The C-S-M co-op werestling team is pictiured with the Division 4 runnerup trophy after the team lost in the state finals championship match to Hudson February 22 at Wings Event Center.
By Bruce Rolfe
They set a goal when the season started of advancing to the Division 4 State Finals championship match and an opportunity to wrestle for a state title.
And that’s exactly what the Climax-Scotts-Martin co-op wrestling team did.
It was truly a magical and historical season for the local co-op wrestling team.
After advancing to the State Finals event the last two seasons only to come up short in the semifinals two years ago against defending state champion Hudson and losing in the quarterfinals last year to St.
Louis, the local co-op team felt with many returners, this was the year they had an opportunity to advance to the state finals championship match.
At the Division 4 Team State Finals event at Wings Event Center February 28, C-S-M first defeated Union City 47-28 in the quarterfinals. The co-op wresting team then won an classic match against St. Louis 30-25 in a match that came down to the final bout. C-S-M, trailing St. Louis 25-24 entering the final match, needed a win to reach their goal of wrestling in the state finals championship match. Martin freshman Jacinto Lopez came through in the pressure packed match, pinning St. Louis’ Rudy Clapp in 4:50 that propelled the team into the State Finals championship match and unchartered territory.
It is the first time since Climax-Scotts and Martin merged to form a co-op in 2014 the team reached the state finals, and the first time C-S has played for a team state title since the 2004 football team won the state championship, the same year Martin lost in the team state wrestling finals to New Lothrop.
“You know we fought all odds. I love this team so much. This team gave me everything the last four years. It’s been amazing just wrestling with them. And this year, we knew something was different. We knew we had another year, we knew we could get to where we wanted to be. And we ended up doing it, We ended up having a phenomenal match in the semifinals against St. Louis and we made it to the State Finals. We completed our goal. And we came up 20 points short of winning the state championship against a really solid team. That team just won their fourth straight state title. We battled our hearts out. I wouldn’t want to go to war with anyone else,” said C-S senior Logan Gilbert, who went 3-0 in the state finals event.
This determined team felt they not only could reach the championship match, but felt they could compete and push Hudson in the championship match after losing to the defending state champions 51-12 in the 2023 quarterfinals.
Push and compete they did. C-S-M’s 25 points are the most points Hudson has allowed in a State Final championship match since Clinton defeated Hudson in 2020, 36-27. C-S-M’s 25 points also ends a stretch of 21 straight matches Hudson had held its opponents under 25 points in the postseason.
C-S-M finished with a 26-2 record.
“We got the closest we’ve ever been to beating Hudson. It came down to two matches at the very end. And any way that the other matches could have gone, could have changed the affect of this meet, which we’re all blessed to have the opportunity to go to in the first place. I’m not too disappointed in the fact that we took second. We’re lucky to be in this spot. Hopefully our team can prosper as our seniors lead the group next year,” said senior Sam Bleeker.
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