58 a magic number for Marshfield wrestlers

MARSHFIELD - Beating Wisconsin Rapids on the wrestling mat has been the goal for the Marshfield High School team for years now — 58 years, to be exact.

During that span, Rapids has won 42 conference titles and has been the pinnacle of the Wisconsin Valley Conference in wrestling, always the leader being chased. But on Thursday night, for the first time since 1958, the Tigers were victorious over Rapids, rolling to a 64-6 win — a 58-point margin, coincidentally —  on alumni and middle school night in front of their home crowd.

Other Marshfield teams have come close — the 2002and 2003state tournament teams, for instance — but they all came up short. The last time Marshfield beat Rapids in fact was the last time Marshfield won a conference championship in the sport.

"It's long overdue," said Marshfield coach Jackson Hein, who was on the 2008 Wausau West team that beat Rapids. "After the match, I was asking the alumni when the last time we beat Rapids because there aren't very good records going back that far. Arlon Haessly, who was on the 1958 team, confirmed it that it's been 58 years. It's crazy to beat a team by 58 points that we haven't beaten in 58 years."

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And the Tigers didn't just beat the Raiders, they flat out dominated them.

Marshfield won 12 of 14 matches, including eight by pin. The match started at 106 pounds and Marshfield won the first six. Rapids won at 145 and 152, then the Tigers closed out with six more wins.

"We came out ready to wrestle, starting right away with our freshman 106-pounder Shane Westerhausen," Hein said. "I knew when we had the meet won, but no one celebrated. We wanted to finish the meet in dominant fashion."

It was Bentley Osterman'spin at 160 pounds that clinched the win for the Tigers. That made the score 40-6 with five matches left and Rapids could not catch up.

Hein, in his third year leading the program, has a young varsity lineup, with three seniors, two juniors, seven sophomores and two freshmen.

"The biggest thing has been changing the culture," Hein said. "Our motto is, 'Attitude is everything.' We teach the kids to be good people on and off the mat and to be a good person, because good things happen to good people."

The Tigers are 2-0 so far this season in WVC dual meets with wins over SPASH and Rapids. Wausau West is the only other undefeated team in the league at 3-0. Marshfield will compete in the Bi-State Classic in La Crosse next Thursday and Friday. The Tigers' next WVC dual is at Merrill on Jan. 6.

Mark Massoglia: 715-424-7309 or mark.massoglia@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @markmazzy.