A side of Kraut

by

Casey K rautkramer Reporter

Familiar foe for the Tigers

I somehow survived driving through Winter Storm Olive last Wednesday afternoon on my way to Madison to cover the state individual wrestling tournament on Thursday for the newspaper. I’ll be in Madison again this Saturday, March 4, to cover Stratford’s wrestling team in the WIAA Division 3 state team tournament at the historic University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse.

While taking pictures of our local wrestlers at individual state, a reporter from the Shiocton newspaper told me he hoped the team wouldn’t need to wrestle against Fennimore right away at team state. I was hoping the same thing. Well I am sure he’s now thankful Shiocton, which is making its first trip to state team wrestling, is competing against Cedar Grove-Belgium. Stratford, however, isn’t so lucky.

Stratford received the number four seed at team state and will wrestle against number one seed Fennimore. The Golden Eagles are undefeated with a 15-0 dual match record this season while the Tigers have a 15-2 dual match record.

This will be the sixth time that I’ll witness Stratford wrestling against Fennimore at team state. I watched Stratford tie Fennimore in the 2016 state team championship, only to see the Golden Eagles win state on a tiebreaker. Then I saw Stratford beat Fennimore in backto- back state titles in 2017 and 2018. I witnessed Stratford lose to Fennimore in the 2019 state championship. Lastly, I saw the Tigers lose to the Golden Eagles in the 2020 state team semifinal.

I just hope I can find a place to sit in front of the mat to take pictures without being bothered by Fennimore’s wrestling cheerleaders pounding on the mat, because they were very loud the last time I sat next to them.

I’ve always found it interesting, however, that Fennimore’s coaching staff keep their wrestlers in the locker room and brings each of them out right before their match. Maybe it’s a tactic to keep wrestlers from getting nervous before it’s their time to perform. I have no idea.

I remember sitting with the late Bev Aschenbrenner during Stratford’s state team tournament trip in 2016. She always had her homework done on the matchups at each weight class so she could determine which team would win.

Last weekend, three Fennimore wrestlers won individual state championships and one took third place. Stratford didn’t have any individual state champions, but senior Jackson Ormond did take third place at 182 pounds. Stratford senior Ryan Becker placed fourth at 145 pounds and sophomore Carter Lueck was fourth at 170.

I have learned this season to not count out Stratford no matter who its opponent is, even if it’s number one seed Fennimore in the state team tournament.