NSC selects its best wrestlers

The unusual wrestling season had an equally unique postseason.

While all-conference teams are usually not officially announced since the conference tournaments automatically determine in what places wrestlers finish, but those, along with nearly every weekend tournament throughout the season, weren’t held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result, at the final coaches meeting of the season, the North Shore Conference instead held an all-league vote similar to those held for other sports, such as football, baseball, basketball, volleyball and soccer.

Port Washington’s regional meet included most of the NSC schools aside from Grafton, which Port faced in a dual meet earlier in the season.

“Pretty much everyone wrestled each other,” Port coach Angelo LaRosa said of the NSC competitors.

Selecting the all-conference team, he said, “was kind of like seeding a tournament. It was pretty clear cut.”

Port Washington earned three selections, led by first-teamer Kaiden Schumacher. Lucas Schumacher (no relation) and Brady Krueger were named to the second team.

Grafton’s Cameron Jacobs was selected to the second team.

Kaiden Schumacher finished the season 15-2 and in third place at the Hartford Sectional, one place from a trip to state.

He had advanced to the finals, where he lost to eventual state champion Alec Hunter of Oshkosh West. In the second-place match, he lost a 9-2 decision to Bryan Winans of Kaukauna.

“He had a really good season,” LaRosa said. “He’s a leader. He works extremely hard. He’s just really dialed in. It just stinks he didn’t get 50 matches because he would have won 40.”

Senior Lucas Schumacher (13-5), who earned a sixth-place medal at the Division 2 state meet last season, finished fourth in the sectional, losing the third-place match, 6-3, to Brayden Rosenow of Menomonee Falls.

“He’s one of the best riders I’ve ever coached,” LaRosa said. “He’s a leader in our program and has been a captain the past couple of years. He will be tough to replace. He’s really an awesome kid.”

Krueger (12-6), a freshman, took fifth at the sectional, beating Luke Lewandowski of Nicolet, 3-1. Lewandowski is a former state qualifier who beat Krueger earlier in the season.

“Krueger really came on as the season went along. I knew he was going to be good and tough, but he exceeded expectations,” LaRosa said.

“He just got better every day. He works extremely hard in practice. I think he should be at the podium at state multiple times. He’s really got a high ceiling.”

Jacobs (10-5) took second at the Division 2 Kiel Sectional and advanced to the Division 2 state tournament, where he lost a 9-4 decision to Payton Kostka (18-2) of Regis/Altoona, then lost a 6-4 sudden victory to

Ben Bredael (15-5) of Freedom.

Kostka took third in the tournament after finishing second last year. Bredael took fourth in his second trip to state.

“Cameron’s deserving of it,” coach Mike Dodge said of the second-team recognition.

“He has been a great kid for four years and worked hard to get where he got.”

Jacobs, a senior, plans to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater next year.