Kittelsons bond over similar careers

By Kristi Nixon

DES MOINES — Osage assistant wrestling coach Ryan Kittelson sees many similarities with his high school wrestling career and his son, Anders’.

Both lost in the final their junior years and now that the younger Kittelson won by 6-2 decision over PCM’s Tucker Wheeler, he is aiming to match his father’s state title he won his senior year.

“We’ve had similar careers, kind of,” Ryan said. “It’s a brutal sport and you’re not entitled anything, not given anything, so you have to go out and earn it. He’s got the right mindset and the right teammates and support staff he’s had. Our room is unreal with the partners that he has with Darren, Blake, Tuck. It’s just an amazing environment for him to be successful.”

His son, too, can make the comparison.

“He and I, especially these last two seasons, have been really similar,” Anders said. “I mean, his freshman and sophomore years he never made it to the state tournament, but his junior year made a big jump, made it to the state finals, fell short. I was the same way. I’m pretty sure both of the guys we lost to (junior year) went on to be three-timers, or maybe McGinness was a two-timer, but now I’m back in the finals, just like he was.

“(I have a) new mindset, ready to compete and I want to make sure I get at least one title to keep up with him – we’re competitive.”

Kittelson was one of four Green Devils to make Saturday night’s final, including Blake Fox at 138, who set the tone for the five who were wrestling in the semifinal.

“We’ve got four more studs coming up right now,” Fox said. “I mean, getting the momentum going is good so my teammates can feed off of it and punch our tickets to the state finals.”

It kept rolling with Tucker Stangel, who will be going for his second straight title and hasn’t lost since Feb. 18, 2022.

“It’s just another match, I’ve got to do what I’ve been doing the last two years,” Stangel said. “Just got to end up with a win to end my high school career. I’ve been waiting for this day since I was a little kid. I’ve visualized it a lot and felt what it was like in my head, but it’s still pretty cool.”

In a rarely seen moment, Stangel was reversed for perhaps the first time this season in the semifinal against Gavin Schuermann of Greene County, however, he eventually got the pin in 3 minutes, 56 seconds.

“He was super-strong,” Stangel said. “I just got a little excited. I shouldn’t have gone for a cradle off the single leg. Coach Kittelson always preaches the leg but I got a little antsy and wanted the pin, but got reversed. Ended up getting the pin, though.”

Stangel has Bo Koedam of Sergeant Bluff-Luton, who he wrestled to finish the consolation champion his sophomore season. He wrestled Ty Koedam, Bo’s brother, in the 2023 final.

Heavyweight Mac Muller had to go to overtime, but pinned Hampton-Dumont’s Carter Heilskov in 7:17 on a reversal after choosing the extra period on bottom. He’ll be going for his first title against Russel Coil of Columbus Community.

Entering Saturday’s action, including Max Gast in the 165-pound consolation rounds, the Green Devils have commanded a 112.5 team score, an 18.5-point lead over Mount Vernon.

It looks like Osage is closing in on back-to-back 2A titles, should the Green Devils finish. That means back-to-back titles for Fox and Stangel while Kittelson and Muller go for their first.

Kittelson wrestles Central DeWitt’s Royce Butt.

“God’s plan is perfect,” Ryan Kittelson said. “His timing is perfect, so he’s always had that trust and faith that his time has come. He’s put in the work, so hopefully, it is his time tomorrow.

“He’s done everything right. He’s sacrificed so much, his whole life for this. He’s still got to go out and earn it.”