Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – With more than 110 career victories Sam Stevens is among the most successful wrestlers in Clear Creek Amana history.

Stevens picked up career win number 111 on Thursday against East Marshall in a triangular in Tiffin but the senior 126-pounder didn’t get this far without some help.

One key piece of the recent success for Stevens has been sophomore teammate and current workout partner Kael Scranton.

“We train with each other every day and that makes us better,” Stevens said of Scranton. “We work hard, we get after it and if one of us has a tough loss we come back and work even harder.”

One a night where Stevens moved into the top five all-time in Clear Creek Amana for career wins Scranton showed why he may not be far behind.

Scranton picked up a pair of pins on Thursday as Clear Creek Amana dropped duals to East Marshall 39-24 and Benton Community 45-30.

“For sure he can reach all of these numbers that I’m at,” Stevens said of Scranton. “Coming into a tough 3A district last year as a freshman he did great. He is going to have a great career.”

Stevens entered Thursday a win away from matching Quinn Murphy for fifth all-time at CCA with 111 wins.

The ninth-ranked 126-pounder in Class 3A got the win via forfeit in the opening match with East Marshall.

Stevens closed the night with a 7-1 loss to Class 2A eighth-ranked Wyatt Bieschke of Benton Community.

“Sam is improving but I want him to be more aggressive and let things fly,” Clear Creek Amana coach Kyle Forness said. “I think he’s a little tight right now and the good thing is we have a month to get better and that’s what we want. We want to be the best we can possibly be in February not January.”

With two pins on Thursday Scranton matched Stevens season win total with 18.

The sophomore 132-pounder needed just 1:33 to pin East Marshall’s Gabe Zielstorf and ended the night with a second-period pin of Benton Community’s Dawson Franck in 2:57.

“I think what he is learning is how to separate himself,” Forness said of Scranton. “He’s not just winning one-point matches or two-points and getting by he’s spreading it out and opening things up and scoring more points and he’s attacking all the time.”

Scranton had a pair of takedowns and a three-point nearfall while building a 7-0 lead against Franck before putting him on his back less than 30 seconds into the second period.

“Last year I was getting a score and just coasting and trying not to get tired,” Scranton said. “I’ve learned to keep moving, keep trying to get points to help the team more. I really like to put on a show for the people out here.”

Stevens and Scranton were both state qualifiers a year ago.

Scranton was 36-11 as a freshman, going 0-2 at the Class 3A state tournament while Stevens was 32-17 with a 1-2 mark at state.

The goal for both is to get back to Des Moines and improve on those performances.

“It’s good to have a good workout partner and it makes all the other guys around those weights better,” Forness said. “We are pretty deep at those two weights but they all get to work together and it makes them better each day.”

For Scranton having the opportunity to work with one of the best in school history has been invaluable.

“It’s good to have him around because that way I have someone to aspire to be and aspire to pass those records set by him,” Scranton said. “If I do something wrong he’ll tell and help me adjust.”

East Marshall 39, Clear Creek Amana 24

106 – Brodie Augspurger (EM) pinned Beck Arant 12-5

113 – Double forfeit

120 – Dominik Ridout (EM) won by forfeit

126 – Kordell Negrete (EM) dec. Jayden Massey 12-10

132 – Sam Stevens (CCA) won by forfeit

138 – Kael Scranton (CCA) pinned Gabe Zielstorf 1:33

145 – Carson Burchland (EM) pinned Jackson Schmidt 1:07

152 – Tim Benson (EM) dec. Nate Beckman 3-1

160 – Brett Lund (CCA) pinned Owen Collins 1:05

170 – Kalvin Mendieta (CCA) pinned Xander Bowers 4:36

182 – Tayte Nauman (EM) pinned Mark Cabrera 1:28

195 – Double forfeit

220 – Conner Murty (EM) pinned Tyler Steines :53

285 – Isrrael Vargas (EM) pinned Tyler Wulfenkuhle 1:46

Benton Community 45, Clear Creek Amana 30

106 – Jordan Thys (BC) pinned Beck Arant 1:59

113 – Joseph Davis (BC) won by forfeit

120 – Jayden Massey (CCA) pinned Kean Campbell 1:56

126 (BC) dec. Sam Stevens 7-1

132 – Kael Scranton (CCA) pinned Dawson Franck 2:57

138 – Mason Dellamuth (BC) pinned Caden Baxter 2:34

145 – Bela Upchurch (CCA) pinned Koley Kelly 1:09

152 – Austin Timmerman (BC) dec. Nate Beckman 3-2

160 – Brett Lund (CCA) won by forfeit

170 – Zane Frese (BC) dec. Kalvin Mendieta 5-3

182 – Brian Delgado (BC) won by forfeit

195 – Austin Roos (BC) won by forfeit

220 – Tyler Steines (CCA) won by forfeit

285 – Keegan Murphy (BC) pinned Tyler Wulfenkuhle 1:57

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