Two close wins in the first two matches were followed by three pins and three forfeits as the Park Rapids wrestling team defeated Crookston 42-28 in a Section 8AA match Tuesday night at the Century School gym.
A takedown in the third period lifted Kevin Just to a 4-3 win in the 103-pound match and Adam Bran-strom followed with a reversal and nearfall in the third period to rally for a 9-6 win at 112 pounds as the Panthers claimed an early 6-0 lead.
Crookston won four of the next five matches for a 19-12 advantage. Colter Uscola received a forfeit win at 135 pounds for the Panthers during that stretch.
A pair of pins and a forfeit win in the next three matches gave the Panthers the lead for good.
Jared Nash held an 8-0 lead before recording a pin at the 1:37 mark at 145 pounds and Danny Pike followed with a forfeit win at 152 as Park Rapids led 24-19. Matt Weaver jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 160-pound match before recording a pin at the 3:22 mark for a 30-19 advantage.
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Matt Offerdahl sealed the win with a third-period pin at 189. Offerdahl led 8-0 before recording the pin at the 4:42 mark.
Lee Branstrom received a forfeit win at 215 to end the scoring for the Pan-thers, who improved to 9-4 in dual meets. Crookston fell to 3-5 in dual meets.
The Panthers traveled to Wadena-Deer Creek Thursday night for a Mid-State Conference dual meet and will compete in the Grand Forks tournament today (Saturday). Park Rapids hosts Deer River in another dual meet Tuesday night.
Park Rapids 42, Crookston 28
103: Kevin Just, PR, minor decision over Wyatt Hanson 4-3.
112: Adam Branstrom, PR, minor decision over Zane Baranski 9-6.
119: Ben Genereux, C, major decision over Zachary Steffen 12-4.
125: Javier Portillo, C, pinned Nick Schultz 2:49.
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130: Mariano Portillo, C, won by forfeit.
135: Colter Uscola, PR, won by forfeit.
140: Anthony Caputo, C, minor decision over Derek Werner 13-8.
145: Jared Nash, PR, pinned Josh Edlund 1:37.
152: Dan Pike, PR, won by forfeit.
160: Matt Weaver, PR, pinned Brandon Reierson 3:22.
171: Isaac Edlund, C, minor decision over Andy Boos 13-6.
189: Matt Offerdahl, PR, pinned Justin Altepeter 4:42.
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215: Lee Branstrom, PR, won by forfeit.
Hwt.: James Reese, C, pinned Kyle Blanchard 1:49.
