Faribault, Owatonna Co-Big Nine Wrestling Champions

Faribault Head Coach Jesse Armbruster agreed Owatonna sent a message to his team Tuesday night with a 46-20 victory at Nomeland Gym in Faribault.

The Falcons started the match 8-0 before Owatonna took a 15-8 lead.   Following a J.T. Yetzer pin at 126 pounds it was 15-14.

The Huskies then captured every match until 285 pounds where Faribault got a pin to achieve the final score.

Head Coach Jesse Armbruster told KDHL following the match, "As we look at tonight two things come to mind.  First I think we were in a position where we knew we couldn't lose the Big Nine and I do believe that played a little bit into our psyche.  We weren't chasing it we were being chased and we talked earlier about having that target on your back."

It's the first Big Nine wrestling title for Faribault since Tim Tousignant coached the team in 1995.

Armbruster added, "At the same time I really felt like for the first time all year we were pretty flat.  Not the night you want to be flat by any stretch of the imagination.  We had matches in there I thought would go our way.  Not only did they not go our way but we gave up bonus points in the other direction.  When a team can pick you from your feet and bring you to your back that tells me you're in retreat mode. So we were on our heels a lot.  We didn't have movement off the whistle.  Those are things we have to make improvements on.  That's being in the right frame of mind and being ready to wrestle."

Armbruster didn't want to use the youth excuse with many of his team members being freshmen saying by this time of year they've had plenty of varsity mat time.

On being Co-Champions of the Big Nine Armbruster was asked by an assistant standing nearby if he thought when the season started his team would be in the hunt for the title.  He replied they didn't even know who was going to wrestle at what weight.

After being dominated by Owatonna it didn't feel like they had accomplished it but Armbruster said he was proud of the team for being in that position with many of them being so young.

See if you agree with these movie candy rankings.