The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School wrestling team’s dream season came to an end Saturday against Pewaukee in the WIAA Division 2 team state wrestling semifinals.
The Chargers (17-2) lost 28-19. Pewaukee (21-6) went on to lose the state title to Ellsworth (15-5).
Wittenberg-Birnamwood, which won the Central Wisconsin Conference, regional and sectional titles this season and had its first state individual champion since 1966 in Braxton Potrykus, was in the semifinal with four matches left.
Trailing 22-12, the Chargers needed a pin at 285 pounds, with Stetson Potrykus (106), Ben Vosters (113) and Gavin Czerwonka (120) still to wrestle.
“Their team was a lot like us,” Wittenberg-Birnamwood coach Troy Ostrowski said. “We were banking on hopefully getting a pin at heavyweight. He had him on his back, but things didn’t work out the way he expected.”
Witt-Birn heavyweight John White Wing could not pin Pewaukee’s Giovanni Guarnero and lost a 10-6 decision.
Stetson Potrykus lost his 106-pound match against Rajiv Geffert 10-6, but Vosters won a 16-3 major decision over Brett Danner, and Czerwonka won a 6-2 decision over Joe Porter.
Braxton Potrykus defeated Jacob Raschka 7-3 at 152 pounds for one of Witt-Birn’s five wins.
Also getting wins for the Chargers were Bobby Uttecht (132), 5-4 over Trevor Greene; Alex Peplinski (160), 12-7 over Matt Fritchen; and August Peplinski (195) 7-1, over Christian Dischler.
“At 152, we were hoping to get a little bit of a bonus there,” Ostrowski said. “At 160 with Alex Peplinski and 195 with August Peplinski, we were real close. We just came up a little short.”
Pewaukee earned one pin, a major decision and six decisions.
“Our kids battled,” Ostrowski said. “We gave up a lot of decisions, but only one pin.”
Ostrowski said he told his wrestlers that they should keep their heads up.
“It’s the first time our team’s ever been to state,” Ostrowski said. “We’re going to have a banner in our gym that says Wrestling Team State 2014. … A lot of our young kids are already talking about next year.
“I would say it was the most successful season Wittenberg-Birnamwood has ever had. As a team and individually.”
A major reason for that success is the team’s senior class.
“We always say the three B’s — Benny (Vosters), Bobby (Uttecht) and Braxton (Potrykus),” Ostrowski said. “But you still have Brendin Randall, who was a big key to our team this year. You still have Nick Stringfellow, and you still have D.J. Ostrowski, who came in late and helped us at 182. And then there’s John White Wing, who didn’t start wrestling until his junior year. He did a great job for us.
“It’s tough every year to let the seniors go, but this year it might be tougher than most.”
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