Scott-West faces four ranked foes in section wrestling

Teams are grappling for position as they prepare to enter section tournament time.

Every sport has sections that grab the attention of avid followers. There is one of significant note in the wrestling ranks — Class 2A, Section 2.

"The seeding will be a little complicated," New Prague coach Greg Tikalsky said.

Scott West, the state tournament runner-up a year ago, heads the section. It's ranked fourth in the class by theguillotine.com.

"The team that makes it out of this section is going to be battle tested," Scott West co-coach Jerold Stauffacher said.

Four other teams in the section are ranked in the top 12. They are No. 9 New Prague, No. 10 Hutchinson, No. 11 Waconia and No. 12 Watertown-Mayer/Mayer Lutheran.

"I'm excited our team is in the conversation after clearing some big hurdles throughout the season," Tikalsky said, noting injury, illness and attrition. "Our boys have become a family. They've stuck together through some dark moments, through thick and thin."

"Coming off a loss to New Prague shows how much the section is going to be a battle," Stauffacher said.

Scott West has reached the state tournament 11 times since 2000 and been the runner-up four of those times.

"Whoever comes out of this section will be a serious contender for the state title," Tikalsky said.

Lakeville South point guard Jack Sorenson, one of the state's most sought-after sophomore recruits, recently eclipsed 1,000 career points.

He reached the milestone in an 89-79 triumph over Burnsville in double overtime in South Suburban Conference play. He finished with 20 points on the night.

• Simley senior forward Laken Muller scored five consecutive goals, including a pure hat trick, for the Spartans in a 6-3 victory over Henry Sibley in a Metro East Conference matchup. It was Muller's second hat trick of the season. She finished the regular season with 21 goals and 30 points.

• New Prague sophomore Maizie Deihl picked a good time to have the best game of her young career. Deihl scored a career-high 34 points, leading the Trojans to an 83-77 overtime victory over Waconia in Wright County Conference play. She is averaging more than 17 points per game this season.