LA CROSSE — As the two competitors crashed to the wrestling mat, Tyson Martin couldn’t help but to be pleased.
The Aquinas High School senior doesn’t allow himself to be comfortable in matches, especially ones with a Bi-State Classic championship on the line.
But the five points he scored near the end of the first period Tuesday night were significant, and everyone watching knew it.
Riverdale senior Grant Mathews is used to mauling opponents, but forced attack is different than natural attack. With Martin knowing what would be coming his way the rest of the match, he could focus on defense to make those five points stood up.
And that’s exactly what Martin did to secure a 6-3 victory and the 285-pound Bi-State championship in the final match of the two-day event at the La Crosse Center.
After a 10th-place finish as a 195-pound freshman and consecutive third-place performances at 190 and 215 as a sophomore and junior, the third-seeded Martin (19-1) exited the very familiar building as a champion.
“I would have liked to score more points,” Martin said, “but it was a great match, and I think I wrestled pretty good.”
Mathews (24-1), who was seeded first and won the WIAA Division 3 285-pound championship last season, wins matches — lots of them — with brute force.
His preference is to attack upper body, which made the final 4 minutes and 21 seconds a battle of physicality. Mathews hooked Martin’s arms good a couple of times, but the advances were fought off successfully.
“He has really heavy hands and is a great hand-fighter,” Aquinas coach Deke Stanek said of Mathews, who won three of his matches in 32 seconds or less and needed just 1:12 to complete a technical fall in another. “He wants to put you in uncomfortable situations and bully you a little bit.
“(Martin) had to stay out of the ties that (Mathews) likes. We knew we could get to his legs and finish, but it had to happen fast.”
Martin was nearly successful in an attempt at a takedown early in the match, but officials ruled the wrestlers out of bounds.
Martin’s second attempt took the two down — again near the edge of the mat — in front of the scorer’s table. They landed with a thud but with Martin on top and 39 seconds on the clock.
In addition to the takedown, Martin was awarded two points for near fall, and he road those points to the end of the match and what had been an elusive victory.
Mathews did escape twice — once in the first period and once in the second — but he was never in position to swipe at Martin’s legs and couldn’t finish any of his upper body attacks.
“I got to him a couple times,” Martin said. “I pride myself on hitting a knee and getting to a guy’s legs, but finishing on someone like him with the threat of him going upper body is difficult.
“But I managed to get through it.”
