D-NH's Johnson reaches state wrestling title match

DES MOINES – Dike-New Hartford wrestler Trent Johnson will wrestle in the 145-pound championship match at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines after winning quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Friday.
Johnson won his semifinal match with Braydon Nunemaker of East Buchanan, 9-3. In the quarterfinals, he defeated ASHTW's Joel Becerra with a 5-3 decision.
The 145-pound championship match will pit Johnson against Sibley-Ocheyedan's Dylan Schuck, who is currently 51-0. Johnson pinned Schuck in last year's state semifinals in Johnson's runner-up bid in 2016.
DAY TWO GALLERY: Check out the photos
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WHAT'S NEXT?
Day three of the individual state wrestling tournament will commence at 10 a.m. with consolation semi-finals and finals, including three placing matches that will determine medalists in places third through eighth. Dike-New Hartford's Jacob Ragsdale and Chase Arends, as well as AGWSR's Caleb Meinders, will compete during this session.
The final session will begin with an awards ceremony at 5:45 p.m. followed by finals in all classes on three mats, beginning at 6 p.m. Dike-New Hartford's Trent Johnson will wrestle for a Class 1A title at 145 pounds.
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Three additional Grundy Register-area wrestlers, including two of Johnson's fellow Wolverines, will battle for state medals on Saturday.
113-pounder Jacob Ragsdale has the potential to earn as high as a third-place medal after battling back from a quarterfinal loss to Wapello's Devon Meeker in a 6-3 decision. Ragsdale pinned his next two opponents, Uvaldo Camarillo of Postville and Tyler Helgeson of Lake Mills, to qualify for a consolation semifinal with Interstate 35's Nathan Phillips tomorrow morning. The winner of that match will be entered into the third-place match, while the loser will wrestle for fifth.
D-NH heavyweight Chase Arends won his first consolation match against Akron-Westfield's Montana Jackson by fall but was pinned by Pleasantville's Will Anthony to bump Arends to the 7th-place match with WACO's Cody Crawford. Crawford and Arends will battle Saturday morning.
The Wolverines are 10th in the 1A team scoring race with 40 points 
AGWSR's 220-pounder Caleb Meinders came up short against Logan-Magnolia's Drake Johnsen in the quarterfinals but Meinders won by fall in his first consolation match to guarantee a spot on the podium. He had a chance to improve on his seventh-place finish last season, but fell short against West Hancock's Colton Francis in a 3-2 battle. Meinders will wrestle MFLMarMac's Korby Keehner for seventh place on Saturday morning.
Dike-New Hartford 220-pounder Ethan Huntington was eliminated in the consolation bracket by Skyler Bonestroo of Western Christian in a 10-4 decision. Huntington ends his senior season 20-13.