W-G junior Fisher reaches third state final, Lawrenson stopped in overtime

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Atlantic's Cale Roller is controlled by W-G's Cody Fisher Thursday in the first round of the 2A 220-pound bracket. A pair of wins Friday has sent the Hawk standout into the championship match for the third consecutive season.

DES MOINES — The train that is Woodward-Granger Cody Fisher’s drive toward the Class 2A state championship at 220 pounds continued rolling Friday, with a pair of dominating wins sending the Iowa State recruit into Saturday’s finals.

“Now it is just of matter of having the right mental approach,” W-G head coach Dave Smeltzer said. “He knows what to do and how to prepare, and our job as coaches will be to remind him of that and have him ready when the moment finally comes.”

Fisher was the state runner-up at 195 pounds each of the last two years. He moved up to 220 this season and has rattled off a 43-1 record as he seeks to become the first state champion in W-G history.

A pin of Hampton-Dumont senior Wyatt Folkerts (31-14) in 1 minute, 22 seconds, advanced Fisher from the quarterfinals. The top-ranked Hawk drew third-rated Solon senior Mike Hoyle (45-2) for the semifinals and plowed his way to victory with an 11-4 decision.

Combined with his 18-3 win via technical fall in the opening round, Fisher has yielded seven total points in three matches, but all have been intentional single-point releases. No opponent has taken points from Fisher.

“He is healthy and wrestling with the right mindset,” Smeltzer said. “He is wrestling his kind of match, and when he does things go well.”

Fisher will face a familiar foe in the finals in eighth-rated ADM junior Kaden Sutton (35-6), who was a 3-1 winner, in sudden victory I, over seventh-ranked Clear Lake senior Kade Hambley (32-6) in the other semifinal.

Fisher defeated Sutton, 3-0, in the sectional tourney and then scored a 13-6 win in the district tournament.

“I guarantee you Cody won’t be taking him lightly,” Smeltzer said. “He (Fisher) has been here before and knows he needs to finish it.”

Lawrenson (37-9) was eliminated in the 285-pound second round consolations after suffering a 3-1 sudden victory I loss to Williamsburg junior Cole Cremeens (34-13).

“Tyler should take a lot of confidence out of this year,” Smeltzer said. “He got a win at the state tournament, and that should motivate him for his final year. A whole lot of guys come down here and loose twice without winning. Tyler had a good year and can aim at coming down here again next year.”

Now Smeltzer, in his seventh year, will focus on helping Fisher make the final step on the podium.

“You have the lineup for the Grand March at 5:45 (p.m.) and then have a long wait for 220 to come around,” he said. “It is a long, nervous wait, but he knows how to handle it. This is where Cody expected himself to be and I am looking forward to seeing him go after the title.”

W-G junior heavyweight Tyler Lawrenson gathers his thoughts before his first match at the state tournament Thursday. He responded to a 3-1 loss to win, 5-0, but was eliminated Friday, 3-1, in sudden victory.

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