Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Just minutes after claiming a third consecutive Class 3A state title West High senior Nelson Brands was already looking ahead to his collegiate wrestling career.

Before moving on the Iowa recruit turned in a final dominating performance as a prep.

Brands rolled up eight takedowns and needed just 3:15 to record a 22-7 tech fall of fourth-ranked Wilfred Kadohou in the 160-pound title match on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.  

“It doesn’t mean a whole lot, it means I was one off of four, it’s something that I missed but I’m not going to live in the past though,” Brands said. “I’m moving on to bigger and better things, moving on to Iowa and I have to be ready to go for the second half of my wrestling career.”

Before turning his attention to his free style and Greco seasons and ultimately his freshman season at Iowa Brands gave a resounding reminder of why he is considered one of the state’s best.

Ranked as the top 160-pounder in Class 3A and the 12th best in the country by Intermat Brands put an exclamation mark on his state meet domination with his title match win.

Brands (55-1) recorded a takedown 15 seconds into the match and rolled up five in the first period while building a 10-4 lead.

Brands added a pair of three-point nearfalls in the second period, including one that ended the match.

“That’s how I wrestle every single match and I wasn’t really thinking about specifically him,” Brands said. “Obviously I was because that’s the finals match but like I said I’m moving on.”

The title on Saturday capped an amazing three-year run for Brands with a second consecutive one-loss season.

After missing the state tournament as a freshman Brands compiled a 163-5 record the past three seasons and ends his career with a perfect 12-0 mark in state tournament matches.

“Obviously winning three state titles is pretty tough to do,” West High coach Mark Reiland said. “Not qualifying as a freshman and coming back as a sophomore and making the strides that he did was pretty remarkable and he just gotten better ever since.”

With the third state title Brands joins four-time state champion Nick Moore as the only wrestlers in West High history with three titles.

The Trojans have 30 state champs in its decorated wrestling history but only two that have stood on top of the podium three times.

“For a long time it was hard to get a two-timer, we had kids win it as juniors and not as seniors,” Reiland said. “We got over that hump and now we have a three-timer.”

Brands said he didn’t have any celebration planned for a third straight title but flashed three fingers to the crowd after the win.

“I wasn’t going to do that but I thought I might as well,” Brands said. “I’m moving on.”

Unlike his past two championships Brands had some company atop the awards stand.

Top-ranked teammate Francis Duggan (15-2) claimed the 220-pound title with a 13-4 major decision over second-ranked Greg Hagan (38-2).

“It means everything,” Duggan said. “Starting off rocky, losing twice it just gave me a lot of drive. I have the best coaches, the best teammates the best family, the best support system and it felt great.

A three-time state medalist in Pennsylvania, Duggan was impressive in his only season at West High.

The Iowa State recruit ranked as the 11th best 220-pounder nationally by Intermat had a first-period pin and tech fall in his first two state meet matches before back-to-back major decisions in the semifinals and finals.

“This tournament was amazing, I have never seen anything like this,” Duggan said. “The Iowa state tournament is just amazing. It’s awesome to compete with a crowd like this.

Duggan handed Hagan both of his losses this season, the first coming via a 16-7 major decision last month in the finals of the Ed Winger Classic at Urbandale.

In the rematch Duggan struck first, built a 6-1 lead and never let Hagan get to his offense.

“I knew he was going to come out swinging and come out hard because of the last match,” Duggan said. “He is a strong, tough kid so I just kept my head and just kept pushing the pass.”

The titles from Brands and Duggan marked the first time West High has had two champions in the same season since Phillip Laux and Dakota Bauer won titles in 2012.

“I have the best coach, Coach Reiland is awesome and I have awesome teammates, guys like Nelson and Guy Snow,” Duggan said. “West High has been great.”

The titles from Brands and Duggan along with sixth-place finishes from Graham Gambrall (47-19) at 132 and Guy Snow (45-18) at 285 helped West High to a seventh-place team finish with 73.5 points.

Class 3A State Meet

Team scores – 1. Fort Dodge 144; 2. Waukee 139; 3. Southeast Polk 134.5; 4. West Des Moines Valley 106.5; 5. Glenwood 76.5; 6. Johnston 74.5; 7. West High 73.5; 8. City High 71; 9. Dubuque Hempstead 67; 10. Perry 59.

Championship Matches

106 – No. 1 Cullan Schriever (Mason City) dec. No. 2 Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge) 9-3

113 – No. 1 Nick Oldham (West Des Moines Valley) dec. No. 2 Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny Centennial) 10-8

120 – No. 1 Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee) dec. No. 6 Ben Monroe (Ankeny Centennial) 9-2

126 – No. 1 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge) pinned No. 5 Kaleb Olejniczak (Perry) 1:49

132 – No. 2 Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge) dec. No. 3 Eli Loyd (Pleasant Valley) 9-4

138 – No. 1 Zach Stewart (Perry) dec. No. 3 Deville Dentis (Des Moines East) 3-1

145 – No. 1 Cade DeVos (Southeast Polk) dec. Mason Hulse (Boone) 7-2

152 – No. 3 Harlan Steffensmeier (Fort Madison) dec. No. 2 Cayd Lara (Fort Dodge) 5-4

160 – No. 1 Nelson Brands (West High) tech fall No. 4 Wilfred Kadohou (City High) 22-7

170 – No. 1 Ben Sarasin (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. No. 3 Anthony Zach (Waukee) 9-5

182 – No. 1 Joel Shapiro (West Des Moines Valley) dec. No. 3 Brandon Tessau 8-2

195 – No. 2 Jacob Dykes (City High) dec. No. 8 Reece Bowlin (Indianola) 7-2

220 – No. 1 Francis Duggan (West High) major dec. No. 2 Greg Hagen (West Des Moines Dowling) 13-4

285 – No. 1 Caleb Sanders (Glenwood) dec. No. 4 Dylan Olson (Dubuque Hempstead) 3-2

Area Individual Results

Consolation Semifinals

132 – No. 4 Caleb Corbin (West Des Moines Valley) dec. No. 5 Graham Gambrall (West High) 5-0

285 – No. 3 Nathan McDonald (Waukee) pinned Guy Snow (West High) 5:36

Fifth Place

132 – No. 9 Matthew Jordan (Des Moines East) dec. No. 5 Graham Gambrall (West High) 8-6

285 – No. 6 Griffin Liddle (Bettendorf) dec. Guy Snow (West High) 4-2