Dykes Avenges Only Regular Season Loss to Reach 195-pound Title Match
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – With only three losses over the past two seasons Jacob Dykes hasn’t had much need or opportunity to think about redemption.
When the City High senior got a shot for a double dose of revenge on Friday he wasn’t going to let it get away.
Dykes (44-1) avenged a semifinal loss from a season ago and the only blemish on his record this season with a 5-3 decision over top-ranked Tyrell Gordon of Waterloo East in the 195-pound semifinals at the Class 3A state wrestling championships at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
“Being able to avenge that was my main goal coming into this tournament after I saw the brackets come out,” Dykes said. “To be able to do that feels great.”
Dykes won his first 46 matches last season before a 3-1 loss to eventual state champion Isaac Bartel of Mason City in the semifinals that led to a fifth-place finish.
In his final shot at a state title Dykes didn’t miss a spot on the Saturday night big stage building a 5-1 lead against Gordon in the first two periods.
“Last year I came in here and I had the big first round win which was nice and all that but I don’t think I humbled myself afterwards,” Dykes said. “I think that affected me wrestling on, I was still riding that high.”
Dykes will attempt to become the first City High state champion since 2005 on Saturday when he faces eighth-ranked Reece Bowlin (40-5) of Indianola in the 195-pound title match.
“He’s been through the thick of things I’m so proud of him to win that match but he has one more left,” City High coach Cory Connell said. “He needs to make sure he isn’t just satisfied with just getting there.”
In order to reach the finals Dykes had to avenge his only loss of the season by getting past an old Mississippi Valley Conference nemesis in Gordon.
The Waterloo East senior used a pair of five-point moves to earn a 12-4 win over Dykes in the finals at the MVC Super Meet.
Dykes led that match 3-2 in the third period before a pair of big moves from Gordon.
In Friday’s semifinal Dykes surrendered only an escape and a late third-period takedown.
“He already knew how to wrestle him we just had to change some small things,” Connell said. “He just did some little things wrong and he made some small adjustments and those small adjustments are what won that match.”
With his semifinal win Dykes joined teammate Wilfred Kadohou in Saturday’s championship round and pushed City High to fifth in the 3A team standings.
Top-ranked Fort Dodge leads the team race with 128 points followed by Waukee with 102 and three-time defending champ Southeast Polk with 90.5.
City High is fifth with 65, already eclipsing its team point total from a year ago.
“It’s great being able to come out here and show what we are able to do and show where we have come under Cory,” Dykes said. “We are out here having fun, doing our thing.”
Dykes will try to become the first City High champ since Zach McKray and Kyle Anson both won titles in 2005.
He brings a 10-match winning streak that includes eight pins into Saturday’s title match.
“I wrestled him last year so I’ll probably go over a little bit of film but I think the biggest thing is just humbling myself a little more and getting ready,” Dykes said.
Class 2A State Meet
Team scores (Top 10; Area Teams) – 1. Fort Dodge 128; 2. Waukee 102; 3. Southeast Polk 90.5; 4. West Des Moines Valley 86.5; 5. City High 65; 6. West High 63; 7. Glenwood 51.5; 8. Dubuque Hempstead 51; 9. Johnston 50.5; 10. Perry 50.
Individual Results (Area Athletes Only)
Quarterfinals
106 – No. 7 Ethan Wood-Finley (City High) pinned Tanner Wink (Lewis Central) 3:39
138 – No. 5 Drevon Ross (Fort Dodge) dec. No. 9 Joey Harney (City High) 8-3
160 – No. 4 Wilfred Kadohou (City High) dec. No. 6 Logan Neils (Ankeny Centennial) 9-3
195 – No. 2 Jacob Dykes (City High) pinned Nate Heckart (Norwalk) 2:32
285 – No. 1 Caleb Sanders (Glenwood) pinned Jacob Murry (City High) 1:42
Semifinals
106 – No. 1 Cullan Schriever (Mason City) dec. No. 7 Ethan Wood-Finley (City High) 13-4
160 – No. 4 Wilfred Kadohou (City High) dec. No. 5 Alex Ward (Dubuque Hempstead) 5-3
195 – No. 2 Jacob Dykes (City High) dec. No. 1 Tyrell Gordon (Waterloo East) 5-3
Second Round Consolation
132 – No. 9 Matthew Jordan (Des Moines East) major dec. No. 7 Lance Bormann (City High) 10-1
138 – No. 9 Joey Harney (City High) pinned Zach Oldham (West Des Moines Valley) 5:50
285 – Troy Monahan (Mason City) dec. Jacob Murry (City High) 2-1 SV-1
Third Round Consolation
138 – No. 7 Nathan Marchand (Southeast Polk) dec. No. 9 Joey Harney (City High) 14-6
Saturday’s Championships
160 – No. 1 Nelson Brands (54-1), Sr., West High vs. No. 4 Wilfred Kadohou (39-7), Sr., City High
195 – No. 2 Jacob Dykes (44-1), Sr., City High vs. No. 8 Reece Bowling (40-5), Sr., Indianola