West Branch Senior Wright Uses Late Takedown to Advance to State Title Match
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Before Logan Wright stepped on the mat for his semifinal match on Friday night it had already been a special season for the West Branch wrestling program.
The Bears brought a program-record nine wrestlers to the Class 1A state tournament, went 5-2 in opening round matches and had seven different wrestlers win a match at state.
Wright made the breakthrough season for the Bears even better.
Fifth-ranked Wright (34-3) scored a takedown with seven seconds remaining in the first overtime period to earn a 3-1 win over second-ranked Cody Fox (44-3) of East Buchanan in a 285-pound semifinal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
The victory was the second straight over a top-six ranked opponent for Wright and sends the senior into the state title match on Saturday night in a session that begins at 5:50 p.m.
Wright is the first West Branch state finalist since Cade Jones in 2013 and will face top-ranked Mason Knipp (37-0) of Waterloo Columbus in the 285-pound title match.
Friday’s win continued what has been an impressive tournament for Wright and his West Branch teammates.
Wright pinned Cooper Marvel of Southwest Iowa in the second round and posted a 7-1 decision over sixth-ranked Gage Jorgenson of Emmetsburg in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Friday Wright secured his biggest win yet with the overtime victory over Fox who will earn his fourth state medal on Saturday.
Wright finished eighth at 215 pounds as a sophomore in 2022 and qualified but didn’t reach the medal stand at 215-pounds last season.
This year Wright has wrestled his best at the state meet.
Freshman 106-pounder Ethan Humphrey (32-4) bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to top-ranked Hayden Schwab of Don Bosco on Thursday with a consolation win on Friday that secured a state medal.
Humphrey won a 3-0 decision over ninth-ranked Max Millage of Earlham on Friday before dropping an 11-4 decision to second-ranked Ayden Bergman of Jesup.
No. 12 Humphrey will face fourth-ranked Lucas Oldenkamp of Lake Mills in the seventh-place match on Saturday morning.
The wins from Wright and Humphrey on Friday pushed West Branch into a tie for 10th place in the 1A team standings with North Butler with 49 points.
Class 1A State Meet
Team scores (Top 20; area teams) – 1. Don Bosco 151.5; 2. Wilton 120; 3. Alburnett 115; 4. Underwood 77; 5. West Hancock 75; 6. Jesup 68; 7. Denver 55; 8. Logan-Magnolia 51.5; 9. Nashua-Plainfield 49.5; 10. North Butler 49; 10. West Branch 49; 12. Maquoketa Valley 48; 13. Lisbon 47; 14. Wapsie Valley 46; 15. Emmetsburg 44; 16. Hinton 43; 16. West Sioux 43; 18. Earlham 41; 19. Lake Mills 37; 19. Pleasantville 37; 71. Regina
Semifinal (area athletes)
285 – Logan Wright (West Branch) dec. Cody Fox (East Buchanan) 3-1 SV-1
4th round consolation (area athletes)
106 – Ethan Humphrey (West Branch) dec. Max Millage (Earlham) 3-0
120 – Dawson Jacobsen (Central Springs) pinned Lincoln Edwards 1:22
5th round consolation (area athletes)
106 – Ayden Bergman (Jesup) dec. Ethan Humphrey (West Branch) 11-4
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