• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Milton wrestlers take down Stoughton

STOUGHTON — Milton High heavyweight Garrod Mielke summed up Friday night’s dual wrestling meet with seven-time defending Badger Conference champion Stoughton perfectly after exiting his match.

“Oh, baby!”

It was that kind of night for Mielke and Milton. Mielke capped four straight pins for the Red Hawks with his pin in 20 seconds to hand Milton an insurmountable 27-3 lead. The Red Hawks won five straight matches after dropping the opening match at 152 pounds to roll to the 37-27 victory.

“Beating Stoughton is always great, and beating them at home is just more of a smack in the face,” Mielke said.

The four straight pins from Michael Johnson (5:56), James Miller (:45), Chase Letson (5:42) and Mielke took the excitement out of the large crowd that came out to see the showdown between the two ranked teams.

Stoughton, ranked seventh, according to the Crossface Magazine, fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

“In one instance or more, we had a win going,. and then you get pinned,” Stoughton coach Dan Spilde said. “In a big match, you just can’t let that happen. We had opportunities, and we didn’t seize them.”

Milton, ranked eighth, also got wins from Ian Johnson at 160 to start the 27-point run, with his 7-0 decision. John Wells (112), Landon Shea (119) and Garrett Whitehead (12-5) also won by decision.

After trailing 37-9, Stoughton won the last four matches from 130 to 145 but the meet was decided with the early pins.

“The guys, especially in our upper weights, came out and did dictate the match, basically, by desire,” Milton coach Pat Jauch. “They had some good kids up there.”

Jauch pointed to Letson’s pin of Eric Nelson as the turning point. Nelson moved up in weight class to avoid Miller, according to Jauch, and led 6-4 with a minute remaining. Letson managed to even the match on a reversal and continued the move into a headlock to secure the pin with 18 seconds remaining.

Johnson started the onslaught by finally gaining the pin after posting an 8-2 lead and turning Dillon Dewey with four seconds left in his 171-pound match. Miller quickly gained his pin over Ben Blackenship in the first period to set up Letson’s come-from-behind pin.

“This is, by no means, over,” Jauch said of season-long battle with Stoughton. “Everybody looks forward to this. Everyone is very violently supportive of their team.

“It’s fun. You try and keep it in perspective, and say either way you just love the competition, but it’s better when you win.”

MILTON 37, STOUGHTON 27

103—Devon McCune (S) pinned Dalton Erickson, 5:01; 112—John Wells (M) dec. Nick Urso, 14-11; 119—Landon Shea (M) major dec. over Nelson Raisbeck, 16-7; 125—Garrett Whitehead (M) dec. Kadri Heta, 12-5; 130—Ben Hite (S) dec. Kyle Hinners, 6-0; 135—Nick Hite (S) dec. Dillon Brissette, 11-4; 140—Jackson Urso (S) pinned Chad Kilcoyne, 1:18.

145—Austin Wersal (S) pinned Chris Mellom, 2:50; 152—Greg Krantz (S) dec. Avery Sweeney, 11-5; 160—Ian Johnson (M) dec, Chris Dvorak, 7-0; 171—Michael Johnson (M) pinned Dillon Dewy, 5:56; 189—James Miller (M) pinned Ben Blankenship, :45; 215—Chase Letson (M) pinned Eric Nelson, 5:42; 285—Garrod Mielke (M) pinned Ben Egan, :20.