Explorer PCM
‘AnEnchantedEvening’
2025 Mustang Scholars Father-Daughter
Dance a
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Twinkling lights and twirling dresses, the 2025 Mustang Scholars Father Daughter Dance is sure to be “An Enchanted Evening.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. March 8 at the Family Life Center in Prairie City to welcome in the kids and their favorite guy for an evening of dancing and fun.
“This event has grown and becomes such a fun event that
magical
night for kids and
their
girls look forward to in our community each year,”
Mustang Scholars Director MaryCatherine Striegel said.
Music will fill the gym as kids show off their best moves, eat yummy treats, get their picture taken and pick out their favorite items on the raffle table.
Funds raised will be used to help the Mustang Scholar Preschool, a three-yearold school at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City, along with additional community programs.
“This fundraiser helps support the continuation of Mustang Scholars, but also helps support other community programs,” Striegel said. “Proceeds have also been shared
favorite guys
with PCM Backpack buddies and the PCM food pantry.
With different themes each year, the kids can look forward to walking through the doors and seeing what magical experience awaits them.
“My favorite part is seeing what magic (organizer) Ashley Van Ryswyk and all the amazing volunteers she rounds up create each year,” Striegel said. “(Also), seeing all the excited faces, especially current and past preschoolers, when they see what the evening has in store for them!”
To sign up for the event, visit the event Facebook page at 2025 PCM Daddy Daughter Dance.
Selection committee is closer to determining candidate for VA director
If applicant is approved by commission, it goes to supervisors for final approval
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
In the coming weeks it is likely the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission will hold a meeting to decide who they want as their next director or administrator of the department. Following a successful vote, the matter
will then be taken to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors for final approval.
Dennis Simon, director of human resources for Jasper County, said out of the 19 eligible applications, a total of seven people were interviewed by the selection committee. Apart from Simon serving as an advisor, the com-
mittee was made up of two commissioners, Supervisor Brandon Talsma and Mike Gunsaulus.
“I thought we had very good candidates,” Simon said. “There is no individual that is turn key and has sat in the VSO position or has current or prior accreditations. So whoever would be coming in would be starting from Day
GRAMS program on hold until 622 miles of Level A roads are resurfaced
Jasper County reserves $2.8M in rock for roads impacted by past and upcoming road and bridge projects
By Christopher Braunschweig
Jasper County is go -
ing to use more than $2.8 million work of rock to resurface every Level A granular road in springtime of this year, but in the process the county engineer says the recently integrated Granular Roads Assessment and Maintenance Strategy (GRAMS) will be on pause this year. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said in a Jan. 29 letter to supervisors that he will also pause the reclamation cycle and instead focus on roads damaged by past road and bridge construction projects. As part of these efforts, additional rock will be allocated to roads impacted by upcoming
bridge and road projects.
“We’re going to focus on those roads that have been damaged over the past three years or so by either the state or our own county road and bridge projects,” he said. “If we get to the stabilization, we get to the stabilization. If we don’t, we don’t. Figure stabilization is going to be the last thing we’re going to worry about.”
With this approach in mind, Frietsch said the resurfacing program will provide 150 tons per mile to each gravel road classified as Level A; 600 tons per mile to Level A roads that may be impacted by current year road and bridge projects; and 600 tons per mile to roads reconstructed last year.
The county will also
contract haul rock to 14 townships and in-house haul to the remaining six townships, including Palo Alto, Buena Vista, Richland, Lynn Grove, Elk Creek and Fairview East. In total, 98,233 tons of loadstone was requested for contract rock hauling, and it will be placed on about 622 miles of Level A roads.
“We’re just going to go through and we’re going to dress up every single road,” Frietsch said to county supervisors during their Feb. 4 meeting. “We’re not going to consider traffic count to a degree. We’re just going to try to get everything back to a similar condition again.”
One going through the training. As we know with (employee) Josh (Price) it will take about a year.” Recently, Price was able to acquire his necessary accreditations. He has been working as the shared benefits coordinator for veterans affairs and
David Pautsch to run again for Congress, challenge Miller-Meeks seat
‘MAGA Republican’ returns after leading an unsuccessful primary in 2024
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
David Pautsch, a self-described “MAGA Republican” from Davenport, is going to fun for Congress once more, and he is, again, vying for Iowa’s 1st congressional district seat currently filled U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a fellow Republican who just won her second re-election bid this past election cycle.
According to a press release distributed to media last week, Pautsch intends to officially announce his candidacy in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol. Last year, Pautsch ran an unsuccessful primary campaign against Miller-Meeks. He frequently argued Miller-Meeks wasn’t conservative enough. Still, the primary loss seems to
have only re-energized Pautsch’s campaign. Despite only getting 44 percent of the vote, Pautsch viewed it a strong showing when considering his six months of campaigning as an “underfunded unknown.” In Jasper County, it was clear Republican voters preferred Miller-Meeks.
Pautsch only earned 728 votes, or 37.05 percent of the vote, in Jasper County, while Miller-Meeks received 1,235 votes, or 62.85 percent. In the press release, Pautsch
Pautsch
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Kids are ready to have ‘An Enchanted Evening’ at the 2025 Mustang Scholars Father-Daughter Dance March 8 at the Family Life Center in Prairie City.
Explorer PCM
Worth Mentioning
Send your event to news@pcmexplorer.com
Events at The Gathering Place
Thursday, Feb. 27
• 5pm Acoustic Jamm
Friday, Feb. 28
• 2pm Piano with Jacque Robinson
Monday, March 3
• 10am Video Exercise Class
• VITA Tax Prep. Call 641-787-7241 for appt.
Tuesday, March 4
• 8am Coffee and Prayer
• 1pm Game Time
Wednesday, March 5
• 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fall with Amy S.
• 6pm Bingo
Thursday, March 6
• 10am Senior Living Series Aging in Place with Andy Algreen. Sign up at 515-868-3860.
• 12:30pm TAI-CHI for Arthritis/Fall Prevention
GriefShare session Saturday
First Reformed Church in Prairie City will host GriefShare from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are looking for support, healing and hope, you are welcome. Register on line at GriefShare.org or contact Mary Lemmert at 515-205-0835 or at hope2you@ aol.com.
PCM Food Pantry
The PCM Food Pantry at the Monroe Presbyterian Church, 113 S. Main St. in Monroe, is open 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays.
TOPS
TOPS 1025 meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City for weigh-in, with meeting to follow. Go to the north side parking lot at the church and enter in the north door. Call 515-994-2200 for information.
Lighthouse Recovery meetings
Lighthouse Recovery Ministries host a Men’s and Ladies Recovery meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Grace Alive Church, 703 W. Second St. in Prairie City. Contact Barb at b.miller@lighthouserecoveryia.com with questions.
PCM Clothing Closet
The PCM Clothing Closet, on the second floor of the Family Life Center at 105 S. Sherman St. in Prairie City, will be open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Lions Club Blood Drive
Prairie City Lions Club is sponsoring a Prairie City and Monroe Blood Drive from 7:15 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 15 at the First Reformed Church, 300 E. Fifth St., in Prairie City. Call 800-287-4903 to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.
Donations for trees at cemetery
The Monroe City Council plans to plant up to 10 trees in Silent City Cemetery in the newer sections of the cemetery in March or April, depending on weather. It will take approximately $2,500 to cover the cost of the trees, planting, protective tubing around their trunks and water reservoirs to help ensure their survivability. If you would like to contribute send or drop off checks (with the memo Cemetery Tree Project) at Monroe City Hall, 206 W. Sherman St. or contact Brian Briles to pick them up.
Time to license your cat and dog in Monroe
Pet licenses in Monroe can now be purchased at city hall and are due by April 1. Cat and dog licenses are $10 for altered animals. Unaltered animals are $20. Rabies shots must be current. Licenses not purchased by April 1 will be subject to an extra $10 fee.
Perry DeVayne Pendroy
Feb. 19, 2025
Perry DeVayne Pendroy, age 62 of Monroe passed away unexpectedly, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 24, 2025, at 11:00 am at Newton Church of the Way in Newton. The family will receive on Sunday, Feb -
ruary 23, 2025, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at Newton Church of the Way in Newton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
The son of Marvin and LaVonne (Clark) Pendroy, Perry was born on January 22, 1963, in Knoxville, Iowa. He graduated from Monroe High School in 1981. On August 8, 1998, he was united in marriage to Pam Brown on the family farm.
After high school, Perry began working at Colfax Case-New Holland
where he got to travel the country delivering farm equipment. In 1990 he started at Maytag in Newton and stayed until just before the plant closed. In 2005, Perry started with MidAmerican Energy as a mechanic and had been a supervisor over the truck shop for the past 10 years. Perry was never a man to sit idle. In his spare time he loved spending time with his family and friends, working the family farm, and running his Auction business that he started in 2004. Perry enjoyed rebuilding and restoring old tractors in his shop, where you could find him most evenings.
Perry loved horseback riding as well as boarding horses on his farm. Perry volunteered his time as a Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy with Marion County from 2000-2006.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Pam; children, Jackie (Jeremy) Dittmer, Kelli Walker and Nathaniel Walker; 13 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. Also surviving are his brothers, Philip (Deb) Pendroy, Paul (Lynn) Pendroy and Pat (Karen) Pendroy and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Preceding Perry in death were his parents and a sister, Phyllis in infancy.
Winter weather impacts local blood supply
Extreme winter weather has caused widespread disruptions across the Midwest, resulting in canceled blood drives and closures of LifeServe Blood Center Donor Centers across Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois. Unfortunately, this has led to the loss of more than 900 blood donations, significantly impacting the supply of lifesaving blood products for patients in need.
The need for blood in our hospitals is constant - regardless of weather. LifeServe alone needs 2,600 red blood cells collected per week to meet the needs of patients who rely on blood transfusions for surgeries, cancer treatments, trauma care and more. Without a steady flow of donations, we risk being in a dangerous situation where hospitals could face shortages and be unable to take care of their patients.
You can help right now! We’re calling on our communities to step up and act. If your blood donation was canceled due to weather, please reschedule as soon as possible. If you’ve never donated before, now
is the perfect time to get involved and make a difference in someone’s life. Your donation can save up to three lives.
Local blood drives are scheduled for:
• Newton Community Blood Drive is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
March 14 at DMACC Newton Conference Center-Second Floor, 600 N. Second Ave. W.
• Prairie City & Monroe Community Blood Drive will be from 7:15 to 10:30 a.m. March 15 at First Reformed Church, 300 E. Fifth St. in Prairie City
• Newton Community Blood Drive is from 12:30 to 6 p.m.
March 20 at Community Heights Church Gathering Place, 2500 S. 13th Ave.)
• Colfax and Mingo Communi-
ties Blood Drive will be from 7:15 to 11:30 a.m. March 29 in the Bloodmobile at Colfax United Methodist Church, 7 S. Locust St. in Colfax
To schedule your appointment, call 800-287-4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org.
LifeServe Blood Center is a non-profit, community-based blood center that has served the needs of local hospitals and patients in our region since 1947. As one of the 15 largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe provides blood products to 175 hospitals primarily in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois. LifeServe is committed to saving lives by providing premier service to volunteer blood donors and access to a safe, quality blood supply for hospitals and patients. Your donation with LifeServe will help save your neighbor, a friend or family member or a stranger on the street. You make a difference in your community. For more information about blood donation or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 800-287-4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org.
State archery tournament begins Feb. 28
An estimated 2,200 students from more than 140 schools from across Iowa will be in the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center (Bullseye) and the 4H Building (3D) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines from Feb. 28 to March 2, to participate in the 18th Annual National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament.
Competition begins Friday at 5 p.m., then resumes at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for the bullseye and 3D competitions. There will be 50 targets set up for bullseye, which will allow 100 participants to shoot at a
time. There will be 30 targets set up for 3D, which will allow 60 participants to shoot at a time.
Admission is $5 for those 19 and older; 18 and younger are admitted for free.
Archers Shoot for College Cash & Equipment
More than $10,000 will be awarded in college scholarships based on performance at the state tournament.
Archers participating in the Iowa Archery in the Schools Program can earn money for college.
An additional $13,000 will be awarded outside of the state competition to archers participating in the program based on academics, essays and other established criteria.
In addition to scholarships, teams receiving placement at the state tournament will also be eligible to receive an estimated $18,000 in equipment for their schools.
general assistance for just over a year now. Simon said the committee was very pleased with two of the applicants but could not come to a final determination.
Explorer PCM
to the county’s requisition: Martin Marietta and Peterson Contractors, Inc. The former provided the low bid of $2,155,300.55 and the latter provided the bid of $2,497,552.50. The county engineer estimated the bids to come in slightly higher at $2,187,715.95.
“It turned out better than I expected,” Frietsch said. “I think we got a discount on the actual material, and I think having a little competition probably helped.”
The board of supervisors would go on to approve the bid from Martin Marietta.
Compared to the spring 2024 contract rock bids, the county is paying about the same for about 4,000 tons less. Which shows the price of rock has increased; a 5.1 percent increase, to be exact. Last year, the county received 102,975 tons of loadstone for $2,150,029.30,
“I’m going to schedule another meeting where we (the selection committee) can get together and hopefully finalize our recommendation,” Simon said, noting he would be in contact with the chair of the commission to see if a special meeting needs to be held or wait until the scheduled March 12 meeting. If the commission agrees with the committee’s choice, then Simon said his job is to then setup drug tests, background checks and develop a hiring resolution for the county board of supervisors to authorize payroll and benefits. He said by next week he could see some progress. It depends on when the committee can meet.
which was spread across 14 townships.
Frietsch said when accounting for the entirety of the resurfacing program this coming spring, he anticipates the total costs of the contract rock hauling and in-house rock hauling to be more than $2.8 million. He expects secondary roads will likely spend $1 million-$1.5 million out of its carry over balance or reserves.
“Pretty much whenever we’re ready to go, (Martin Marietta) is ready to go,” Frietsch said. “That’s kind of where we’re at right now. I’ve got no concerns about our current budget situation. Our reserves is healthy. Everything I’m seeing is consistent with what I was expecting.”
The GRAMS program was introduced by Frietsch in 2023. It was created as a long-term approach to gravel road maintenance around the county. The plan splits maintenance and rock allocation into four main categories: stabilization, reclamation, resurfacing and
A robust credit rating is a key component of a strong financial foundation. There’s a reason consumers’ credit histories are important to landlords, car dealerships and mortgage lenders. Adults who can demonstrate a track record of sound financial decision-making and responsible money management are seen as safer bets by landlords and lenders than those who have shaky payment histories.
minimal maintenance.
Each decision the secondary roads department makes when it comes to road maintenance is based upon the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), percentage of trucks using the road and past rock consumption data. The four maintenance categories are largely dependent on these figures.
Here are how the categories are determined, how many miles of roads they cover and the life expectancy of some of the maintenance:
• Stabilization routes have an AADT greater than or equal to 100 or between 50 and 100 with truck use greater than 10 percent. About 90 miles of routes have been identified. The county has planned five to six miles of stabilization in the first year of the program. Stabilized routes have a 10year life expectancy.
• Reclamation routes have an AADT between 50 and 100 with truck use equal to or below 10 percent. About 288 miles of routes have been identified.
Young adults may not recognize the significance of a strong credit rating until their financial reputations have already taken a hit. Indeed, the Urban Institute reported in late 2024 that 16 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 with a credit record had debt in collections. Such individuals and older adults who have struggled to make ends meet without taking
Commissioner Marta Ford noted that since the veterans affairs commission just went through what the accreditation process looks like for Price, it should make it easier for the
The county has planned 25 miles of reclamation in the first year of the program. Reclaimed routed have an eight-year life expectancy.
• Resurfacing candidates have an AADT between 30 and 50. About 316 miles of routes have been identified. The county has planned to complete 170 miles in the first year of the program. Crews will alternate between the north and south half of the county. Resurfaced candidates include previous year’s reclamation routes.
• Minimal maintenance candidates have an AADT of less than 30. About 220 miles of routes have been identified by the engineer’s office. Maintenance will be addressed on an as needed basis through the country’s spot rock program, which affects all 914 miles of gravel roads in Jasper County.
The spot rock program applies to every Level A granular road and involves contract hauling rock to strategic stockpile locations all across the county.
on debt may one day aspire to own a home or secure a favorable auto loan, and each goal is more difficult for consumers with poor credit ratings to achieve if they cannot restore their reputation in the eyes of prospective creditors. Thankfully, consumers can take three simple steps to rebuild their credit.
1. Start paying on time. One of the fastest ways
upcoming director, too. They know what to do now, she said, and they know how long it takes. Ford said the commission has better guidelines. Simon said as the director goes through the process, Price will get to act as a mentor and access the system to do some work under his supervision.
Continuedfrompage1
said is the father of six children. His 20-year-old son, Army Cpl. Jason Pautsch, died in Iraq in 2009. Pautsch founded the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast in 1995 and has owned Ramsey Ad Agency since 1990. He is an army veterans and a graduate of Virgina Tech.
Pautsch is a supporter of President Donald Trump. In the press release, Pautsch touted that after meeting him twice in December 2023, Trump called him “a very good man.” He also noted he has been endorsed by author and conservative radio host Eric Metaxas and My Pillow founder Mike Lindell.
In 2024, Lindell said, “David’s commitment to saving America by trusting in God’s power is unwavering. His leadership guarantees constitutional liberty, biblical values, fair and honest elections and a bright future for our children.” Pautsch has also been endorsed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Pautsch is running for Congress because “he wants to help President Trump save America from the financial and moral corruption that has caused us to drift from the solid spiritual and constitutional foundations upon which our founders established this country.”
to build debt is to skip or miss payments on consumer debts like credit cards. When that happens, consumers must pay percentage-based interest charges, which can be especially high on credit cards. The financial experts at NerdWallet point out that late payments can stay on a credit report for more than seven years, which underscores the significance of paying bills on time each month.
credit cards when they have funds available in their savings or checking accounts. Individuals whose scores were considered poor (between 300 and 579) had an average utilization ratio of 82.1 percent.
2. Utilize as little credit as possible. Credit utilization ratio is one of the variables reporting agencies like Experian use to determine consumers’ credit ratings. Overutilization of credit adversely affects a credit score, so consumers with poor credit histories are urged to avoid using
3. Apply for a secured credit card. NerdWallet notes that secured credit cards can be the right vehicles for individuals who need to start over in relation to their credit histories. Secured credit cards are ideal for borrowers who have been deemed high-risk due to past mistakes. Consumers can consider these three strategies and others as they seek to rebuild their credit and get back in the good graces of lenders.
11 School Dismissing 1 hour early 8am Prayer and Coffee at TGP 9:30am Supervisors, County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6:30pm Mon Legion Auxiliary 6:30pm Kiwanis, Mon City Hall 2pm V, G TR at UNI Dome 5pm Parent Teacher Conferences
12 Monroe Trash & Recycling Day 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6pm PC City Council, City Hall 6:30pm FCA Huddle 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fail at TGP 13 School Dismissing 1 hour early 11:30am
Email news@pcmexplorer.com with your calendar item 1 8am HS District Individual Speech TBD Old Settlers Spaghetti Supper at Monroe City Hall 2 1pm HS Softball & Baseball Workouts at MS 8 7pm MS Musical 6:30pm Painting with a Twist at TGP 3 10am Video Exercise Class 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 7pm PC Fire Dept, PC City Hall 5pm VITA Tax Prep at TGP 4 8am Prayer and Coffee at TGP 9:30am Supervisors, Jasper County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6pm Mon American Legion 7pm MS/HS Vocal Music Pops Concert 1pm Game Time at TGP 5 Monroe Trash 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fail at TGP 6:30pm Monroe Fire Dept. Meeting 6pm Bingo at TGP 6 10am Jasper County Senior Living Panel at TGP 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP HS HOIAC Honor Choir TBD 10am Senior Living Series at TGP 12:30pm TAI-CHI for Arthritis at TGP 7 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 7pm MS Musical 15 8am HS State Individual Speech TBD 7:15am Prairie City and Monroe Blood Drive at PC FRC 10 10am Video Exercise Class 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 5:30pm PC Park Board Monroe City Council 7pm PC Ambulance, PC City Hall 3:30pm Good News Club at elementaries 2pm V, B TR at UNI Dome
The PCM
Dance Team Nationals
This year the PCM dance team went to Orlando, Florida, for nationals. The coaches decided that the team would only go every four years, so the current team would only go once. The team has been fundraising all year in order to go to Florida. They have been jumping at the chance to do different fundraisers all year long. They did end up making enough to get to Florida. The team left on the 13th and got back on the 17th of February. They flew to Chicago and then took another flight to Orlando. The team competed in three dances: pom, hip hop, and game day. They got there on Thursday. The team had master classes. Master classes are where a teacher will teach a dance. The team all did hip-hop, then others did contemporary while others did jazz-funk. On Friday they performed game day. They just started learning the game one day two weeks ago. The team had the whole morning to do whatever, so they all had a team pool day. They then went to get ready to compete at around 7 p.m. They ended up placing eighth. This was really good, as the teams there had been doing this routine for months and the PCM team had only had weeks. They then performed both pom and hip hop on Saturday morning. They first had prelims. The different rounds were prelims, semifinals, and then finals. The team had some difficulty in hip-hop as one of the girls’ shoes came off during the prelims. On top of the shoe coming off, the music was wrong at the start. Pom went fairly smoothly. Both routines ended up making it through to the semifinals. They performed hip hop Saturday night. Hip-hop was a little over six points away from making it to the finals. Then Sunday morning the team performed pom. Pom, on the other hand, was only 1.2 from the finals. The PCM dance team coaches were crying over the fact the girls gave it their all. The girls performed the best they had ever done; there was not much they could have done differently to make it to the finals. After they danced pom for the last time, the team took a trip to Disney Springs. They spent their last day in Florida shopping and eating at the Rainforest Cafe. Once they made it back to the hotel, some of the girls went to the hot tub for one last time while a few others stayed back and finished packing. Monday morning they left the hotel around 3 a.m. They then made their flight to Chicago. Once they got to Chicago, they had some time. Some of the girls wanted to go get Chick-fil-A and somehow ended up on the international side of the airport, and their coach, Kim, had to come to save them. The PCM dance team overall had quite an eventful and successful trip.
Get to PCM Football Commits
PCM recently had six seniors, Kaden Clark, Brevin DeRaad, Gavin DeRaad, Riley Graber, Carson Hansen, and Adrien Robbins, sign to continue their football careers at the collegiate level. Clark is headed to Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Clark chose this college because, “Short answer, because they have the biggest scholarship, but long answer, I like the schedule. They have expedited classes, so I’m only going to take three per semester, basically. So if I miss a day for football, I’ll only be catching up on fewer classes, so it’s less of a workload on me, which I think I’ll really enjoy.” He took his official visit in December and was committed shortly after that. Clark expects to enjoy the smaller “hometown” feel of the campus while also still playing football. B. DeRaad and G. DeRaad are both headed to the University of Dubuque in Eastern Iowa. B. DeRaad chose this university “because they have a flight school and for football.” G. DeRaad picked the University of Dubuque, “Because of my major, and I like the coaches there.” Both brothers are excited to meet new people as well as play football. Graber is committed to the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, just an hour out of downtown Kansas City. Gaber has mixed feelings about leaving that state, saying, “It’s all right. It’s only like four hours, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. I’ll still come back throughout the summer and weekends. But it kind of sucks a little bit, but I think we’ll be alright.” Graber chose to be a mull because of the connection he has built with the coaching staff. He is looking forward to, “Just the opportunity to compete and try and get on the field as early as possible.” Hansen is committed to Iowa Central Community College in Fort. Dodge, Iowa. Hansen chose the Tritons because, “the coaches made it feel like home, and I think they can develop me into the player that I want to be.” He is excited to be able to continue his football career at the next level. Lastly, Robbins is committed to Drake University in Des Moines. Robbins chose the opportunity to be a bulldog “because I thought that the people I’d be surrounded with would be good people and they’re D1s, so I thought that would be really cool.” He is excited to, “play football at the next level and be able to tell my kids about it.”
PCM Wrestlers Compete at State
Skyler JenningsStaff Writer
Five boys went to state wrestling: senior Kaden Clark, juniors Kaliber Fry, Zach Richards, and Tucker Wheeler, as well as freshman Bentlee Solan. I asked Clark some questions. I inquired, “How do you feel about this being your last year as a PCM wrestler?” He answered, “I have mixed feelings, but I’m committed to competing, and that feels like a strong conclusion.” I continued, asking, “What has been your biggest achievement?” He mentioned, “Making it to state as a freshman.” When I asked about his toughest opponent, he replied, “In my freshman year, my first match at state was against Gage Marty, who’s now competing for Iowa.” Wheeler chose not to respond, as he was focused on the state wrestling event. I continued to ask, Fry. I asked him, “How does it feel to return to state for the third time?” He said, “It feels amazing, and I hope to secure a place.” I then asked, “What has been your greatest accomplishment?” He replied, “Beating kids who were ranked.” Richards also answered some questions. I asked, “How does it feel to be back from Australia and wrestle at PCM again?” Richards took his sophomore year off of wrestling due to being a foreign exchange student in Australia. He replied, “I missed it last year, and coming back to go to state is pretty big, and I’m happy about it.” I then asked, “Who was your toughest opponent?” He replied, “Probably this Pleasantville kid; he was ranked pretty high, and he pinned me. Or in practice, it was Kaliber Fry.” I asked, “What has been your favorite memory in your career?” He said, “The two-day tournament in the hotel room where Kaliber, another wrestler, and I would wrestle and have fun before the tournament.” Freshman Bentlee Sloan was asked to answer some questions. I asked, “How does it feel to be a freshman going to state?” He happily said, “Pretty good.” I then asked, “Who was your toughest opponent?” He proudly replied, “My first match at districts.” Both Wheeler and Clark made it to the championship in their classes, where they took runner-up. Congratulations to all of our state wrestlers!
Annie Ford Staff Writer
Well, it’s that time again, and I’m writing the column for the print. The last time I wrote, I mostly just rambled on about NASCAR and how great it is at times, but this time I’m doing something different. This time you fine people get a one-of- a-kind review of a PCM playoff basketball game, White-Out edition. Now, as you all know, I am not new to covering playoff games for sports, but this was the first time that I have covered, let alone been to, a playoff game for basketball. During the playoffs for football, I was very impressed with how the commu- nity wrapped itself around the team; the energy was immense, and it made the whole town feel like Fansville in soda commercials for a few weeks. The energy during the games was the highest I’ve heard, and to say it was crazy is an understatement. So hearing that the boys and girls had the playoffs coming to PCM was exciting. I wanted to know; no need to know if PCM would bring the same energy as football. I also had to know if it would be the same energy as the Black-Out game from earlier in the season. As all these thoughts rushed through my head, I only got more and more excited. But then tragedy struck—Iowa struck, I should say—as enough snow to halt school for days was dropped on my front porch, and with it was a nice little package called sickness. There I am stuck in my room for the first round of the playoffs for the boys and girls. I was devastated, but a ray of hope would shine in the second round. Even though I know our teams are great, they proved it by not only making the second round but also dominating in the first, so now I get the op- portunity to see a game in the second round. The girl’s season has been what can only be described as record-breaking, and now they are to host Albia in the second round at home. In the first round, the crowd was small, so I didn’t expect the next game to be any different. I was wrong; it quickly became a packed house, and it didn’t take long for the crowd to get loud. It only took until the middle of the first quarter for the crowd to reach the previous loudest record. Why were they so loud? Well, when you go to a lot of basketball games, you’re going to find a few refs you disagree with. Tonight was one of those, and it wasn’t just me that disagreed with them. All night it was a constant struggle to the point our girls couldn’t even shoot without being shoved. It didn’t take long for us to go down 10 points in the fourth quarter. Despite the point defi- cit, the girls didn’t give up, and the fans didn’t give up. With 18 seconds on the clock, Libby Winters, our journalism class’s own Libby Winters, made a layup to take the lead. 2.5 on the clock, we are up by three, the crowd is the loudest it’s ever been, you can’t hear yourself think, the room is spinning from little to no oxygen, there is no time to think, Albia inbounds the ball, they throw it up as a last-ditch effort, it’s not even close, the ball hits the ground as the final buzzer sounds. Silence, for the first time in the game, all was silent, and then, like a massive explosion, everyone started cheering with joy. The student section storms the court. 42-39 Final. If you want to see a community that is kind, cheerful, and drops everything in their life to be one team for one moment, come to PCM.
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PCM girls edge Albia, fall to Williamsburg in regional final
MONROE — Libby Winters’ game-winning field goal with 2.5 seconds to play gave the Mustangs the lead and Lila Milani’s two free throws in the final seconds finished off Albia during a Class 3A Region 4 semifinal matchup on Feb. 19.
The Class 3A No. 10 Mustangs trailed by six in the first half and fell behind by that same margin with 6 minutes to go in the game before rallying for a 42-39 victory.
“It was a crazy last couple of minutes,” PCM head girls basketball coach Sami Allison-Ro -
PCM’s Wheeler, Clark make history with silver-medal performances
DES MOINES — While their final matches did not go as planned, junior Tucker Wheeler and senior Kaden Clark did something as teammates that no other Mustang duo has ever done before.
For the first time in school history, PCM’s wrestling team placed two athletes in the finals.
Unfortunately, neither grappler found the win column as both Wheeler and Clark ended their fantastic seasons with runner-up finishes at their weights in Class 2A.
“Tucker and Kaden are leaders of the team both physically and vocally,” PCM head wrestling coach Rusty Vos said. “That’s why they are here. We’re glad to have Tucker back. He’s in good spirits. The sun will come up tomorrow, and he’ll get back at it. He’s a hard working kid. We’re going to miss Kaden a lot.”
PCM brought five wrestlers to the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships, and the Mustangs scored 52.5 points in 19th place in 2A.
Most of those points came from Wheeler and Clark, who were second at 157 pounds and 285, respectively.
Freshman Bentlee Sloan and juniors Kaliber Fry and Zach Richards also competed. Sloan and Richards were 0-2 at their weights, while Fry finished 2-2 at 126.
Wheeler (41-7) entered the tournament ranked ninth in 2A at 157. But the only wrestler ranked in the top seven to reach the semifinals was top-ranked Tate Slagle of Algona.
Wheeler was 3-1 in the tournament and all four matches came against wrestlers who ended up on the podium.
After a first-round bye, Wheeler opened with a 13-4 win over Carroll’s Owen Klocke (35-12), who finished fifth as an unranked grappler.
In the quarterfinals, Wheeler downed fifth-ranked Cason Miller of Fairfield, 4-1, with a late takedown in the final 5 seconds. It was 0-0 after one and Wheeler led 1-0 after two.
PCM
“When you wrestle some of the better guys, you can’t wrestle reckless and you can’t afford to make any mistakes,” Wheeler said. “The game plan was to push the pace the whole time.
“I’m not into coasting. Bo Bassett says sprint the mile the entire time. I really like that. I like going hard the entire time.”
Miller (39-4) finished seventh in the bracket, but Vos told assistant coach Jake Wheeler going into the second period he thought Tucker could get a single leg for takedown points.
“I thought we could get that single leg. We were able to take advantage of him slowing down just a little bit,” Vos said. “It came later than I expected, but we got it anyway.
“Cason’s a great wrestler. I talked to him after the match. He’s upset. He’s one of the best, but Tucker got him this time. It could go the other way next time.”
Wheeler’s best match of the tournament came in the semifinals where he dominated No. 10 Kaden Wiele of West Liberty, 19-3. It was 6-1 after one before Wheeler defeated Wiele (45-11) by technical fall in the second. Wiele finished sixth in the bracket.
“I thought he could take him down at will just based on what we saw on video,” Vos said about Wheeler’s match with Wiele. “We just didn’t want to get on the mat with him. He’s great on top. It worked out for us.”
The championship bout came against Greene County’s Brent Dennhardt (41-7). The eighth-ranked Ram defeated Wheeler 5-1 to win his first state title.
Wheeler, who is a three-time state qualifier, won his second state medal after a fourth-place finish at 144 last season. He takes a 134-27 record into his senior season.
He broke his own takedown record and was in the state semifinals for the second straight season.
“It feels great. It’s not easy to get here, but it’s something I knew I could achieve,” Wheeler said.
driguez said.
Winters powered PCM to its first regional final since the Mustangs advanced to the state tournament in the 2016-17 season. The team’s 21 wins are the most in a season since going 21-3 in 2008-09.
Winters registered her second straight double-double, finishing with 13 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. She also swiped two steals and blocked a career-most five shots and the double-double was the seventh of her prep career.
Her game-winning bucket came on a play that was drawn up in the huddle with 18 sec-
onds on the clock. PCM ran the same play earlier in the game but Winters missed the shot.
“Her teammates knew she had this one,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “It was a cool moment watching the veterans put their complete faith in her. She had a huge night. We needed it.” PCM led 12-11 after one quarter but trailed 23-20 at halftime. Albia (17-6) won the third 5-4, but the Mustangs rallied with a big fourth. The hosts scored 18 points in the final frame after scoring 24 in the first three quarters.
PCM boys end season with loss to No. 5 Grand View Christian
DES MOINES — PCM lost to Grand View Christian by an average of 30.5 points in the four most recent meetings against the Thunder.
But on Feb. 20, in a 2A District 10 semifinal matchup, the game was tied after one quarter and the Mustangs trailed by one with only three minutes left in the contest.
It was a positive performance for PCM, but the 2A No. 5 Thunder pulled away late with a 73-61 home victory.
“Our guys gave it one hell of a run tonight,” PCM head boys basketball coach Ford said.
The Mustangs were outscored 14-13 in the second and 16-15 in the third before the Thunder (211) used a 27-13 advantage in the fourth to win by double digits.
It was the closest margin of defeat in the five games since 2018.
DeVries registered three points and six assists, Gavin Steenhoek chipped in three points and two assists and Winters grabbed two boards.
The Mustangs shot 43.4 percent from the floor, connected on all five of their free throws and turned the ball over only eight times.
The 3-point shot helped the Mustangs stay close. They were 10-of-25 from long range with Van Gorp going 4-of-5 and VandeLune finishing 3-of-7. Van Gorp led the Mustangs with 16 points, while VandeLune added 14 points and two assists. Wendt posted 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Wagaman tallied 11 points, six boards, two assists and three steals.
PCM Explorer
PCM Explorer
Photo by Jamie Steenhoek
Photo by Jamie Steenhoek
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Kaden Clark, right, capped his prep wrestling career with a 50-win season that resulted in a runner-up finish at 285 pounds.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Tucker Wheeler, right, placed second at 157 pounds at the state wrestling tournament. Wheeler was 3-1 for the week and all four opponents wound up on the medal stand.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
Left: PCM junior Tucker Wheeler earned his second state wrestling medal after a runner-up finish in Class 2A at 157 pounds on Feb. 22. Right: PCM senior Kaden Clark finished second in 2A at 285 at the state wrestling tournament this past week.
Van Gorp’s big night powers PCM boys to district win
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
MONROE — There was only one thing in question after the third quarter of PCM’s boys basketball postseason game against Van Buren County on Feb. 17.
“The guys on the bench told me they wanted him to get it tonight,” PCM head boys basketball coach Tony Ford said about Gavin Van Gorp’s opportunity to reach 1,000 career points. “I’ve heard stories of guys who ended just short of it, and I didn’t want Gavin, for what he’s done for us, to be short of it. He had the matchup where we knew if he got the ball he could finish.”
Van Gorp entered the fourth quarter still needing 18 points to reach 1,000. The Mustangs made sure he had enough chances to get there and his career-high 38 points guided PCM to an 82-36 home win in Class 2A District 10 action.
Van Gorp came into the game needing 38 to reach the scoring milestone. He scored 12 in the first and six in the third, but an 18-point fourth with the game no longer in doubt was the difference in him reaching the mark on his home floor.
“The plan was to win the game, but I looked at the bench when he was probably at 28 or so and they all wanted me to leave him in,” Ford said. “To do it at home was something we wanted to do. He’s always hurt and plays hurt so I wasn’t worried about that.”
The game was close for a lot of the first half. But it turned in the Mustangs’ favor when Van Buren’s leading scorer, Izaac Loeffler, fouled out with 1:23 to play until halftime.
Loeffler came into the game averaging 20 points per contest but scored just eight in the first 15 minutes of game action. He also missed a large chunk of the second with his third foul.
His fourth and fifth fouls came on the same play. He was whistled for a foul on Kaleb DeVries on a breakaway for his fourth personal and then was issued a technical foul seconds after for his fifth.
“It was huge,” Ford said about Loeffler missing the entire second half. “I looked up at the board and saw it was four and then five. That was a big deal. Our defensive game plan was all about No. 1 and No. 4.
No. 1 is Will Cocherell, a sophomore who averages 14 points per game for the Warriors.
Cocherell finished with a team-high 13 points, but Loeffler’s absence was felt in a second half that saw PCM outscore its visitors 48-16.
The Mustangs (12-12) led 15-13 after one quarter and pushed the margin to nine when Loeffler fouled out. PCM ended the first half on a 9-2 run and it was basically over at that point.
“That obviously helped us a lot,” Van Gorp said. “Once he fouled out, they
didn’t play near as well. We just played our game though I guess.”
The two teams split 47 fouls called in the game, but PCM had a 13-point advantage in free throw makes.
Van Gorp scored 12 points in the opening frame, but neither team led by more than three.
The Mustangs opened the second with a 9-0 run to push the margin to double digits. It stayed that way until Van Buren scored four straight and then Loeffler closed the margin to seven with a pair of free throws.
The Warriors (6-16) didn’t score again in the period though and PCM led 34-20 at the break.
“The intensity was high and the boys executed the game plan,” Ford said.
“From what I could tell, they had not seen a 2-3 zone this year. I knew that was one of our strengths so we just modified what we did to try to force them to play through their inside guys. They are not very big and don’t have a lot of post players. The guys knew that and believed in it. (Van Buren) also didn’t shoot as well as they normally do.”
Van Gorp and Chase Wagaman combined to score PCM’s first nine of the third and that stretch swelled the advantage to 43-22. The Mustangs led 56-25 after three.
DeVries opened the fourth with a 3-pointer, but the quarter belonged to Van Gorp, who did a lot of his work from the high post. He converted a pair of three-point plays, made five free throws and added a trio of buckets inside the lane in the frame.
“I came out feeling great and my teammates were being super unselfish. That helps a lot,” Van Gorp said. “When I got up in the high 20s in the third, I figured it might happen. The guys just kept passing me the ball because they wanted me to get it. They were all cool with it so I appreciate the chance to have that opportunity.”
Van Gorp added five rebounds, three assists and two steals to his career-high 38 points.
DeVries posted eight points, two rebounds, five assists and two steals and Wagaman chipped in seven points, six rebounds and two steals.
Alex Wendt put in six points and grabbed 12 boards, Cutler VandeLune posted six points and three rebounds and Jake Winters led the bench with four points and six boards.
Kash Fischer totaled four points, two rebounds and two steals, Gavin DeRaad had three rebounds and four assists, Joe Shaver put in four points and Pete Kiernan added a 3 off the bench.
The Mustangs shot 41 percent from the floor, made 5-of-17 from 3 and connected on 27-of-38 from the free-throw line.
They also turned the ball over only 12 times against a Van Buren team which
PCM’s Robbins signs with Drake University football
pressured full court for most of the first half.
“We wanted to take care of the ball against their press,” Ford said. “We handled the press very well. I give a lot of credit to (DeVries). He ball faked, got the ball up the floor and kept them off their heals. He’s a coach on the floor and has a coach’s brain in a teenage body.”
Notes: Hayden Shannon made his varsity debut late in the fourth quarter.
… The Warriors came into the game allowing more than 70 points per game. PCM scored more than 80 for a second straight contest. … Ford said Van Gorp was the one who told him to leave VandeLune in the game last year when he was going for the 3-point record. “It’s a good group of seniors,” Ford said. “Cutler always talks about us being a family, and that’s what the senior group is about. They are a tight group.”
teammates and families as well.”
Submitted Photo
PCM senior Adrien Robbins signed with Drake University
ing day ceremony at the high school. Joining Robbins for his big day were
row, from left) father Emanuel Vandyke, PCM head football coach Greg Bonnett, step father Bryan Biefelt and sister Brylee as well as (front row) grandmother Reyna Montero and mother Brittney Biefelt. Robbins chose Drake over Wyoming, Air Force, Grand View and Benedictine.
Submitted Photo
PCM senior Kaden Clark signed with the Upper Iowa University football team during a recent signing ceremony at the high school. Joining Clark for his big day were (front row, from left) brother Kolby Clark, father Jacob Clark and mother An-
visit,” Clark said. “That was the only one I hadn’t gone to yet. Upper Iowa felt the best. I got up there and it felt homely. The classes line up really well. They do faster-paced classes so you’re only taking three per semester. If I miss a day for football, I won’t get too far behind, which I really liked. Clark said he will play offensive line at Upper Iowa and expects to settle in at a guard position. He was joined at his ceremony by five of his high school teammates. “I’ve been playing football with them for a long time,” said Clark, who plans to major in kinesiology and exercise science. “It was kind of bittersweet, too. To see guys who I love and played with all this time break off on their own paths is kind of sad.”
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Brevin DeRaad, right, looks for a driving lane against Van Buren County on Feb. 17. The Mustangs advanced to the district semifinals after the home victory.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer PCM senior Kaleb DeVries (15) posted eight points and five assists in the team’s district win over Van Buren County on Feb. 17.
Milani was fouled attempting to steal the inbounds pass late in the game and buried her only two free throw attempts of the night with 2.5 seconds left in the game.
Addison Steenhoek also scored in double figures with 10 points and added two rebounds and two assists.
Tori Lindsay totaled seven points and nine boards, Kyra Naeve had seven points, four rebounds and three assists and Milani registered five points and three boards. Jorja Teeter grabbed four rebounds.
PCM (21-4) overcame a tough shooting night because it grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and sunk 16-of-23 from the free-throw line. Steenhoek made 7-of-10 from the foul line and Naeve was 4-of-4.
The Mustangs shot 22 percent from the floor, connected on 4-of-21 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 17 times.
Williamsburg 57, PCM 43 WILLIAMSBURG
— PCM needed to play one of its best games of the season to knock off third-ranked Williamsburg during the Class 3A Region 4 championship game on Feb. 22. And unfortunately, a slow start against the Raiders doomed the No. 10 Mustangs during a 5743 season-ending loss.
“We played hard,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “I’m proud of the kids.”
PCM trailed by 11 after one and never recovered.
The Mustangs scored 12 points under their season average of 55 and committed 24 turnovers, which was nine more than their season average.
Williamsburg finished with only 15 turnovers and connected on 7-of-16 from 3.
Winters capped her freshman season with another monster game. She finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists, four steals and four blocks to lead the visitors.
PCM also got nine points, three rebounds and three assists from Lindsay and Steenhoek totaled eight points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals in her final prep game. Milani also collected four points.
Steenhoek’s career included 1,068 points. She also dished out 73 assists this winter, which was a single-season career high.
The Mustangs shot 40.6 percent from the floor, made 3-of-10 from 3 and connected on 14of-22 from the foul line. The Raiders were 16-of-21 from the foul line.
Ava Hocker led Williamsburg (23-2) with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
PCM’s 21 victories are the most since winning 21 games in 2008-09. The Mustangs also were 20-5 in 2016-17 and 25-1 in 2006-07.
Williamsburg plays No. 9 Des Moines Christian in the opening round of the girls state basketball tournament at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4 inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Fourth-ranked Clark joined Wheeler in the state finals. It was the first time in school history that PCM put two in the finals in the same season.
He opened with back-to-back first-period pins against Woodward-Granger’s Alexander Kasner (34-23) and Albia’s Nate Ballard (27-8).
Clark (50-6) trailed Central Lyon/George-Little Rock’s Sam Christensen, 4-1, after two periods. But a big move in the third pushed Clark to the lead and he held on for a 6-5 win to advance to the his first and only state semifinal.
Christensen (33-3), who is ranked 10th, finished fifth in the bracket.
“He was riding hard and had a tight waste on the other side,” Clark said about Christensen. “Every time I went to stand up on the side he was covering, he switched sides on me. So I baited him into the roll that I did. That move got me a few points to win.
“I had to stay smart, in a good stance and in a good position at the end there.”
That come-from-behind win set up a rematch with second-ranked Ethan Wood of Mount Vernon, who Clark lost to by fall at districts despite leading the match 6-1.
Clark again grabbed a big advantage in their semifinal bout, but this time he avoided the big move by Wood in the final period.
The match was scoreless after one period, but Wood (50-2) scored first with a reversal to begin the second.
Clark rallied with a takedown and back points later in the period and then added another takedown in the third to pull away even further. Wood finished third in the bracket.
“I just had to score next. I’m always looking to score and trying to be the aggressor,” Clark said about falling behind 2-0. “I knew I could take him down.
Once I got into the third period, it was all about staying in good position and not giving up a big move. That’s how he got me at districts.”
Clark, who registered a career-most 50 wins this past season, lost to top-ranked Jaydin Cooper of Winterset in the finals. Cooper (36-1) defeated Clark by fall in the first period.
“That kid’s really quick and athletic. We knew that coming into it,” Vos said. “We thought we could sprawl a little better, but it didn’t work out this time. That’s the way it goes.”
Fry (37-11) wrestled at state for the second time in his career. He was 2-2 last season at 113 and finished 2-2 at 126 this winter.
Fry opened with a 22-11 win over Estherville Lincoln Central’s Brody Olson and stayed alive with an 18-10 victory over Carroll Kuemper’s Owen Nepple (23-16).
His first loss was a 20-2 technical fall by fourth-ranked Kaydin Jones of Union Community. He was eliminated, 18-14, by West Delaware’s Jarrett Engle. Jones (47-8) ended up fifth in the bracket.
Fry was tied 5-all with Olson (37-13) after one period but pulled away with a reversal, two near fall points and a takedown in the second.
In the loss to Engle (33-21), Fry led 3-1 after one but trailed 12-5 after two. He closed the gap
DeRaad twins headed to Dubuque to play football
signed with the University of
during a signing ceremony
the high
father Tony, left, PCM head football coach Greg Bonnett, back, mother Morgan and sister Avery, right. Gavin DeRaad chose Dubuque over Central College and Iowa Western Community College and Brevin, in blue, picked the Spartans over Central and Simpson College. Both athletes chose Dubuque because of their coaching staff and because it has a flight school. Both Gavin and Brevin will study aviation. “I would say we were a package deal,” Gavin DeRaad said.
“We didn’t really talk about it with one another but deep down we knew we would go to the same place.” Their signing day ceremony included four other teammates. “The signing day was special,” Brevin DeRaad said. “I have been playing football with them for a long time, and it’s cool to see them pursue their love for the game.”
to 13-12 and 14-13, but Engle got a late takedown to close out the win.
“He got thrown at the edge of the mat, and that was one of the best throws I’ve ever seen,” Vos said about Fry’s match with Engle.
“But Kaliber let up twice and gave up 10 points in that match. Seven on that one move and three on another takedown. That’s what happens. You can’t do that here. We told him he was going to keep coming after him. He needed to wrestle the whole time, but he didn’t.”
Sloan (28-21) lost twice by fall in his matches at 132. He was defeated by Independence’s Remy Ressler (38-18) in the opening round on Feb. 19 and was eliminated from competition on Feb. 20 following a loss to No. 7 Charlie Showalter (45-6) of Hampton-Dumont-CAL.
Richards (25-15) missed last year’s wrestling season after spending his sophomore year as a foreign exchange student. He also went 0-2 at 138 after losing to a pair of state-ranked opponents.
He fell 19-3 to No. 9 Jacob Harrison (40-9) of Ballard before being eliminated, 16-0, by No. 11 Dax Koedam of Sergeant Bluff-Luton.
“I missed Zach Richards last year when he was gone as a foreign exchange student, but now he’s back,” Vos said. “He’s been a huge plus to our program this year, and we’ll get him back next year.
“Bentlee really wasn’t supposed to be here as a freshman, but it’s great experience for him. We don’t ever want to be just happy to be here. We are after medals, but if it doesn’t work out that’s fine, too. We’ll move on and get ready for next year.”
Notes: Clark ended his prep career with a 139-47 record. He qualified for state as a freshman, too. “It’s great to be a part of it,” Clark said about having two Mustangs in the finals. “We wanted to go 2-for-2 at the beginning of the day, and we ended up doing it. It’s a great feeling.”
PCM seniors Gavin and Brevin DeRaad
Dubuque football team recently
at
school. Joining the DeRaad twins at the signing were
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Zach Richards, left, lost to a pair of ranked wrestlers at the state wrestling tournament last week.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Kaliber Fry, left, finished 2-2 at the state wrestling tournament for the second straight season.
Explorer PCM
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