The Bemidji Lumberjacks wrestling team finished 1-1 at the Section 8-3A team event at Alexandria Saturday, bowing to champion Apollo 53-15 in the second round.
It came after a 47-21 decision over Buffalo in a match of the No. 8 and 9 teams.
Apollo, which had never won a section title prior to last winter, made it two straight and will represent the section at the state team event in two weeks,
Bemidji will host the section individual tournament Friday and Saturday with action beginning Friday afternoon at 5.
Winners and runners-up move to the state with wrestlebacks for true second a part of the meet.
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The Jacks ended their first season under Rance Bahr at 6-18, two more wins than they registered last year.
They also finished the year with 25 wrestlers in the practice room, up several over the number that finished 2009.
Bemidji held a 9-5 match split over Buffalo pulling away in the upper weights on a pair of forfeits at 215 and heavyweight
A win by Logan Crosby and a forfeit at 119 to Gary Molash sent Bemidji to a 9-5 lead at the start.
Craig Maas followed with a major and a fall by Kade Johnson swelled the lead to 19-9.
Two matches later Kodi Craft and LeRoy Pacheco posted back to back falls that jumped the margin to 31-12 and put the match away.
Corey Huber added an 18-4 major decision at 171 for the final victory on the mat.
It was a different story against the top rated Eagles who held a 10-4 match split.
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They took an 18-0 lead at the start on three falls before Maas put the Jacks on the board with an 8-6 decision at 125.
Dale Norton scored a pin at 140 but Bemidji trailed 40-9 when Huber downed Nolan Rial 8-3 at 189.
Alex Johnson recorded the final three points with a 5-3 heavyweight win over Sam Koetter, reversing the verdict in their earlier meeting at the Apollo triangular.
Huber raised his record to 32-4 and Norton to 29-7 to lead the Jacks into this week's meet.
Huber and Evan Olson were the only Bemidji state qualifiers in 2009.
TRF, Frazee win
Elsewhere in the section, Thief River Falls took the 8-2A title with a 40-28 victory over Perham, reclaiming the crown from the Yellowjackets who won last year's final .
The Prowlers beat Detroit Lakes and Fergus Falls to reach the final.
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Perham stopped Fosston-Bagley and Staples-Motley in its first two matches.
Fosston-Bagley opened with a win over WHAN in the first round. BCLB lost Roseau in its only match.
The trip will be the second in Prowlers history.
By contrast, Frazee will make its 18th and fifth in a row, beating Crookston 39-19 in the 8A final.
Crookston had upended BGMR in the semifinal after an opening win over Park Rapids. Frazee beat UNC and DGF in its trip to the final.
SECTION 8-3A
First Round
Bemidji 47, Buffalo 21
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St. Cloud Tech 40, Alexandria 30
Second Round
Apollo 53, Bemidji 15
Willmar 36, Moorhead 31
Brainerd 40, St. Cloud Tech 13
Sauk Rapids 41, Rocori 27
Semifinals
Apollo 45, Willmar 26
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Brainerd 36, Sauk Rapids 24
Championship
Apollo 43, Brainerd 24
- - - - -
SECTION 8-2A
First Round
Detroit Lakes 64 EGF 6
Fosston-Bagley 57, WHAN 17
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Pequot Lakes 38, UCB 34
Roseau 59, BCLB 18
Second Round
Fergus Falls 63, Pequot Lakes 10
Perham 45, Fosston-Bagley 24
Staples-Motley 61, Roseau 13
TRF 42, Detroit Lakes 24
Semifinals
Perham 32, Staples-Motley 31
TRF 4, Fergus Falls 30
Championship
TRF 40, Perham 28
SECTION 8A
First Round
Fertile 55, Warren 6
UNC 60 RLCC 21
Second Round
BGMR 83, Fertile 0
Crookston 42, Park Rapids 28
DGF 39,.Mahnomen 36
Frazee 68, UNC 12
Semifinals
Crookston 31, BGMR 25
Frazee 57, DGF 9
Championship
Frazee 39. Crookston 19
- - - - -
BEMIDJ 47
BUFFALO 21
103-Cedric Jimenez, Buf. TF over Tyler O'Beirne 15-0
112-Logaqn Crosby, Bem. decisioned Lucas Moch 8-1
119-Gary Molash, Bem. won by forfeit
125-Mike Simeon, Buf., decisioned Jake Crosby 13-1
130-CraIg Maas, Bem. decisioned Matt Ruhr 11-3
135-Kade Johnson, Bem. pinned Vinne Pelarina 3:59
140-Tom Ruter, Buf. decisioned Dale Norton 5-1
145-Kodi Craft, Bem. pinned Lance Bera 0:34
152-LeRoty Pacheco, Bem. pinned Jonathan Wikkala 1:35
160-Tanner Robassen, Buf, pinned Tyler Molitor 1:50
171-Corey Huber, Bem. decisioned Tanner Maus 18-4
189-Gus Hopp, Buf, decisioned Brandon Fredrickson 3-2
215-Bradon Larson, Bem won by forfeit
Hwt.-Alex Johnson, Bem. won by forfeit
ST. CLOUD APOLLO 53,
BEMIDJI 15
103-Grant Dollinger, Apo. pinned O'Beirne 0:42
112-Mitch Bengtson, Apo. pinned L. Crosby 1:27
119-Alex Lawwell, Apo. pinned J. Crosby 3:47
125-Maas, Bem. decisioned Grant Nehring 6-5
130-Nam Nguyen, Apo. TF over Johnson 22-5
135-Dillon Mehr, Apo. pinned Josh Dreyer 1:31
140-Dale Norton, Bem. won by injury default over Austin Swenson 0:34
145-Clayton Athman, Apo. decisioned Cody Thoring 4-0
150-Brandon Padilla, Apo. pinned Craft 0:58
160-Nick Lawwell. Apo. decisioned Pacheco 7-4
171-David Hren. Apo pinned Nick Conner 0:42
190-Huber, Bem. decisioned Nolan Rial 8-3
215-Chris Becheleau, Apo. pinned Larson 1:03
Hwt, Alex Johnson, Bem. decisioned Sam Koetter 5-3
