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Lynx head to NCC tourney flying under the radar

Top-ranked Cam Phetxoumphone one of four returning individual champions; team race is anyone’s guess

Webster City freshman Jordan Vankham (right) battles for position against Forest City’s Hayden Hoffmeyer during the Dick Kennedy Memorial Duals earlier this month. Vankham missed the first month of the season with an injury and has just one varsity match under his belt, but he’ll be in the Lynx lineup at 138 pounds at Saturday’s NCC tournament in Iowa Falls. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WEBSTER CITY — In a normal year, the head wrestling coaches in the North Central Conference prepare for the league tournament with a general idea of what to expect.

In recent years, the plan has been to try to track down Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, which has won back-to-back team titles and four of the last five.

But this isn’t a normal year. The reality is the 2020 team crown is up for grabs with as many as four or five teams that could conceivably jump to the front of the field when all is said and done.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, adds a layer of excitement.

“I think there are four or five teams that can win it if they get on a roll,” Webster City head coach Chad Hisler said. “Usually there is a clear cut favorite, but I don’t really think there is one (team) way out ahead of everybody, so it should be interesting.”

Webster City sophomore Cam Phetxoumphone (right) tosses Roland-Story’s Ben Sarver straight to his back during the Dick Kennedy Memorial Duals earlier this month. Unbeaten at 25-0 and ranked No. 1 (Class 2A) at 106 pounds, Phetxoumphone will look to become a two-time NCC champion at the 2020 league tournament on Saturday in Iowa Falls. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Iowa Falls-Alden will host the NCC tournament on Saturday. Wrestling will get underway at 10 a.m.

Humboldt, IF-A, CGD and Hampton-Dumont all have viable chances at hoisting the championship trophy, and Algona can’t be discounted either.

WCHS has won four league championships since 2011 and five in the program’s storied history. The Lynx finished in the top two eight consecutive times prior to a season ago when they placed fifth.

With four freshmen, eight underclassmen and no seniors in the WCHS lineup, Hisler knows it will be a stretch for his squad to factor into the thick of the team race. Only six of the team’s grapplers — Cam Phetxoumphone (106 pounds), Reece Sadler (120), Chase Rattenborg (132), Nick Gasca (145), Evan Estlund (152) and Cole Bingham (160) — were in the lineup at the league tourney a season ago.

“We know we’re young, but this is a great experience for our team going forward this year and in future seasons,” Hisler said. “But just because you’re not favored and not expected to be one of the top teams doesn’t mean we aren’t going there expecting to do well. We’re going to try to place kids as high as we can.”

WCHS junior Ryan Zeutlau (top) puts Woodward-Granger’s Tjaden Smeltzer on his back during a 126-pound bout at the Dick Kennedy Memorial Duals earlier this month. Zeutlau is 13-12 on the season. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Phetxoumphone (25-0), ranked No. 1 (Class 2A) at the lightest weight, is one of four returning champions in the field. He steamrolled through the 106-pound bracket a season ago and will be a top seed on Saturday.

But Phetxoumphone won’t have a leisurely stroll to a second gold medal. Standing in his way will be rival Cole Nelson of Humboldt, a senior who is ranked fourth (2A). Phetxoumphone is 4-1 all-time against Nelson, but the most recent meeting last week was a 7-5 decision in which the WCHS sophomore had to regroup after being put on his back late in the bout.

“I think it was a wake up call for him,” Hisler said. “But it’s tough wrestling the same kid over and over and over. (Humboldt’s) coaching staff is good and Nelson is a very good wrestler. The more times they wrestle, the more (Nelson) can try to avoid what Cam is good at.”

Rattenborg (19-7) reached the NCC championship round in 2018 and was third a season ago. He’ll face a challenging bracket that includes 10th-ranked Jaycob Martzahn of Hampton-Dumont, the 2019 champion at 126, as well as IF-A’s Mason Kent, both of whom have beaten Rattenborg this season.

“Chase is definitely somebody who we think has a chance to reach the finals, but he’ll have to wrestle well,” Hisler said.

WCHS freshman 170-pounder CJ Hisler (right) rolls up Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Justin Adams for a fall at the Dick Kennedy Memorial Duals on Jan. 4. The Lynx will be at the NCC tournament in Iowa Falls on Saturday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Gasca (15-4) has wrestled as well as anyone in a Lynx singlet in recent weeks. He won a title at the GTRA Invite earlier this month and takes a wealth of confidence into the league gathering. He, too, will face a daunting bracket that will be highlighted by fourth-ranked (1A) Reed Abbas of CGD and Cayden Howland of IF-A.

“Nick is wrestling well and getting better all the time,” Hisler said.

After missing a large chunk of the season to injury, freshman Jordan Vankham (0-1) will step into the Lynx lineup at 138. Trey Shannon, a junior, is slated to compete at heavyweight. Shannon (13-13) has spent the season competing at both 220 and 285.

The rest of the Lynx lineup will include Brayden Henely (113), Ryan Zeutlau (126), CJ Hisler (170), Truman Klein (182), Dylan Burnette (195) and Broden Miller (220).

Hisler (18-9) has reached a tournament final before at the Don Miller Invite in Fort Dodge and could be a dark horse contender to reach the spotlight round. Miller (1-6) is expected to return to the lineup after missing a significant portion of the season with injury.

In addition to Phetxoumphone and Martzahn, Clear Lake’s seventh-ranked Sam Nelson (126) and IF-A’s Riley Burke (152) won individual crowns a season ago. CGD’s eighth-ranked Remington Hanson (138) was a 2018 champion.

What: NCC tournament.

When: Saturday, 10 a.m.

Where: Iowa Falls-Alden High School, Iowa Falls.

Teams: Algona, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Clear Lake, Hampton-Dumont, Humboldt, Iowa Falls-Alden, St. Edmond, Webster City.

Returning Individual Champions: Cam Phetxoumphone, Webster City (106 in 2019); Sam Nelson, Clear Lake (113 in 2019); Jaycob Martzahn, Hampton-Dumont (126 in 2019); Riley Burke, Iowa Falls-Alden (138 in 2019).

Ranked Individuals

Class 2A

106 — 1. Cam Phetxoumphone, soph, Webster City; 4. Cole Nelson, sr, Humboldt.

120 — 9. Cresten Craven, sr, Humboldt.

126 — 7. Sam Nelson, jr, Clear Lake.

132 — 10. Jaycob Martzahn, sr, Hampton-Dumont.

138 — 6. Alberto Salmeron, sr, Iowa Falls-Alden.

220 — 4. Andrew Hamilton, sr, Algona; 9. McKade Eisentrager, sr, Iowa Falls-Alden; 10. Colton Goodell, jr, Humboldt.

Class 1A

113 — 8. Tyler Stein, sr, CGD.

138 — 8. Remington Hanson, jr, CGD.

145 — 4. Reed Abbas, jr, CGD.

Webster City Lineup

106 — Cam Phetxoumphone, soph (25-0). 113 — Brayden Henely, fr (14-9). 120 — Reece Sadler, jr (9-15). 126 — Ryan Zeutlau, jr (13-12). 132 — Chase Rattenborg, jr (19-7). 138 — Jordan Vankham, fr (0-1). 145 — Nick Gasca, jr (15-4). 152 — Evan Estlund, soph (13-12). 160 — Cole Bingham, soph (9-15). 170 — CJ Hisler, fr (18-9). 182 — Truman Klein, soph (6-17). 195 — Dylan Burnette, fr (5-16). 220 — Broden Miller, soph (1-6). 285 — Trey Shannon, jr (13-13).

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