Osage’s Mac Muller rallies for win

By Kristi Nixon

DES MOINES — Never count Osage out in a wrestling match.

Case in point: Green Devil heavyweight Mac Muller, who found himself on his back in the first period of his second round match against Creston’s Max Chapman.

However, his positioning was at the edge of the mat and he said he knew it, helping him to get a restart as he eventually rallied in the third period from down 7-5 to take Chapman down and earn the fall in 5 minutes, 48 seconds.

“I got those unders, thought I was good there,” Muller said. “He caught me off-balance got me to my back. It’s all about mat-awareness, though. You’ve got to know where you are on the mat.

“I was a little nervous, but I knew where I was. I knew what my goal was this year, and I didn’t come here to lose. I was going to fight my butt off the whole way.”

Time was winding down and Chapman kept backing up until Muller was able to get the takedown to Chapman’s back and get the call.

“I got those double unders,” Muller said. “I knew he was tired, I was tired, too, but I knew I had a tank from practice. I knew I had 30 seconds to get something big.

“I knew that people were looking down on me, whatever, but my coaches told me I could go all the way and I believe that.”

Muller, who competed in state duals a year ago, but didn’t qualify for the individual meet, missed part of last season with a knee injury incurred late in the 2021 football season.

“Hurt my knee in football,” Muller said, “but I came back stronger than ever.”

The Green Devils went 9-2 on the first day and sit in first place with 37.5 points. All Osage winners but Chase Thomas (152) and Barrett Muller (285) earned bonus points for the Green Devils. Thomas, who fought off Charles City wrestler Talan Weber for a 3-2 decision, didn’t face him when the two teams wrestled last month.

Max Gast (160) defeated Mount Vernon’s Jackson Hird by fall after topping him at the state dual meet two weeks ago by a 13-6 decision.

Also winning by fall were Blake Fox (120), Tucker Stangel (145) and Nick Fox (170) while Anders Kittelson earned a technical fall at 132.

All 10 will wrestle in a whirlwind day scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16.

“We had a ton of byes in the first round and still come out with the points,” Mac Muller said. “We’re pretty confident we’re going to take it home this year.”

Top 5 (current)

1. Osage 47.5; 2. Mount Vernon 33; 3. West Delaware, Manchester 30; 4. Creston 28.5; 5. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 27.5.

Championship first round

106 — Lincoln Schropp (Williamsburg) pinned Tysen Stangel (O) 3:15.

195 — Cole Jeffries (O) pinned Jaxson Kadolph (R-S) 3:15

Championship second round

120 — Blake Fox (O) pinned Conner Pickerell (Albia) 1:50

132 — Anders Kittelson (O) won by tech fall over Kaden Kremer (Indee) 21-6, 4:42

145 — Tucker Stangel (O) pinned Brock Mulder (BH/RV) 5:05

152 — Chase Thomas (O) dec. Talan Weber (CC) 3-2

160 — Max Gast (O) pinned Jackson Hird (MV) 3:02

170 — Nick Fox (O) pinned Jayden Dickerson (Shenandoah) 2:23

195 — Carter Smuck (Winterset) pinned Cole Jeffries (O) 2:16

220 — Barrett Muller (O) dec. Drew Jackson (Cresco) 7-0

285 — Mac Muller (O) pinned Max Chapman (Creston) 5:48