Although 10 Panthers will compete at WIAA Sectionals this weekend, Ellsworth fell for the team championship by just 5.5 points in Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 Regional competition to Gale-Ettrick-Trempleau/ Melrose-Mindoro. The Panthers have dominated and won their regional competition every year, dating back to 2005.

“I tell you what, I’m proud of our team’s effort,” Coach Mark Matzek said. “They left everything out there. We lost by a very slim margin to a very good team,” he said regarding the second-ranked team in the state. “We were one match away from winning Regionals today in many different avenues. Like I said, I’m proud of our effort.”

Sophomore Cale Ekholm, wrestling at 106 pounds, fell to GET/MM’s Carson Kross by way of pin after 3:38 in the first-place match to take second.

Senior Cole Nelson pinned West Salem/Bangor’s Carlyle Lyga in 3:42 to win first place wrestling at 120 pounds.

Wrestling at 132 pounds, senior Bailey Poellinger pinned Prescott’s Sam Murphy in 3:16 to secure first place.

Fellow classmate Charlie Stuhl, boasting a 35-2 record, scored a major decision victory over GET/MM’s Sam Johnson wrestling

Photo by Jon Claesson. at 138 pounds.

145-pound wrestler Braden Matzek pinned WS/B’s Andy Johnson in just under a minute to secure second place. The junior was on the wrong end of a 7-5 decision in the first-place match to GET/MM’s Bryce Blaken.

Carter Huppert, a senior wrestling at 152 pounds, defeated GET/MM’s Daniel Slattery in a 17-8 major decision to win first place.

160-pound sophomore Eli Rohl placed second after falling to GET/MM’s Jaden Anderson.

Ryan Matzek, a sophomore wrestling at 170 pounds, placed second after losing a decision to GET/MM’s Hunter Andersen.

195-pound wrestler Ian Matzek placed third after pinning WS/B’s Cameron Sidie in merely 15 seconds. The sophomore fell to OF/A/FC’s Luke Fischer in the second place wrestleback match.

220-pound wrestler Kyle Anschutz, a sophomore, scored a 9-8 decision win over Black River Falls’ Kaleb Dobson, a senior, to secure first place.

285-pound wrestler Logan Peterson, a senior, defeated Shawn Thomason of Prescott in the second-place match by way of fall in only 1:17. Peterson fell to GET/MM’s Trevor Daffinson in the firstplace match.

Most of the Panther’s team have the opportunity to keep their season alive and they’ll be working hard this week to make that happen.

Not winning the Regional meet menas the Panthers won’t be competing for a WIAA Team Championship, which means Ellsworth doesn’t have to prepare for dual meets this week.

“We have 10 guys going to sectionals,” Matzek stated. “We don’t have to weigh in and wrestle on Tuesday, so we get to train all week and get stronger and improve.”

PHOTOS BY JON CLAESSON