Solon Senior Marty Reaches Title Match in Third Trip to State
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – After two years spent battling through the backside of the bracket at the state wrestling meet Solon senior Gage Marty will cap his career on the big stage of championship Saturday.
Top-ranked Marty (48-2) secured his first trip to the state finals in his 14th career state tournament match on Friday with a 4-2 sudden victory win over fourth-ranked Ethan Hooyer (42-8) of Sioux Center in the Class 2A 285-pound semifinals at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
“I’ve been chasing it for three years now,” Marty said of the championship appearance. “It feels really good to finally be in that match.”
Marty earned medals in each of his first two trips to the Class 2A state meet with eight of his 11 state matches the past two years coming in the consolation bracket.
Under the bright lights of the state semifinals for the first time Friday Marty made the most of his time to shine recording a takedown 30 seconds into the 60-second sudden victory period.
“I knew I was in better shape than that guy,” Marty said. “So, I set up my opportunity to set up a really good shot.”
The win was the 17th straight for Marty and sets up a Saturday evening showdown with second-ranked Easton Fleshman (46-1) of West Lyon in the 285-pound final.
Marty is 2-1 against the Iowa recruit over the past two seasons including a pin of Fleshman in 220-pound state consolation match last season and a 3-1 win in the most recent meeting last month.
Fleshman advanced with a 4-1 semifinal win over third-ranked Aaron Graves (28-2) of Southeast Valley who is an Iowa football signee.
“This will be the fourth time they have wrestled the last couple of years and I know they have respect for each other,” Solon co-head coach Aaron Hadenfeldt said. “I’m sure Fleshman wants Gage and I know Gage wants him so I’m looking forward to it and I know Gage is too.”
Before Marty could think about Saturday evening matchup with Fleshman he had to take care of business against Hooyer on Friday.
Marty opened the scoring with a takedown with nine seconds left in the opening period but Hooyer got an escape as time expired to cut the lead to 2-1.
Hooyer rode Marty for the entire second period and scored a second escape in the third period to tie the match at 2-2 after six minutes.
“I want to stay it gets easier every time you come down here just with experience but it doesn’t,” Hadenfeldt said. “You’ve got tough kids no matter what round you are in. Maybe on the nerves it gets a little easier but from a match standpoint it doesn’t get any easier.”
After going scoreless over the final two periods Marty wasted no time getting to his offense in the extra session.
Marty secured the win with a double-leg takedown 30 seconds into overtime.
“A lot of time you think about drilling and learning all these moves but this year we told him he has his three or four moves and that’s all we are doing all year long and you are going to get so good at those you will do them in your sleep,” Hadenfeldt said. “That’s a credit to Gage, he does stuff after practice and I couldn’t be happier for the kid.”
Class 2A State Wrestling Tournament
At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines
Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. West Burlington/Notre Dame 90; 2. Osage 78.5; 3. West Delaware 68.5; 4. Vinton-Shellsburg 62; 5. Glenwood 52; 26. Solon 21
Semifinals (Area wrestlers)
285 – Gage Marty (Solon) dec. Ethan Hooyer (Sioux Center) 4-2 SV-1
Saturday’s Championship
285 – No. 1 Gage Marty (48-2) vs. No. 2 Easton Fleshman (46-1), Sr., West Lyon
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