“We’re really proud of our kids and the way they battled all year long,” Minneota co-head coach Matt Buysse said. “We told them all the time to go out, score points, have fun and do the little things. We’ve been aggressive all year. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to, but our kids did everything we asked.

“They worked their butts off, they put a lot of time in over the offseason — which made a big difference — and we fell a bit short of what we wanted to do here, but the guys that are coming back next year hopefully do the same thing we did this last offseason and put in the time to get back here.”

The appearance marked the Vikings’ first in the team state tournament in a decade. While they weren’t able to bring home a state title, they still head home with another trophy to add to the lengthy list of Viking accolades, with many of the players on the wrestling team also playing key roles in Minneota’s football state championship in the fall.

The third-place match against JCC was tied up at 21 points apiece heading into 189. JCC’s Carson Kolander took a commanding lead in the first period with a takedown and a near-fall, but Minneota’s Randy Sorensen did the same just ahead of the second-period buzzer to tie up the match at 7-7 heading into the final frame.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Minneota's Adam DeVlaeminck's hand is raised by the official after winning his match during the Vikings' team third-place match against Jackson County Central, Thursday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Sorensen got an escape to get on top, but Kolander managed a takedown with about 10 seconds left to secure a 10-8 decision.

JCC clinched the dual a match later, when Cael Entriken pinned Carson Javers in 2:52. Cael Fier responded with a pin in the heavyweight match for Minneota, but it was too little, too late for the Vikings.

Heydan Danielson gave Minneota the match’s first points with a first-period pin of fifth-ranked Payten Sorbel in 107, but JCC earned a technical fall and a decision in the next two periods to take the lead.

Minneota consistently picked up wins, but wasn’t able to pull away on the scoreboard. Quinton Anderson, Blake Mead and Adam DeVlaeminck earned consecutive wins but all by a standard decision, totalling 9 points over the stretch.

Kyler Thier, ranked sixth in Class A, gave the Huskies a spark with a 15-0 technical fall in 145. Owen Myrvik trailed 14-0 on the scoreboard heading into the third period, and he opted to start on top and cede an escape in the opening seconds to save his team a point by dropping the match via technical fall rather than pin.

Photo by Jake McNeill: The Minneota wrestling team bench looks on at a match in anticipation during the Class A team third-place dual, Thursday at Grand Casino Arena in Minneapolis.

JCC continued to build up a lead as Dallas Gossen downed Brycen Myhre via technical fall and Evan Bartholomaus earned a 5-4 decision over Mason Javers in a match that was scoreless for the first two periods. Bartholomaus was assessed a pair of stalling penalties, but the points weren’t enough as the last point for Javers came with just one second left.

Brock Fier kept Minneota’s comeback hopes alive with a pin of Hayden Schultz in the first period of 172.

After sustaining an injury in the team section championship against Paynesville two weeks ago, Eli Faris came out firing in his return to action with the Vikings, giving Minneota its first points of the state tournament with a pin of Wesley Thieke in 22 seconds in the 133-pound match of the quarterfinals.

Minneota lost each of the first four matches of the quarterfinals against LeSueur-Henderson but rolled to victory from there, winning seven straight matches and eight of the final nine.

In addition to Faris, the Vikings also got pins from Brock and Cael Fier in the dual, and Adam DeVlaeminck pulled out a close battle for a 1-0 decision in 145.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Minneota's Brock Fier points to his teammates while celebrating a 172-pound pin in the Class A team third-place dual at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on Thursday.

The Vikings trailed Chatfield 24-0 through the first six matches and 30-3 through the first eight of the semifinals. Still the Vikings battled back to make things interesting down the stretch.

“As long as we keep it within so much, we have a shot, and they gave themselves an opportunity. Just fell a little short,” Buysse said of his team’s comeback bid. “The way they work out, all the time they put in, that’s showing and it’s paying off because they’re able to still put themselves in the opportunity to place, to be able to hopefully close that deal out.”

Mason Javers, Brock Fier and Sam Myhre rattled off consecutive pins in 160, 172 and 189 to give Minneota a chance heading into the final two matches. Still, wrestling up a weight class, Randy Sorensen wasn’t able to take down Will Boelter as Chatfield clinched the win in 215.

While the Vikings still have seniors continuing competition in the individual tournament, Thursday’s team matches marked the end of the road for Hunter Danielson and Carsen Javers.

“Carson coming back for the first time since his sixth-grade year and did a lot of great things for us. His first year wrestling in however many years and he came out and did a lot of good things for us,” Buysse said of Javers, who placed third in the individual section wrestling tournament.

“Hunter’s been here for a long time, and it’s disheartening that he didn’t get the opportunity just being sick, but that’s the way it works,” Buysse added. “We tell the kids all the time, [opportunities] can be taken away, take advantage of your opportunities when you get them. But they’ve both been tremendous leaders for us, did a great job.”

Minneota 45, Lesueur-Henderson 18

107: Elias Nielsen (LH) def. Derek Fier (MIN) Fall 5:23. 121: Heydan Danielson (MIN) def. LeRoy Haaland (LH) Fall 4:48. 121: Domenek Williams (LH) def. Nolan VanKeuelen (MIN) Dec. 7-4. 127: William Osborne (LH) def. Quinton Anderson (MIN) Dec. 3-1. 133: Eli Faris (MIN) def. Wesley Thieke (LH) Fall 0:22. 139: Blake Mead (MIN) def. Nick Larson (LH) Dec. 12-9. 145: Adam DeVlaeminck (MIN) def. Waylon Thieke (LH) Dec. 1-0. 152: Colton Bitker (MIN) def. Dalton Wilson (LH) ID 0:37. 160: Mason Javers (MIN0 def. Luke Miller (LH) TF 17-2 2:34. 172: Brock Fier (MIN) def. Mason Johnson (LH) Fall 1:14. 189: Randy Sorensen (MIN) def. Peyton Tellijohn (LH) MD 11-1. 215: George Doherty (LH) def. Brody Anderson (MIN) Fall 1:29. 285: Cael Fier (MIN) def. Carter Nelson (LH) Fall 1:39.

Chatfield 34, Minneota 27

107: Joey Cady (CHAT) def. Derek Fier (MIN) Fall 0:37. 114: Gunner Polikowsky (CHAT) def. Heydan Danielson (MIN) Dec. 8-5. 121: Wes Goetzinger (CHAT) def. Nolan VanKeulen (MIN) Dec. 4-3. 127: Jameson Priebe (CHAT) def. Quinton Anderson (MIN) TF 18-2 4:25. 133: Logan Pearson (CHAT) def. Eli Faris (MIN) MD 15-3. 139: Kaizen Johnson (CHAT) def. Blake Mead (MIN) Dec. 16-10. 145: Adam DeVlaeminck (MIN) def. Layne Root (CHAT) Dec. 7-3. 152: Hunter Polikowsky (ChAT) def. Colton Bitker (MIN) Fall 0:25. 160: Mason Javers (MIN) def. Thomas Conlon (CHAT) Fall 1:30. 172: Brock Fier (MIN) def. Brenden Kobs (CHAT) Fall 4:15. 189: Sam Myhre (MIN) def. Andrew Boelter (CHAT) Fall 3:10. 215: Will Boelter (CHAT) def. Randy Sorensen (MIN) MD 14-5. 285: Cael Fier (MIN) def. Jackson Bernard (CHAT) Fall 1:18.

THIRD-PLACE MATCH

JCC 30, Minneota 27

107: Heydan Danielson (MIN) def. Payten Sorbel (JCC) Fall 0:55. 114: Colten Gossen (JCC) def. Derek Fier (MIN) TF 17-0 4:48. 121: Ever Mazariegos (JCC) def. Nolan VanKeulen (MIN) Dec. 4-1. 127: QUinton Anderson (MIN) def. Mathias Liepold (JCC) Dec. 9-7. 133: Blake Mead (MIN) def. Dezmynd Tupper (JCC) Dec. 7-2. 139: Adam DeVlaeminck (MIN) def. Isaac Rodriguez (JCC) Dec. 6-2. 145: Kyler Thier (JCC) def. Owen Myrvik (MIN) TF 15-0 3:08. 152: Dallas Gossen (JCC) def. Brycen Myhre (MIN) TF 17-2 4:03. 160: Evan Bartholomaus (JCC) def. Mason Javers (MIN) Dec. 5-4. 172: Brock Fier (MIN) def. Hayden Schultz (JCC) Fall 1:45. 189: Carson Kolander (JCC) def. Randy Sorensen (MIN) Dec. 10-8. 215: Cael Entriken (JCC) def. Carson Javers (MIN) Fall 2:52. 285: Cael Fier (MIN) def. Karsin Janssen (JCC) Fall 3:25.