BELMONT — For Christmas this year, the Belmont/Platteville wrestling team gave head coach Andrew Campbell a dual meet victory.
    The Braves won four of the five matches wrestled and received seven forfeits to earn their first victory of the season with a 60-12 decision over River Ridge/Cassville at a non-conference triple dual meet held in the Belmont Elementary School gymnasium on Thursday, Dec. 21.
    Boscobel rallied from behind to defeat the Braves, 42-36, in their second dual of night to finish 2-0 on the mats. The host Braves (1-2 overall) went 1-1, while the Timberwolves finished 0-2 at the meet.
    “I thought we looked really, really good against River Ridge/Cassville,” said Coach Campbell. “Against Boscobel, we had trouble staying off our backs.”
    Belmont/Platteville won the first eight matches to take a 39-0 lead on the Timberwolves in their opening match, and then won their first five matches against the Bulldogs to go up 30-0 in their second match.
    Sophomore Will Schaefer got the Braves started off on the right foot in each match by registering first-period falls over RR/C’s Blake Laufenberg (1:12) at 195-pounds and over Boscobel’s Jacob Bray (1:58) at 220-pounds.
    Belmont freshman Michael Douglas earned perhaps the biggest wins of the night for the Braves when he recorded a takedown in overtime to defeat Cassville senior Ben Wheeler by a score of 4-2 in a thrilling heavyweight clash.
    Wheeler, who placed fifth in Division 3 at last year’s WIAA Individual State Meet, had pinned Douglas earlier in the season at the Black Hawk Invitational  
    “That was the match of the night in my opinion. That just shows what he is capable of doing when he puts his mind to it. That was huge for him and it got the ball rolling for everyone else in that dual meet,” commented Campbell.
    Junior Trevor Heim added a 1:59 pin over Myles Wehrle at 145-pounds and freshman Geoffrey Erickson posted a 6-2 decision over Zach Fischer at 160 to aid the Braves’ win over the T’Wolves.
    Chris Spoor (220), Tristen Gilbertson (106), Isaac Wiegel (120), Chris Gillen (126), Brady Johnston (132), Shannon Gill-Mast (152) and Josh Taber (170) picked up forfeit wins for the Braves in match one.
    After Schaefer began match two win a pin, the Braves tacked on forfeit wins by Douglas (285), Wiegel (120) and Gillen (126) and Gilbertson’s 1:19 pin over Boscobel’s Gage Updike at 113 to build up a 30-0 advantage.
    The Bulldogs answered back with five consecutive pins to even the score at 30 all, and then received forfeits at 170 and 182 to take an insurmountable 42-30 lead on the Braves. Freshman Riley Christensen ended the night by picking up a forfeit win at 195 for the Braves.
    “We lost too many matches by pin. If we avoid the pin in one or two of those matches, the outcome could have been different. We also held out two starters so they are good to go at Bi-State. We’ll continue to build and grow from here,” said Campbell.
    Boscobel defeated River Ridge/Cassville, 51-6, in their head-to-head match to start the night.
    The Braves will head to La Crosse over the holiday break to participate in the 36th annual Bi-State Classic held at the La Crosse Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 29-30. Competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. each day.

Belmont/Platteville 60,
River Ridge/Cassville 12
Individual Results: 195-pounds- Will Schaefer, BP, pinned Laufenberg, 1:12; 220- Chris Spoor, BP, won by forfeit; 285- Michael Douglas dec. Wheeler, RR/C, 4-2 (OT); 106- Tristen Gilbertson, BP, won by forfeit; 113- Double forfeit; 120- Isaac Wiegel, BP, won by forfeit; 126- Christopher Gillen, BP, won by forfeit; 132- Brady Johnston, BP, won by forfeit; 138- Lenzendorf pinned Autumn Chapman, BP, 1:00; 145- Trevor Heim, BP, pinned Wehrle, 1:59; 152- Shannon Gill-Mast, BP, won by forfeit; 160- Geoffrey Erickson, BP, dec. Fischer, 6-2; 170- Joshua Taber, BP, won by forfeit; 182- Esser, RRC, won by forfeit.

Boscobel 42, Belmont/Platteville 36
Individual Results: 220-pounds- Will Schaefer, BP, pinned Bray, 1:58; 285- Michael Douglas, BP, won by forfeit; 106- Double forfeit; 113- Tristen Gilbertson, BP, pinned Baker, 1:19; 120- Isaac Wiegel, BP, won by forfeit; 126- Christopher Gillen, BP, won by forfeit; 132- Pickett pinned Brady Johnston, BP, 2:35; 138- Waterman pinned Autumn Chapman, BP, 1:08; 145- Frazier pinned Trevor Heim, BP, 1:18; 152- Achenbach pinned Shannon Gill-Mast, BP, 1:59; 160- Bassett pinned Geoffrey Erickson, BP, 0:16; 170- Lathrop, Bosc, won by forfeit; 182- Luke Beinborn, Bosc, won by forfeit; 195- Riley Christenson, BP, won by forfeit.
At Belmont, on Thursday, Dec. 21



106: Tristen Gilbertson (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 113:1 Double Forfeit 120: Isaac Wiegel (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 126: CHRISTOPHER GILLEN (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 132: Brady Johnston (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 138: Caleb Lenzendorf (RRC) over Autum Chapman (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 145: Trevor Heim (BEPL) over Myles Wehrle (RRC) (Fall 0:00) 152: Shannon Gill-Mast (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 160: Goeffrey Erickson (BEPL) over Zach Fischer (RRC) (Dec 6-2) 170: Joshua Taber (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 182: Gavin Esser (RRC) over (BEPL) (For.) 195: William Schaefer (BEPL) over Blake Laufenberg (RRC) (Fall 0:00) 220: Christopher Spoor (BEPL) over (RRC) (For.) 285: Michael Douglas (BEPL) over Ben Wheeler (RRC) (Dec 4-2)

106: Double Forfeit 113: Tristen Gilbertson (BEPL) over Gage Updike (BOSC) (Fall 0:00) 120: Isaac Wiegel (BEPL) over (BOSC) (For.) 126: CHRISTOPHER GILLEN (BEPL) over (BOSC) (For.) 132: Braiden Pickett (BOSC) over Brady Johnston (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 138: Lane Waterman (BOSC) over Autum Chapman (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 145: Dakota Frazier (BOSC) over Trevor Heim (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 152: Kolten Achenbach (BOSC) over Shannon Gill-Mast (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 160: Tanner Bassett (BOSC) over Geoffrey Erickson (BEPL) (Fall 0:00) 170: Jayden Lathrop (BOSC) over (BEPL) (For.) 182: Chase Beinborn (BOSC) over (BEPL) (For.) 195: Riley Christenson (BEPL) over (BOSC) (For.) 220: William Schaefer (BEPL) over Jacob Bray (BOSC) (Fall 0:00) 285: Michael Douglas (BEPL) over (BOSC) (For.)