Photo by Jeff Yoder / Click here to view the 3A state wrestling photo gallery.

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – By his own admission Landon Green is more of a novice than expert when it comes to wrestling technique.

The West High senior 220-pounder tends to rely more on his physical attributes on the mat, specifically an impressive combination of explosiveness and strength, than any technical skills.

Green looked every bit like a seasoned wrestler late in his state meet opener on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Green (36-8) broke a 4-4 tie with a nifty takedown in the final seconds of a 6-4 win over fifth-ranked Nate Heckart of Norwalk in a 3A opening round matchup of ranked opponents.

“That was the shot I had to go for,” Green said. “It was either I’d get it or I wouldn’t and I got it and got the win.”

The late takedown by Green capped a wild third period that saw the lead change hands three times.

As time ticked away Green exploded toward Heckart and grabbed his ankle before securing the clinching takedown with two seconds left.

“That was a nice takedown,” West High coach Nate Moore said. “He’s a freak, he is an unbelievable athlete and he works hard. You get what you earn and he earned that match.”

With his last-second win Green joined teammates Hunter Garvin and Will Hoeft in the Class 3A quarterfinals where he will face Ames sophomore Gabriel Greenlee (25-10) on Friday morning.

“It feels great,” Green said. “This is my first time at the state tournament and winning my first match here it feels pretty good.”

After a scoreless first period Heckart took a 1-0 lead with an escape to start the second period but Green answered, showing his explosiveness with a double-leg blast that put him up 2-1 with 28 seconds left in the period.

Heckart tied the match 2-2 with an escape late in the second period and took a 4-3 lead with his only takedown with 1:06 left in the match.

Green tied the score with an escape, setting up his winning takedown in the final seconds.  

“I really didn’t want to wrestle again today so I just thought if I can get this last takedown I can be done for the day,” Green said.

In his first taste of the state meet Green tried to use his speed and quickness to his advantage late against the larger Heckart.

That plan worked to perfection.

“By the end of the match most of the guys are wrestle are super tired and I’m tired but I’m not that tired,” Green said. “That’s what I’m trying to do is have more energy at the end.”

After missing all of last season with an injury Green has been a little behind on catching up with his technique this season but is wrestling his best at the right time.

“You can just tell every single day he is coming in and getting better,” Moore said. “I wish I had him another three years.”

West High went 3-3 in opening round matches and kept five of its qualifiers alive for day two.

Garvin (37-3) was impressive in his state meet debut racking up a 20-5 tech fall of North Scott junior Cael Bredar in a 120-pound opener.

“It was really exciting,” Garvin said. “I was really pumped, maybe a little too pumped out there but it was a good way to start off the day, start off the tournament.”

Second-ranked Garvin two takedowns and two near falls in the opening period while building a 9-1 lead.

“That’s key, that’s key is to get going early,” Garvin said. “My mentality is to keep scoring quick and don’t stop.”

Garvin led 14-3 after two periods before ending the match with 39 seconds remaining and will face Waukee senior Nick Miller (32-8) in the quarterfinals.  

“I just kept to what I know,” Garvin said. “I hit all my stuff, I got to my basic wrestling and hit all the stuff that I know that I am good at.”

Hoeft (35-6) will make his first quarterfinal appearance in his second trip to state after a 12-4 major decision over Ryan Cook of Cedar Rapids Xavier in the opening round.

Seventh-ranked Hoeft will face No. 4 Nic Leo (35-3) of Ankeny Centennial in the quarterfinals.

West High kept two wrestlers alive on the backside of the bracket as sophomore Graham Gambrall bounced back from a 3-1 loss to sixth-ranked Ian Heise of Waverly-Shell Rock with a 13-4 major decision against Ethan Sorenson of Sioux City North at 138.  

Freshman Grant O’Dell stayed alive at 106 pounds with a 6-4 sudden victory win over Marion’s Niyo Gady.

Class 3A State Meet

Team scores (Top 10; Area Teams) – 1. Waverly-Shell Rock 31.5; 2. Southeast Polk 25; 3. Fort Dodge 23; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie 22; 5. Johnston 21; 6. Bettendorf 20.5; 7. North Scott 19; 7. Waukee 19; 9. Ankeny Centennial 17; 10. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 16; 18. West High 11.5; 19. City High 10.

Opening Round (Area Athletes Only)

106 – No. 1 Trever Anderson (Ankeny) major dec. Grant O’Dell (West High) 10-0

120 – No. 2 Hunter Garvin (West High) tech. fall Cael Bredar (North Scott) 20-5

126 – Noah Blubaugh (Ankeny Centennial) pinned Keaton Speicher (West High) 2:44

138 – No. 6 Ian Heise (Waverly-Shell Rock) dec. No. 8 Graham Gambrall (West High) 3-1

182 – No. 7 Will Hoeft (West High) major dec. Ryan Cook (Cedar Rapids Xavier) 12-4

220 – No. 8 Landon Green (West High) dec. No. 5 Nate Heckart (Norwalk) 6-4

First Round Consolation

106 – Grant O’Dell (West High) dec. Niyo Gady (Marion) 6-4 SV-1

126 – Kohler Ruggles (Bettendorf) dec. Keaton Speicher (West High) 9-4

138 – Graham Gambrall (West High) major dec. Ethan Sorenson (Sioux City North) 13-4

Friday’s Quarterfinal Matches

120 – No. 2 Hunter Garvin (37-3) Fr., West High vs. Nick Miller (32-8) Sr., Waukee

182 – No. 7 Will Hoeft (35-6) Jr., West High vs. No. 4 Nic Leo (35-3) Sr., Ankeny Centennial

220 – No. 8 Landon Green (36-8) Sr., West High vs. Gabriel Greenlee (25-10) Soph., Ames

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