Wrestlers gear up for postseason

Despite being extremely young in four flights, the Greenfield wrestling team managed to send six wrestlers to the finals and placed second at the Woodland Conference Tournament at Whitnall on Saturday.

Only undefeated league champion Pewaukee's 221 points were better than Greenfield's 173.5.

"We went in with a quiet confidence that we were peaking," Greenfield coach Keith Morin said. "Hopefully they can take that into this week (at the regional tournament)."

Eleven of 14 Greenfield wrestlers placed, led by 215-pound senior Patrick Bruyette, who won his second straight conference title by beating Pewaukee's Kent Girmscheid, 7-4, in the finals that featured two wrestlers ranked in the top 10 by The Crossface Magazine in their weight class competing in a rematch of last year's conference finale. Bruyette improved to 35-2 this season and is four wins shy of becoming the eighth Hustlin' Hawk to reach 100 career wins.

Greenfield's Steve Fisher, Morin's nephew, beat two ranked wrestlers to win the title at 125, including a 3-1 win over Wauwatosa's Demetrius Mensah in the finals. Fisher improved to 32-5. Fisher, a senior, now has 106 career wins, fifth all-time in school history.

"Four of the five guys he's lost two are ranked wrestlers," Morin said. "He's not getting a lot of respect from the rankings. He's a candidate to get to Madison (for the state tournament)."

Greenfield's other title came from junior Kevin Vazquez, who registered a reversal with seconds remaining in the 145 final to beat Pewaukee's AJ Olivares, 2-1. Vazquez (23-9) spent most of last season primarily on the junior varsity.

Whitnall had four wrestlers reach the finals and finished fourth with 143.5 points, 1.5 behind third-place New Berlin.

Leading the way was Zach Noel, who became a four-time conference champion by beating Greenfield junior Taylor Wirtz, 18-6, in the finals at 130.

In addition to Noel's win, Whitnall's Kameron Bourgeois defeated Pewaukee's Alex Owens, 5-0, in the 103-pound championship.

Whitnall also had a pair of runners-up; Demetrius Wall fell to Pewaukee's Max Nonnamaker, 8-1, at 112, and Ruben Garcia was pinned by Pewaukee's Mitch Teeters in 2 minutes, 37 seconds, at 119.

Greenfield junior Andrew Krueger (140) and senior Carmello Caputa (189) were also runners-up.

Greater Metro Conference - The West Allis Bulldogs completed their sweep of the GMC by winning the conference tournament held at Hamilton on Friday.

Eight days earlier, the Bulldogs put the finishing touches on the dual meet title with a perfect 6-0 record.

The Bulldogs finished fourth or lower at only three weight classes and reached the finals seven times, including four conference champions.

Sophomore Skyler Pederson pinned Hamilton's Loren Hesselgrave in 2:44 at 112 for Central's first title.

Central's other three titles came from seniors. Terrence Fletcher recorded a pin in 4:40 of Andy Wanta of Brookfield East in the championship match at 140. Fletcher sneaked past Brookfield Central's Keith Day, 3-1, in the semifinals. Dan Diebitz handed Brookfield Central's Nic Veling an 11-1 major decision in the 171-pound finale. And the Bulldogs' Joe Immekus remained undefeated with two wins at 152, including a 9-1 major decision over Brookfield Central's Tyler Veling in the finals.

Matt Pawlowski was upset, 10-8, in overtime by Brookfield East's Larry Watson in the finals at 160, Pawlowski's first league loss of the season. Also second were Nate Keaton at 119 and Lucas Gritzmacher at 285.

West Allis Hale, which placed fourth, reached the finals in four flights and walked away with one champion.

Andy Moyle, the team's 119-pounder, capped his unbeaten conference season by earning a 20-6 major decision over West Allis Central's Keaton at 119 pounds.

Zach Seefeld suffered his first league loss of the season when Menomonee Falls' Korey Kleinhans handed him a 17-3 major decision in the finals at 189. Scott Hancox (125) and Tyler Bauer (145) were also second.