For the second consecutive season, both Marshall and Waterloo High Schools have been represented at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) individual state meet. The Pirates sent two in seniors Trevor Firari and Ryan Sturgill while Marshall sent senior Tucker Cobb. The event was hosted at UW-Madison’s Kohl Center from Thursday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 24.
State was nothing new for Firari, who qualified in the 190 lbs. weight class in 2024. This was his third appearance, also competing at 152 lbs. as a freshman and at 160 lbs. as a junior. He reached state thanks to a WIAA sectional title the weekend prior.
He entered this season’s state meet with a level of respect, entering as the No. 3 seed. This meant he didn’t even have to compete on Thurday, instead waiting until Friday to meet No. 6 seed Sam Schwengels of Parkview/Albany in the quarterfinals round. Firari dominated, scoring a takedown in all three periods in an eventual 7-0 decision win.
The win catapulted him to the semifinals, where he met No. 2 seed Matthew Roach from Ladysmith. This one again went the distance, but not in Firari’s favor. Roach held Firari scoreless while putting up an escape in the second period and a nearfall in the third for a tight 3-0 decision win. Roach would go on to beat top-seeded Tyson Martin of Aquinas in the championship match to claim the Division 3, 190 lbs. crown.
Firari still wasn’t done, though, as he knocked down to the consolation bracket on Saturday. There, he met Stratford senior and No. 8 seed Noah Lucio. For the third time, Firari’s match went all three periods. Lucio scored first in the second with an escape, but Firari stormed back early in the third with a reversal. Lucio was able to respond with an escape and a takedown late to secure a 4-3 decision win. This ended Firari’s state run, but he still placed fifth overall to reach the podium.
Sturgill placed third at sectionals to snag the last spot available for the state meet. This came after falling one spot short of qualifying as a junior. He entered as the No. 11 seed of the 12 wrestlers in the 157 lbs. bracket.
He had his work cut out for him in the opening round against No. 6 seed Caleb Mackey of Pardeeville. Still, Sturgill battled hard and pushed the match the distance. Mackey held a tight grip on it throughout, scoring two points in both the first and second periods. Sturgill scored one late, but it wasn’t enough in an eventual 6-1 decision loss.
Thursday marked a return to state for Marshall’s Tucker Cobb, who also qualified at 126 lbs. as a junior. He had himself an impressive run through the 2024 WIAA state tournament, winning a regional title before finishing as runner-up at sectionals. His seed in the 132 lbs. bracket reflected this, No. 6 overall of the 12 wrestlers in attendance.
Cobb’s run was stopped short, though, with an upset loss on the opening day. He opened with Stratford sophomore Mathias Kaiser, the No. 11 seed, and suffered a 10-6 decision loss. Kaiser jumped out to an immediate lead, scoring a quick takedown and nearfall in the first period. He also nabbed a pair of reversals in the second and one more for good measure in the third. All six of Cobb’s points came via reversal, as well, but it came up short in the four point decision loss.
The weekend’s state action brought an end to the 2023-24 wrestling seasons for both Marshall and Waterloo. It was yet another quality season for both programs, which included a team regional title for the Pirates of Waterloo and a combined 19 representatives at WIAA sectionals between the two.
Waterloo will lose five seniors to graduation in the offseason. In addition to Firari and Ryan Sturgill, Dakota Sturgill, Modou Demba, and Reina Degler have all brought their high school careers to a close. Marshall had a six-member senior class. In addition to Cobb, the Cardinals will be without Mikail Alexander-Taylor, Kody Finke, Noori Rashid, Lea Olson, and Miles Zimmerman next season.
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