Mount Ayr’s ‘four amigos’ ready for return to state

UNDERWOOD – It was strictly business in Underwood Saturday afternoon for Mount Ayr wrestling.

Five Raider wrestlers took to the mats at the Class 1A District 7 meet, all looking for a chance to wrestle under the lights of Wells Fargo Arena at State. The “four amigos” of Trae and Drew Ehlen, Jaydon Knight and Bryce Shaha clinched a chance to all wrestle together at state for the second straight year.

Early in the day, one of Mount Ayr’s top wrestlers Drew Ehlen (106), fell into consolations. Facing Missouri Valley’s Eli Becerra, Class 1A No. 6 Drew Ehlen had four takedowns and two three-point near-falls scored on him, leading to a 14-1 major decision loss.

Class 1A No. 2 Becerra ultimately won the bracket, clinching a chance at state.

In consolation, Drew Ehlen made quick work of Riverside’s Dalton Smith, pinning him at 1:12. Southwest Valley’s Brayden Maeder (Class 1A No. 4) fell to Becerra in the final, leading to a wrestleback opportunity for Ehlen.

A Pride of Iowa matchup for a shot at state turned into Ehlen getting two takedowns and a reversal to jump ahead 6-0, which turned into the score in a decision win to win the wrestleback for second.

With the two wrestling four times this season, Mount Ayr head coach Eric Ehlen knew where his son needed to be to get a win against a tough opponent.

“We knew what we were coming into,” said Eric Ehlen. “I really didn’t know how good Maeder would do against Becerra, and we were glad we got a second chance. We told Drew before the match, ‘two takedowns or three will win this match.’ ... He came off and said, ‘I did what you said to do.’ We knew we had to do that. Maeder is tough, and he’s going to be tough for a long time.”

Facing a conference opponent in a setting where the stakes are higher than previous times helps, said Eric Ehlen.

“It’s huge as far as wrestling them and knowing what they do,” said Eric Ehlen. “We’ve seen those guys, two, three or four times this year. It helps every match, but today is just a day where we said, ‘you’ve got to win. This is it. This is your ticket.’”

Drew’s brother Trae had a slightly quicker way back to state, winning his first match in an 11-0 major decision over West Central Valley’s Blaise Beane. The Eighth ranked 145-pounder in Class 1A faced off with Treynor’s Duncan Clark in the District final and made quick work of Clark, pinning him in 52 seconds. It’s Drew’s fourth state qualifying season for the Raiders.

It was a similar route to the state tournament for Class 1A No. 6 Jaydon Knight (152), who blew through competition. Knight didn’t let either match get outside of a minute, pinning West Central Valley’s Kaedon Lindsay in 42 seconds in the semifinal and Missouri Valley’s in 55 seconds in the final to lock up a state return.

Knight, who improved to 40-0 at the conclusion of the day, enters state without a blemish on his season record. Eric Ehlen said he’s always taught his wrestlers to put the records and ranks out of mind and go one match at a time.

“He knows ... ‘When you’re up there, you’re 0-0 again,’” said Eric Ehlen. “It doesn’t matter. Same thing (Saturday), you had to win to move on, and they know we take it one match at a time. Win or lose, we’re going out there and giving 110% every time.”

Bryce Shaha finished the day 1-1, receiving the benefit of a no contest to place him second. Shaha won his semifinal match over AHSTW’s Hayden Fischer in a 6-1 decision, earning a shot against Underwood’s Gable Porter (Class 1A No. 2) in the 132 District final.

Porter outworked Shaha to a 10-0 major decision final, putting Shaha into consolations. Fischer, who was facing East Mills’ Brodyn Wray, pinned him in 1:34. Since Shaha had beat Fischer to open the day, there was no contest for second. It’s Shaha’s fourth season as a state qualifier.

Falling short of an opportunity at state was Jarrett Webb, who was fourth in the 113 field.

Webb was pinned in the second period by St. Albert’s Zach Williams and then fell in a 10-1 major decision to East Union’s Milo Staver, ending his postseason run.

Eric Ehlen knew Webb needed to win the first to have a good chance to advance out of districts but fell short.

“We knew we had to get that first one (match),” said Eric Ehlen. “It just didn’t go his way (Saturday). I thought we maybe had a chance to get all five through, but I’m proud of (Webb). He had a good year. I know this isn’t the way he wanted to end and as a coach, the ups and downs we go through, it’s kind of hard when the four other guys make it and he doesn’t. It makes it hard on us.”

A collective eight years of state experience for Mount Ayr will be on display this week in Class 1A. Last winter all four wrestlers placed on the podium, all four placing seventh in their brackets.

Eric Ehlen said the boys are ready after all working together since the lower levels of the sport.

“It’s just an exciting group because those four kids have grown up together, wrestled since peewees together,” said Eric Ehlen. “We really wanted to get all five today, but those four especially. They’ve grown up wrestling together. They’re ready.”