Union Grove Drops Dual to Westosha 51-28 Despite Four Bonus-Point Wins
Union Grove picked up four bonus-point victories but could not overcome a string of pins and forfeits, falling 51-28 to Westosha in a multi-team dual Thursday night in Union Grove.
The Broncos’ wins came in emphatic fashion, as all four contested victories were either by fall or major decision. At 113 pounds, unbeaten junior Camden Rugg improved to 30-0 with a pin over Westosha freshman Nash Schmitz (25-10), delivering one of the marquee bouts of the night and answering an opening Westosha fall at 106. Union Grove also collected a forfeit at heavyweight, where Ryan Jossart was awarded six team points at 285.
Senior Braxton Storbeck added another strong performance for Union Grove at 126 pounds. Storbeck, now 25-7 on the season, controlled his match against Westosha junior Ryan Thottukandathil (22-8) and rolled to a 16-5 major decision, giving the Broncos four team points and keeping them within striking distance early in the dual. His technical win highlighted Union Grove’s ability to generate offense in the lower weights when the lineup was on the mat.
Union Grove’s upper weights also produced fireworks. At 157 pounds, Jax Braun recorded a fall over Westosha senior Kaden Hentschel (19-15), earning six more team points for the Broncos and showcasing the program’s depth in the middle of the lineup. At 215, Levi Lincoln continued the run of bonus points by pinning Westosha freshman DaMonte Talbert (6-15), adding another six to the Union Grove total and briefly cutting into Westosha’s advantage on the scoreboard.
Westosha, however, built and maintained control of the dual through a combination of pins and forfeits. The visitors recorded falls at 106 (Preston Huinker over Kingston Bartlett), 120 (Jacob Ellingson over Mason Hicks), 132 (Ashton Scheele over Paul Keeku III), 138 (Vinny Work over Xavier Marquez), 175 (James Maciuk over CJ Storbeck) and 190, where Luke Nelson earned a 13-7 decision over Tanner Sievert to tack on three more points. Westosha also capitalized on Union Grove forfeits at 144, 150 and 165, banking 18 uncontested team points that created a gap the Broncos could not close.
The dual underscored both Union Grove’s capability to secure high-level wins in individual weight classes and the impact of lineup holes against a deep opponent. With Rugg remaining unbeaten and veterans like Storbeck, Braun and Lincoln converting their opportunities, the Broncos demonstrated key pieces that can be built around as the postseason approaches. Shoring up forfeited weights and narrowing the margins in contested bouts will be central points of emphasis as Union Grove looks to translate standout individual performances into team success in future duals and tournament action.
