Pirate Wrestling: Pirates Punch Two More Tickets, Extend State Streak to 18 Years

By Coach Wayne Haskovec  
Photo credit: Student Photographer Miguel Gomez

The Hudson Pirates wrestling team experienced one of the most intense and emotional  days of the season Saturday at the district tournament, where two wrestlers earned the  ultimate reward — a trip to the Iowa State Wrestling Tournament.  

Districts are often considered the most exciting day of the year, but also one of the  most emotionally demanding. The adrenaline and joy of qualifying for state is unmatched, while  the disappointment of coming up short after months of preparation is equally difficult.  

Hudson’s wrestlers battled through a tough field, and the Pirates will send two qualifiers  to Des Moines next week:  

120 pounds — Sr. Mason Fogt (32-6)  

215 pounds — Jr. Carter Ites (37-6)  

Carter Ites will make his state tournament debut, while Mason Fogt will return to the  state stage for the third time in his career. Both wrestlers fought through one of the toughest  districts in the state to punch their tickets.  

Just missing qualification were sophomore Rylan Fogt and junior Alston Loeb, who  each finished third. Fogt dropped a heartbreaking wrestleback match for a chance to advance,  while Loeb closed the season with 30 or more wins for the second straight year.  

Loeb’s heavyweight bracket was particularly loaded, with multiple top-ranked wrestlers  competing in the same district. Depending on the rankings, the No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6  heavyweights in Iowa were all placed together, and Loeb was the only one of the top three  finishers who will return next season.  

Senior Blake Taylor also came up just short of qualifying at 165 pounds. Taylor entered  the tournament with a 38-2 record but finished fourth in an extremely competitive bracket.  Taylor’s leadership throughout the season has been invaluable, and his career total of 110 wins  places him among the program’s all-time leaders.  

Hudson’s future was also on display, as the “freshman four” — Carter Weide, Brady  Greiman, Cooper Hamer and Ivan Martinez — competed in their first district tournament.  Although they came up just short of medaling, the experience gained will be crucial moving  forward.  

Sophomores Aaden Myhr (150) and Camdyn Budde (190) also stepped on the mat and  battled through difficult matches, continuing to represent the Pirate program with pride.  Hudson competed shorthanded, missing senior Gavin Fish along with Miguel Gomez,  Francisco Martinez, Isaac Ubben and Cohen Warnell due to injury or illness. The absence of  several varsity wrestlers, including three seniors, made a significant impact on the lineup.  Despite the challenges, the Pirates continued to support one another throughout the  day and left another strong mark on Hudson wrestling. The team will return nine of the  wrestlers who competed at districts, building a strong foundation for the future.  The Pirates now turn their attention to the Iowa State Wrestling Tournament next week,  with Mason and Carter carrying the Hudson banner to Des Moines.  

The program also extends a special thank you to Miguel Gomez for capturing photos  from the day and helping document an unforgettable postseason run.  

First-round matchups:  

120 — Mason Fogt (32-6) vs. Lisbon’s Cael Stricker (33-12) 

215 — Carter Ites (37-6) vs. BGM’s Reed Slater (38-10)