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By Roger Mischke
October 8, 2002 - The Mat Rats Report will have a few additions and changes this season; It should be a very exciting season for everyone involved during the upcoming season. There will be a few new teams in the Mat Rat Report this season. St. Michael-Albertville Knights will be an addition as they will be leaving the Wright County Conference and entering the Rum River Conference with foes being Milaca and Foley. Also being included will be some of the 212 conference schools; MACCRAY Wolverines(Clara City, Maynard and Raymond), Renville County West Jaquars (Danube, Renville and Sacred Heart (RCW) and Medicine East Sting (Granite Falls, Clarkfield and Echo) (YME).
The Dragons of Litchfield will switch from the West Central North to join the Wright County Conference and will still be included as an at-large team. The Storm of Sauk Rapids will be leaving the Rum River Conference to join the Central Lakes Conference. The Hornets of Big Lake will be leaving the Central Minnesota Conference to join the Rum River Conference.
I will not be including the following schools in my report; CACG Roadwarriors and Ogilvie Lions. These coaches have decided not be included for this season.
There will be a few coaching changes in the CMR area; this includes Spencer Yohe replacing Brad Gibson at Morris Area. Yohe is known by nearly everyone in the wrestling circles. Brad Gibson will now be working with the U of M Morris wrestling program. Assisting Spencer will be Mike Polzer a former Watertown wrestler and he is attending the UMM, Mike Sloenker will work as a varsity assistant and junior high coach and Mick Rose returns after a three year absent. At ACGC Tim Roberg, former Paynesville wrestler a former assistant coach and Paynesville wrestler, will take over the Head job for the Falcons. Former Head coach Mike Bolton plans to pursue his teaching degree. Nate Whiting will take over the Rockford Rockets program. The Dragons of Pine City have a new Head coach Ken Herzog their former assistant coach. New assistant coach for Pine City will be Dennis LaFollette from Fort Dodge, IA and Dakota State. He previously coached at Elmore and Medford. At Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Dwight Ballou formerly a Little Falls Flyer wrestler and assistant at Litchfield will be a new addition to the Thunders program. At Litchfield Bryce Schauer and Matt Forster will be new additions to the Dragon coaching staff. At ANML Bruce Bartels will have a new assistant Bryan Kelm form Mitchell, SD and UMM wrestler. Jason Bartels return to college at Ridgewater to pursue his law enforcement degree. Lance Wurm will be assisting at Howard Lake Waverly.
It appears as thou the Central MN Report may not appear in The Guillotine paper but it will be a news story included on The Guillotine Web page this season. The Mat Rat will be the state ranker for Class A this season; this will feature a summary from each of the eight sections as well as the team and individual rankings. Therefore I will not be as persistent with the AA and AAA schools for information. But I will at look that information so I can forward it to the results page and include it in my report. My email remains at matrat@astound.net and my fax 1-320-363-4192.
Thanks you again coaches for your cooperation in sending this information for this news article. The mat rat Roger