HURON — The Brandon Valley Lynx built up a sizable lead at the lower weights and won two very close mid-weight matches to escape with a 40-26 ESD wrestling win over the Huron Tigers Friday night at Huron Arena.
The Tigers were back on the mat after a three-week layoff, from the holiday break and from a postponed match. For senior Zack Siemonsma, Friday’s return to the mat came after nearly two-years.
Jallele Jenkins Harris got things started on a positive note for Huron, using a strategy of getting a take down, allowing an escape and getting another take down to fuel a 13-6 win over Caleb Klatt.
After a Huron forfeit at 113 pounds, the Lynx won six straight matches, three by pinfall, to take the lead in the dual.
At 145 pounds, Huron’s Chipper Shillingstad moved up from 138 pounds to take on Creighton Klinkhammer. Both wrestlers are rated third in the state at their respective weights, but when Brandon’s regular 138-pounder didn’t make the trip, Shillingstad moved up.
Shillingstad controlled the match early, owning a 2-1 lead after the first period and he held a 4-3 edge as the second period wound down. Klinkhammer, however, managed a reversal in the final 30 seconds of the period and built upon the lead to take a 9-5 win in the match.
“Chip was very close to taking that match,” said Tiger head coach Dan McCarty after the dual. “He wanted to move up for the competition and the challenge. It just didn’t quite work out like we hoped.”
AT 152 pounds, Huron’s top-ranked Tahjae Jenkins Harris found himself in a dogfight with eighth-grader Damion Schunke, who came in ranked No. 5. Schunke took the early lead and Jenkins Harris fought back to take a 3-3 tie into the second period. He increased the lead with an escape, and headed to the third period, where he had the up position. Jenkins Harris quickly earned two back points, for a 6-3 lead, before Schunke received a penalty point to make it 6-4.
The penalty point was huge, as Schunke was able to get a take down in the final seconds to force overtime, then took down Jenkins Harris again for the 8-6 win.
“Yeah, that penalty point was big,” McCarty agreed. “Hopefully, he will bounce back from that and recover for our tournament on Saturday.
Matt Katz earned the first of five straight Tiger wins with an 11-0 major decision over Jorey Sorenson at 160 pounds, then Travis Kleinsasser and Wyatt Larsen earned back-to-back pins over their opponents. Kleinsasser stuck Dominic Tucker in 3:20, while Tyler Small lasted 4:17 against Larsen.
“Matt  was aggressive, very aggressive tonight and was moving well,” McCarty said. “We needed pins from Travis and Wyatt and got them,”
Gabe Rieger wrestled aggressively as well, doing everything he could to earn the pin, but settling for the 4-0 win by decision.

Siemonsma was back in a singlet for the first time since the 2016 state wrestling meet, after suffering a torn ACL in the 2016-17 football season and a broken collarbone in the last one. He was cleared to wrestle two weeks ago and returned with a 10-0 major decision over Jordan Huser, in which Siemonsma controlled the action from the opening whistle.
“Zack wrestled well after being away from wrestling for as long as he was,” McCarty said. “He did a great job of seeing what he wanted to and then executing it - the mental part of wrestling. He had a lot of time to work on that and it was good to seem him back on the mat tonight.”
The Tigers return to action today, traveling to the Brandon Valley Tournament.
“We really like going down to Brandon for this tournament,” McCarty said. “We see so many different teams we don’t normally face. Canton will be there and they are the top “B“ team in the state and they are solid top to bottom. Several of the smaller schools in the Sioux Falls area will be there and they all have solid athletes on their wrestling teams.”
Huron returns to dual action on Thursday, when it travels to Watertown.

Brandon 40, Huron, 26
106 - Jallele Jenkins Harris (H), dec. Caleb Klatt (BV) 13-6.
113 - Carson Askdal (BV), won by forfeit.
120 - Isaac Klinkhammer (BV), pinned Aung Win (H), 1:11.
126 - Tate Johnson (BV), maj. dec. Daynon Huber (H), 15-5.
132 - Jack Smith (BV), pinned Star Sun (H), :29
138 - Teygan Harstad (BV), pinned Jose Gonzalez (H), 3:21
145 - Creighton Klinkhammer (BV), dec. Chipper Shillingstad (H), 9-5
152 - Damion Schunke (BV), dec. Tahjae Jenkins Harris (H), 8-6 OT
160 - Matt Katz (H), maj. dec. Jorey Sorenson (BV), 11-0
170 - Travis Kleinsasser (H), pinned Dominic Tucker (BV), 3:20
182 - Wyatt Larsen (H), pinned Tyler Small (BV), 4:17
195 - Gabe Rieger (H), dec. Sam Lembcke (BV), 4-0
220 - Zack Siemonsma (H), maj. dec. Jordan Huser (BV), 10-0
285 - Sam Krohnke (BV), pinned Devyn Balster (H) 1:57

PHOTOS BY MIKE CARROLL OF THE PLAINSMAN

Huron’s Gabe Rieger executes a reversal against Sam Lembcke of Brandon Valley during their 195-pound match on Friday at Huron Arena. Rieger emerged with a 4-0 decision in the match.
Huron’s Wyatt Larsen works to turn Brandon Valley’s Tyler Small to his back during a 182-pound match Friday at Huron Arena. Larson earned a win by fall at the 4:17 mark of the match. Huron’s Jallele Jenkins Harris works for a take down against Caleb Klatt of Brandon Valley during their 106-pound match Friday at Huron Arena. Jenkins Harris won the match with a 13-6 decision.