Doebel and Leisure are State Champs!

For the first time in Clear Lake High School history, two Clear Lake wrestlers have won State titles in the same year.  Brennen Doebel and Ryan Leisure pulled off the feat Saturday night at Wells Fargo arena.  Doebel did it in exciting fashion, with a thrilling 3-1 overtime win over 53-2 Derek Holschlag, of Union, LaPorte City.  Leisure dominated at 126-pounds, beating Tristin Clark of PCM, Monroe 6-1. 

Clear Lake’s Ryan Schmalen placed third at 120-pounds and Ryan Faught won one match and lost two, just missing out on a top eight finish at 145.

“It was a great week! Our crowd support was phenomenal and our kids wrestled outstanding. To see kids reach their goals is very rewarding,” said Clear Lake Head Coach Gary Weber.  

Finishing strong

Brennen Doebel executed his game plan to perfection with his takedown in overtime, said Coach Weber.  “He was very close to being taken down  in the match, but he never quit and battled and scrambled all six-minutes to force overtime and gain the win.”

Doebel’s winning takedown against Derek Holschlag, of Union, was developed and taught to him by his uncle and CLHS Assistant Coach Mike Lester.  

“The move that Brennen used to win the finals was a variation of what I had taught him,” said Lester, a state champion at CLHS who went on to wrestle in college. “He set it up just the way I showed, but finished with a double.  Usually we end up in a single leg finish, but Brennen realized during the shot he had to adjust and finish differently.  It is a testament to his wrestling capabilities and his ability to think on the fly during a match.  It is a move we have worked on for a while.  He had only used it in one other match that I can remember.”

Doebel said his advice to his nephew was, “Be yourself, wrestle your style, and enjoy every minute” in Des Moines.  He was filled with pride to place the gold medal around Brennen’s neck.  The coach said he has had a close relationship with Brennen. “Throughout my journey with wrestling I would have Brennen and my other two nephews, Braxton (Brennen’s brother) and Zach Lester, spend a week during the summers with myself and (wife) Angie.  This was almost an every summer occurrence.  During this time we had so much fun and built a strong bond.  When I moved to Montana for college wrestling he would call on a regular basis; I would be on the listening side.  He was so much fun to listen to!  I was able to move back to Clear Lake after teaching and coaching in Emmetsburg.  I was excited to coach all my nephews.  Watching Brennen grow and develop into young man and wrestler and go on to win a state title was amazing.”

Brennen also received the support and advice from other family members with considerable experience on the mat.  Brennen’s father, Robert, was also a state qualifier while at CLHS and went on to wrestle at Waldorf College, where he qualified for Nationals.  His uncle David Doebel was a State champion for CLHS and went on to place fourth in the nation representing Buena Vista University.  Uncle Matt Doebel placed third at State and also wrestled for BV before being sidelined by a career-ending injury.  

Doebel reached the finals with an opening round win over Nick Meling, of East Marshall/GMG, 6-5; a second round win over Duncan McCain, of Mid-Prairie, Wellman, 6-0; and semifinal victory against Ryan Steffen, of Crestwood.  

On a mission

Top rated Ryan Leisure (43-1) dominated in all four of his matches, winning 13-2 in the first round against Louis Gnida, of Solon; 10-6 over Nick Rounds of Missouri Valley; and 6-0 over Shea Swafford of Mediapolis to reach the championship match.

In the finals the sophomore, who finished as runner-up last year at 113-pounds, suffered a knee injury when he was leading Tristan Clark, of PCM, Monroe, 4-0.  

“With 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining in the second period and wrestling with a 4-0 lead, Leisure let out a scream and crumpled to the mat. His knee, he thought, was torn. It still could be.”

“I heard a (crack noise),” he said after the win.  “I stuck the leg back in and it felt like someone stabbed me.”

“He put it out of his head and battled through it to gain the title,” stated Weber. 

Although he was able to put pain out of his head, he is sure the memory of having his hand raised on the championship mat is something he will never forget.

His most memorable moment from the tournament was “the chills I got when I realized I had finally accomplished a goal I had been wanting to achieve since I was a little kid!”

Against all odds

Ryan Schmalen saw his dream of a wrestling title fall just short with an overtime semifinal loss. 

“I really feel Ryan won that match (against Brayden Curry, of Sergeant Bluff-Luton), but some controversial officiating eliminated him from title contention,” said Weber. 

The senior bounced back with two huge wins on Saturday to earn third place.  He topped Keaton Geerts, of New Hampton, 3-2, then defeated Brandon Mayer, of Crestwood, 2-1.

“Ryan has been a blast to coach. Everything happens for a reason and he will be a very successful young man,” said Coach Weber.

The fact that Schmalen was a four-year State wrestling qualifier is quite an achievement in itself.  Last year, after breaking his elbow days before the first meet of the season, he underwent surgery and then rehabilitated his arm and was able to compete in the final regular meets to quickly get in shape for the post-season. He came away with a fifth place finish at State and dedicated himself to even better in 2015.