Taking a Quick Look at Friday’s Semifinal Matches Featuring Your Prep Sports Area Wrestlers
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – It is semifinal Friday at the state wrestling tournament.
The fifth session of the four-day state tournament at Casey’s Center in Des Moines is the Friday evening semifinal round for all three classes.
Six Your Prep Sports area wrestlers will look to secure a spot in the state title matches that are scheduled for 5:15 on Saturday night.
Before the action gets underway on Friday night here is a look at the six semifinal matches featuring Your Prep Sports area athletes.
Friday’s Semifinals
Class 3A
113 – No. 1 Diego Robertty (37-1) Fr., West High vs. No. 3 Jack Wallukait (34-3) Jr., West Des Moines Dowling
One of the better semifinals in Class 3A is a top-three matchup at 113 pounds featuring a pair of first-time semifinalists.
Top-ranked West High freshman Diego Robertty (37-1) has quickly emerged as one of the top young wrestlers in the state.
Robertty won a 14-13 decision over fourth-ranked Indianola freshman Cain Crosson of Indianola in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
To reach the state finals Robertty will need to avenge his only loss, a 9-6 setback to Wallukait on December 13.
Third-ranked Wallukait (34-3) is making his semifinal debut after placing third as a freshman and fourth last season at 113 pounds.
Wallukait owns a 92-11 career record and his only two in-state losses this season are to second-ranked Waukee Northwest junior Carew Christensen.
126 – No. 2 Alexander Pierce (47-0) Sr., West High vs. No. 3 Weston Porter (36-2) Jr., Council Bluffs Lewis Central
Perhaps the most loaded bracket in the Class 3A field, 126 pounds produces a pair of can’t miss semifinals on Friday evening.
Three-time state finalist Alexander Pierce (47-0) will face third-ranked Weston Porter (36-2) of Council Bluffs Lewis Central while top-ranked Eddie Woody Jr. (36-2) of Southeast Polk and fourth-ranked Cale Vandermark (35-6) of Ankeny Centennial will meet in the other 126-pound semifinal.
Pierce is looking for the exclamation point on a stellar prep career.
The Northwestern recruit is 171-7 over the past four seasons, winning the 106-pound title as a freshman before back-to-back runner-up finishes at 113 pounds the past two seasons.
Porter is a two-time top-three finisher seeking a second state title appearance.
A Northern Illinois recruit, was the 106-pound runner-up in 2024 and finished 3rd last season at 113 pounds .
Porter owns a 119-8 career record, is unbeaten against in-state competition this season and brings an 18-match winning streak into Friday’s semifinal.
Pierce defeated Porter 7-2 last season.
175 – No. 8 Landon Bell (10-0) Sr., Liberty High vs. No. 2 Maximus Dhabolt (15-1) Jr., Ankeny Centennial
Another dandy of a 3A semifinal comes at 175 pounds where Liberty High senior Landon Bell is making a second consecutive semifinal appearance.
A four-time state qualifier, Bell had a breakthrough last season reaching the 175-pound semifinals where he fell to eventual state champion Jacob Helgeson of Johnston.
Bell (10-0) placed fifth a year ago at 175 pounds and is seeking to make a big jump this season.
To become the first state finalist in Liberty High history Bell will need to get past a defending state champion in Ankeny Centennial junior Maximus Dhabolt.
Dhabolt (15-1) won the 157-pound title last season after placing third at 144 pounds as a freshman.
Second-ranked Dhabolt is 83-5 in his career and is making his third consecutive semifinal appearance.
The lone loss for Dhabolt this season is a 4-2 decision to top-ranked undefeated defending state champion Jaxon Miller of Carlisle
Class 2A
106 – No. 2 Anderson Osgood (44-3) Soph., Solon vs. No. 8 Jackson McGonegle (33-90 Jr., Center Point-Urbana
Solon standout sophomore Anderson Osgood has been eyeing a potential state finals rematch with WAMAC rival Jackson Parmater of Vinton-Shellsburg.
Before he can think about a fourth meeting with Parmater this season Osgood will need to get past another WAMAC foe in eighth-ranked Center Point-Urbana junior Jackson McGonegle.
McGonegle (33-9) advanced to the semifinals with a second-period pin of fifth-ranked Decorah freshman Edisen Fullhart in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Osgood (44-3) has rolled into the semifinals outscoring opponents by a combined score of 36-4 in a pair of wins by tech fall.
Second-ranked Osgood won the only meeting with McGonegle this season 16-0 back on December 18.
113 – No. 3 Ethan Humphrey (43-2) Jr., West Branch vs. No. 4 Charlie Boelman (36-5) Sr., North Polk
West Branch junior Ethan Humphrey has steadily climbed the state medal stand the past two seasons.
Humphrey went from an eighth-place finish as a freshman to third last season at 106 pounds in Class 1A.
This season Humphrey is seeking another move up in his first season in Class 2A.
Third-ranked Humphrey has rolled into the semifinals with back-to-back tech fall wins in which he has outscored opponents by a combined score of 33-2.
Humphrey is 98-10 in his career and his only two losses this season have come to Class 1A second-ranked 120-pound Hendrix Schwab of Don Bosco and 1A No. 12 ranked 126-pounder DeShawn Parrow of Jesup.
North Polk senior Charlie Boelman is a four-time state qualifier and two-time medalist returning to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
Boelman finished seventh as a sophomore and fifth last season at 106 pounds and has 144 career wins.
285 – No. 2 Lucas Feuerbach (45-2) Jr., Solon vs. No. 3 Layne Kleppe (46-1) Sr., North Fayette Valley
The second of two Solon semifinalists, Feuerbach is seeking a second consecutive trip to the state finals.
Last year’s runner-up at 215 pounds, Feuerbach has been absolutely dominant since making the move to heavyweight this season.
Second-ranked Feuerbach (45-2) advanced to the semifinals with a 12-2 major decision win over seventh-ranked Drake Buthe of Glenwood in the quarterfinals.
Feuerbach has 36 wins via first-period fall this season including a pin of semifinal opponent Layne Kleppe in 42 seconds last month.
Kleppe (46-1) reached the semifinals with back-to-back pins and is 89-4 over the past two seasons.
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