Two teams for the price of one: Ellsworth, Spring Valley/Elmwood make team state tourney

• Pierce County

Pierce County

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Only one other county in Wisconsin will have two prep teams at the WIAA State Team Wrestling Tournament March 2-3 in Madison. But none other than Pierce County will have three schools and their respective communities represented when they take the mats at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse.

Both the Ellsworth and Spring Valley/Elmwood co-op squad will represent the county at the state team tournament. They both won their respective sectionals in their respective divisions Tuesday.

The Panthers, ranked No. 3 in Division 2, won their seventh consecutive sectional championship, downing Middle Border Conference rival Amery 58-6 in the semifinals followed a close, tough 36-27 victory over Neillsville/Loyal/Greenwood in the finals.

The Redbirds will make their first ever appearance at state. Ranked No. 2 in Division 3, they routed Ladysmith in the semifinals 52-18 and then topped No. 8 ranked Clear Lake in the finals 41-30.

Both teams will in the state semifinals at the same time, 1 p.m. Saturday March 3 as Pierce County fans from all three school districts will fill the bleachers at the venerable UW Fieldhouse. Ellsworth will wrestle against No. 10 Delavan-Darien in one semifinal while on another mat across the way but close by, SVE will take on Random Lake in their semifinal.

If both or at least one team wins the finals will be at 6 p.m. that day.

The only other county which has two schools at team will be Walworth, home to Delavan-Darien and Lake Geneva Badger, who will be competing in the Division 1 tournament on March 2. Both schools are making their first-ever appearances at state as well.

Tags: spring valley, sports, prep, wrestling, ellsworth, elmwood