Wrestling 2025: Staples-Motley triumphs in Class A rematch with Chatfield
Posted: Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 9:49 PM
When Jim Jackson was presented with the latest accomplishment of a legendary Minnesota wrestling coaching career, he turned to the assistants standing next to him.
"Five of those guys have kids on the team," Jackson said, "and they all coach with us."
Jackson is the first coach to pilot three different schools to Wrestling State Tournament team championships after guiding No. 2 seed Staples-Motley (24-3) to the Class A title Thursday night with a 33-16 victory over No. 1 seed Chatfield (20-3). It's the 19th title for Jackson, who won 16 with Apple Valley and two with Shakopee.
It's the first wrestling state championship for Staples-Motley in its current form, but Staples captured seven from 1978-1985. That tradition appears to still be alive.
"(Staples-Motley's assistants) have been coaching their kids since they were 5 years old," Jackson said. "They're knowledgeable. The cupboard was not bare when I walked in there. It was not bare."
The title matchup on paper was similar to a year ago: No. 1 seed Chatfield vs. No. 2 Staples-Motley. The result was anything but.
"We knew we had to win the first four weights to stay in this," Jackson said.
How about the first six? Staples-Motley got out to a 21-0 lead to set a golden tone, including Eli Greenwaldt's technical fall at 133 pounds.
That followed up a 64-0 victory over No. 3 seed Jackson County Central in the semifinals and a 51-11 quarterfinal win over United North Central.
Steven Petrich completed the final triumph with a pin at 285 as the Cardinals overturned a 47-7 defeat to the Gophers in the 2024 final.
"I thought our kids were just outstanding today and the proof's in the pudding, I guess," Jackson said.
Chatfield opened the tournament by beating West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 56-10, then took down No. 4 seed Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Area 43-15 in the semifinals.
Third place: Ryan Palmer at 160 pounds and Mason Adams at 285 notched pins for Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Area in a 34-23 victory over Jackson County Central. The Knights picked up 11 points in the last three bouts, including 189-pound Nick Slater's technical fall. Adams recorded pins in all three of Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial's duals, including a 33-27 quarterfinal win over Canby. The Knights finished fifth a year ago after a quarterfinal loss to Jackson County Central, which has now placed fourth two years in a row after capturing the 2023 and 2022 titles.
Fifth place: Canby won seven of the first eight bouts with bonus points in each, building a 34-6 lead in an eventual 34-28 win over United North Central. It was a similar story in the previous match, when Canby — making its first Wrestling State Tournament team appearance since 2008 — won nine of the first 10 bouts against West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville in a 52-15 consolation semifinal win.
