CEDAR RAPIDS — Denver-Tripoli was locked and loaded when the biggest prize was on the line.
With their first state championship on the line, the top-ranked Titans relied on its strongest weapons to bring home the title, closing with four state champions.
They delivered three pins and decision powering Denver-Tripoli to a 43-24 win over No. 3 Davenport Assumption in the finals of the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Class 2A State Duals wrestling tournament last night at the U.S. Cellular Center.
The victory sealed the Titans first state duals championship, giving them …

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cory Connell has helped elevate the Eddyville-Blakesburg wrestling program to new heights.
In just his fourth year as their head coach, Connell led the Rockets to a runner-up finish at last weekend’s Class 1A traditional state meet in Des Moines. The season was capped with the school’s first ever appearance in the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Duals tournament Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center.
“It’s a big step for the program to make it here,” Connell said. “But, we expected it.”
The Rockets entered the 1A field as …

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Zach Witte had a disappointing end to his individual season. The 2009 Class 3A 135-pound state finalist didn’t advance out of district, placing behind 145-pound state champion Cody Caldwell of Waverly-Shell Rock and runner-up Gustavo Martinez of Marshalltown.
He was anxious to compete again.
“It kind of (stunk) not to get down there,” Witte said about not reaching traditional state. “Things don’t work your way every time.”
Witte (32-4) rebounded with a fall over Waverly-Shell Rock’s Blake Seehusen in a 50-18 Class 3A State Duals quarterfinal loss by the Hawks …

The Lisbon Lions took another leap into re-establishing their place among the top programs in Class 1A. The Lions made their first State Duals appearance since 2003 and earned their best finish since placing third in 1992. Lisbon also placed fourth at last week’s traditional state meet in Des Moines
Lisbon was the seventh-seed and upended No. 2 Logan-Magnolia, which was making a state record ninth straight State Duals showing. The Lions beat the Panthers, 40-25, in the quarterfinals, before losing to No. 3 Nashua-Plainfield in the semifinals. Lisbon (21-5 after …

First-round duals (includes seed): #1 Iowa City West (29-1) vs. #8 Urbandale, 10 a.m.; #4 West Des Moines Valley (19-0) vs. #5 Indianola (21-3), 10 a.m.; #2 Waverly-Shell Rock (19-2) vs. #7 Cedar Rapids Prairie (19-2), noon; #3 Bettendorf (13-2) vs. #6 Southeast Polk (21-4), noon
Predictions: Quarterfinals — Iowa City West def. Urbandale; Indianola def. West Des Moines Valley; Waverly-Shell Rock def. C.R. Prairie; Bettendorf def. SE Polk
Semifinals — Iowa City West def. Indianola; Waverly-Shell Rock def. Bettendorf
Championship — Iowa City West def. Waverly-Shell Rock
Third-place — Bettendorf def. Indianola

First-round duals (includes seed): #1 Denver-Tripoli (23-0) vs. #8 Creston-Orient/Macksburg (12-4), 10 a.m.; #4 Dallas Center-Grimes (19-4) vs. #5 East Marshall/GMG (23-5), 10 a.m.; #2 Ballard (29-0) vs. #7 Emmetsburg/AR-RA (12-5), noon; #3 Davenport Assumption (19-1) vs. #6 Clear Lake (22-2), noon
Predictions: Quarterfinals — Denver-Tripoli def. Creston-OM; Dallas Center-Grimes def. East Marshall/GMG; Ballard def. Emmetsburg/AR-RA; Davenport Assumption def. Clear Lake
Semifinals — Denver-Tripoli def. Dallas Center-Grimes; Davenport Assumption def. Ballard
Championship — Denver-Tripoli def. Davenport Assumption
Third-place — Ballard over Dallas Center-Grimes

First-round duals (includes seed): #1 Don Bosco (21-1) vs. #8 Clarion-Goldfield (17-3), 10 a.m.; #4 Eddyville-Blakesburg (21-2) vs. #5 Coon Rapids-Bayard (27-2), 10 a.m.; #2 Logan-Magnolia (26-2) vs. #7 Lisbon (20-4), noon; #3 Nashua-Plainfield (15-3) vs. #6 New London/Winfield-Mount Union (15-7), noon
Predictions: Quarterfinals — Don Bosco def. Clarion-Goldfield; Eddyville-Blakesburg def. Coon Rapids-Bayard; Logan-Magnolia def. Lisbon; Nashua-Plainfield def. New London/WMU
Semifinals — Don Bosco def. Eddyville-Blakesburg; Nashua-Plainfield def. Logan-Magnolia
Championship — Don Bosco def. Nashua-Plainfield
Third-place — Logan-Magnolia def. Eddyville-Blakesburg

IOWA CITY — Iowa City West took care of business and the Trojans didn’t need to punch in for very long to handle it.
The top-ranked Trojans made quick work of Keokuk, crushing the Chiefs 57-18 in a Class 3A regional dual last night at West that lasted just 52 minutes.
It was the third win over Keokuk this season, and punched the Trojans’ ticket to the State Dual tournament Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.
The Trojans did their job, but showed sluggishness in some cases, according to West …

Cedar Rapids Prairie will return to the State Duals tournament. The ninth-ranked Hawks captured a 32-29 victory over No. 4 North Scott in a Class 3A regional dual at Eldridge.
“We wrestled pretty well,” Prairie Coach Blake Williams said. “It was one of the best efforts all year.”
The teams each won seven matches, but the Hawks received pins from state finalist Josh Lambrecht at 215, Casey Becker (130) and Peyton Wagner at 152.
Becker and Wagner were key. Becker came out on top of a scramble in overtime for the fall over …

IOWA CITY — Rebounds are more associated with a different winter sport, but the Iowa City West wrestling team is looking for one.
The Trojans placed a surprising fourth at the traditional state tournament last weekend after having hopes of a championship performance.
West will take its first step of a bounce back in a class 3A regional dual meet tonight against Keokuk at West High School. Competition begins at 7 p.m. Regional dual winners advance to the 3A State Duals tournament Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.
“You never …