come out day after day and they don't let you down. We've also got some outstanding younger kids who have filled in some shoes.

"When you go into the finals and (two teams) have the same number of guys going for third and for first, it's the hardest situation and place to make up points. But we wrestled well in the finals and got some pin points that were obviously very important for us at the end. I don't know if we expected to win, but I'm sure glad that we did."

Jackson just missed third, but had seven medalists, including Lance Schlick who took first at 140, and Adam Wachter (130) and Kyle Watson (145) who were both runners-up at 130.

Also for Jackson, Ricky Feiner finished fifth at 103, Brett Stroud took fifth at 112, Cyle Huck wrestled to third place at 135 and Mark Wade took fifth at 152. No one in the upper five weight divisions medaled for Jackson.

Cape also boasted seven medalists, including Alex Elfrink (215) and Craig Knoth (heavyweight) who wrestled their way to the finals before being pinned. Elfrink entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed.

Also earning medals for the Tigers were Hoss Hodges (fourth, 103), Keith Benton (fourth, 112) Darren Harris (sixth, 119), Josh Goodrich (fourth, 140), Matt Strickland (fourth, 189).

"We did well, really well," Central coach Drew Lilledahl said. "I think we could've done a little better, but I don't think there's a coach in the tournament that doesn't probably think that.

"I'm proud of my kids for coming together as a team and wrestling the best they have all season long."

Perhaps the most valiant performance of the tournament didn't come from a champion, but from Central's Strickland, who wrestled all but 30 seconds of a match with his front teeth knocked inward. He was forced to forfeit the third-place match.

"Strickland showed me something," Lilledahl said. "We weren't sure if he was going to be able to continue, but he sucked it up. We got him a mouthpiece and he got the victory. I was proud of him for that."

Overall, the tournament was one of the closest in recent years.

"Ste. Genevieve really impressed me in their finals match. They went out and pinned about five guys in first and third-place finals. If a team comes out and does that in the finals, they deserved to be the first-place team."

"I thought the competition level was up this year," Werner said. "That's what you need and that's why we're in the Tiger Classic."

CLASSIC RESULTS

1. Ste. Genevieve 224

2. Seckman 219.5

3. Lindbergh 150.5

4. Jackson 150

5. Murphysboro, Ill. 138

6. Northwest House Springs 116.5

7. Cape Central 115.5

8. St. Charles 100.5

9. Francis Howell Central 96

10. Pattonville 92

11. Sikeston 87

12. Germantown, Tenn. 62.5

13. Dexter 55.5

14. Poplar Bluff 49.5

14. De Soto 33

16. Marion, Ill. 25.5