A perfect storm blew the Hatchet wrestlers back into the GNC title race.
Initially, they took care of their own business, defeating Medford 40-26 at home on Thursday night.
Secondly, the league-leading Hodags of Rhinelander didn’t, dropping a 41-39 match to Mosinee at the same time.
“It’s exciting to know we have a legitimate chance at the conference,” THS coach Bob Garrou said. “We’re now tied for the lead. That was a great break to be given by Mosinee.
“We never expected it. We handled Mosinee kind of easy. You just never know how the match-ups are going to go.”
It would have been all for naught if Medford had prevailed.
“Our team wrestled extremely well and really listened,” Garrou said. “We made a lot of switches in the line-up and our kids executed it very well. We went for the best match-ups and Medford couldn’t stop it because they don’t have the numbers.
“Gosh, we’re peaking at the right time.”
The Hatchets improved to a team record 19-3, but it wasn’t easy. They fell behind 11-0 after Gunner Peterson (126) won 4-2 in overtime over Nate Flohr, Tucker Peterson (132) topped Jacob McGuire 9-0 and Aaron Hartwig (138) pulled a 16-3 major over Bryan Tomek.
THS cut it to 11-9 with a pin from Quinton Wallenfang (145) in 1:14, and a 6-2 Kaleb Kaminksi (152) win. After Medford’s Aaric Spencer (160) pinned Slade Erdman in 1:13, Tomahawk ripped off four straight to grab a 28-20 lead. Peter Pintens (170) kicked off the run with a 17-8 win, Henry Helland (182) and Jake Borchardt (195) pulled pins in :42 and 1:11, and Austin Bellile (220) worked a 15-8 decision.
Nick Berger (285) stemmed the tide with a 3-2 win over the Hatchets’ Adam FauFau, but Kevin Zurfluh (106) put it out of reach at 34-23 with a forfeit coming to Cullen Wegener (113) and one THS forfeit remaining.
“I bumped up my 220-pound kid (FauFau) to heavyweight and he wrestled the #4 kid in the state to a 3-2 match,” Garrou said. “That’s how great the kids wrestled. (FauFau) had a takedown shot at the end to win it, too. (Berger) had pinned him twice last year.”
The GNC will be settled in Saturday’s conference tourney at Medford.