North Tama’s Xander Bradley (left) locks up with Aiden McFadden of Baxter (right) during the semifinal round of the 1A district tournament on Feb. 13. Darvin Graham/North Tama Telegraph

BROOKLYN–Saturday marked the end of the road for the Redhawks 2020-21 wrestling season.

Senior heavyweight Xander Bradley and freshman 106-pounder Case Monat both finished third at the state-qualifying district meet in Brooklyn on Feb. 13, one place shy of a state tournament birth.

Both North Tama wrestlers entered the tournament as two-seeds behind sectional champs from Don Bosco Catholic.

Monat’s first bout was against sophomore Brayden Peterson of Belle Plaine, the 106 champion from last week’s sectional 4 meet.

Peterson landed a deep headlock early in the first period that scored a takedown and put him in position to get a pin.

Monat fought from underneath but never got the opportunity to get back to his feet and took the loss by fall in just over one minute.

In the consolation side of the 106 bracket, Monat faced sophomore Jack Marshall of Iowa Valley.

Marshall scored the first points of the match with a takedown in the first period. But Monat countered, scoring two reversal points and one point for a penalty called on Marshall to end the first period ahead 3-2.

Monat went on to score another reversal after starting on bottom in the second period and a takedown midway through the third period.

A 7-3 decision victory over Marshall and a championship round loss by Belle Plaine’s Peterson meant there would be no wrestleback opportunity for Monat. He ends his freshman campaign with a 26-6 record.

In the 285-pound bracket, Bradley started out against sectional champ Aiden McFadden of Baxter.

Bradley looked in control through the first two periods, scoring a takedown in the first and holding McFadden scoreless in the second despite a frantic pace set by McFadden early out of the gate.

The freshman from Baxter managed a rally in the third, scoring four unanswered points to go along with one escape point from the first period to take a 5-2 lead. McFadden was able to put Bradley on his back late in the third and won the match with a pin.

Bradley defeated Kennen Roadcap of Montezuma in the consolation side of the bracket but a loss by McFadden in the championship round to Don Bosco’s Mack Ortner meant that Bradley would not have a shot at a wrestleback for second place. Bradley ends his senior season with a 24-7 record.

Don Bosco cleaned up at the district meet in Brooklyn, qualifying each of their 12 wrestlers for the state tournament with all but one ending as district champions.

After a competitive season, the Redhawks will graduate three starting wrestlers including Bradley (285), Noah Weber (170) and Ashton Bradley (160) and look to bring back a majority of their roster for next year.