MARSHALL — For the second time in three years and in the wrestling program’s history, the Martin County Red Bulls are headed to the Class AA state team tournament.

The No. 3-ranked Red Bulls beat No. 6-ranked Marshall 41-25 to finish atop the Section 3AA tournament Saturday at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

“We’re just so happy for our kids,” said Red Bull head coach Adam Williamson. “They took it on their shoulders to overcome the obstacles this year and work harder than we ever had before to get us back there (state tournament). They came through today and I’m so happy for them and so proud of them.”

The Red Bulls will hit the mat in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

It was the third consecutive year the Red Bulls and Tigers faced off for the Section 3AA title, with the Red Bulls taking the 2018 bout 49-20, then the Tigers winning 30-29 last year on tie-breaking criteria.

Williamson said the team doesn’t like to talk about how the 2019 season ended, but it still helped fuel the Red Bulls’ drive this year.

“We say we don’t want to talk about it or think about it, but it’s always in the back of our minds,” Williamson said. “We didn’t want to let that happen again, or leave it up to chance like that. The kids have put in an incredible amount of effort, an incredible amount of work. Kids have fought through injuries, have fought their way through a tough, long season and they persevered. I’m just so ecstatic, so excited for our team.”

Martin County reached the championship dual with a 61-12 win over United (Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle/Montevideo) in the semifinal, while Marshall beat Worthington 43-22.

The Tigers went up 9-0 to start the championship dual, then No. 3-ranked 120-pounder Lucas Jagodzinske started a run of eight consecutive Red Bull wins.

Jagodzinske used three takedowns, a reversal, a stalling point and two escapes to build an 11-5 decision over Hsa Khee Lar, then No. 2-ranked 126-pounder Jaxson Rohman needed only 45 seconds to earn a slap of the mat against Aiden Mattison and tie the dual at 9.

The Red Bulls’ No. 7-ranked 132-pounder Blake Jagodzinske built a 7-2 lead before getting No. 10-ranked 126-pounder Hsa Law Eh’s shoulders down in 2:49 at 132 pounds.

No. 2-ranked 138-pounder Connor Simmonds kept the Red Bulls’ run going with a 16-0 technical fall over Tate Condezo in 4:11. Simmonds took Condezo down seven seconds into the first period before forcing two two-point near falls to build a 6-0 lead.

The pair started the second period neutrally, and the second period mirrored the first, with Simmonds taking down Condezo eight seconds in, then earning three two-point near falls to go ahead 14-0. Simmonds then needed only 11 seconds in the third period to take Condezo to the mat and end the match.

Cale Steuber advanced the Red Bulls’ lead to 23-9 with a 5-3 decision over Noah Jenson at 145 pounds.

The pair ended the first period tied at three and neither was able to gain control in the second. Steuber started the third period in the down position, then forced a reversal five seconds in and rode out the remaining 1:55 to take a 5-3 win.

Martin County’s No. 2-ranked 152-pounder Payton Anderson kept the point streak going with a pin of Connor Roth in 3:19, then No. 5-ranked 160-pounder Miles Fitzgerald shoved Tucker Fiene’s shoulders to the mat in 3:40.

The Red Bulls’ No. 7-ranked 170-pounder Nathan Simmonds took the final points of the run, putting Martin County ahead 38-9 and mathmatically eliminating Marshall, with a 10-3 decision over No. 9-ranked 160-pounder Grant Louwagie.

No. 6-ranked 195-pounder Jacob Rahn was the final Red Bull to win, taking a 5-0 decision over Cole Felcyn.

“We kind of dug a little hole at the start, but our leaders dug us back out,” Williamson said. “Our juniors and seniors really led the way today. After the first two matches we lost, we got on a big winning streak and put the dual away. I’m just really happy. … They’re (Marshall) a great team and they have a bunch of great kids and great coaches. Our kids were just better today.”

Brett Regnier put Marshall ahead early with a pin of Cooper Steuber in 4:26 at 106 pounds, then No. 2-ranked 106-pounder Dylan Louwagie took a 7-0 decision over No. 6-ranked 113-pounder Kain Sanders to give the Tigers their 9-0 lead going into the 120-pound bout.

Marshall’s Spencer Wambeke ended the Red Bulls’ point run with an 11-3 major decision over Max Olson at 182, then the Tigers’ No. 9-ranked 220-pounder Jaiden Bahr pinned Shayne Steinbrink in 39 seconds at 220 and Jackson Vierstraete pinned Everardo Hernandez in 2:25 at heavyweight.

The Red Bulls used eight pins, a string of 32 consecutive points and another of 30 points to build their semifinal win over United.

Cooper Steuber started the run of 32 consecutive points with a pin of Daniel Gunlogson in 1:31 at 106, then Sanders took a 9-1 major decision over Zander Clausen at 113.

Lucas Jagodzinske pinned Tyler Schickedanz in 1:30 at 120, then Rohman (126) pinned Landen Knoshal in 1:28 before Blake Jagodzinske (132) took a 9-1 major decision over Dain Mortenson.

Connor Simmonds earned a slap of the mat in 1:22 against Kadin Huntley at 138 before United’s No. 2-ranked 145-pounder Trevon Johnson ended the first point run with a pin of Joseph Forsberg in 44 seconds.

The Red Bulls moved most of their lineup up a weight after Forsberg.

Cale Stebuer took a 6-2 decision over Avery Wittnebel at 152, Anderson pinned Layton Wittnebel in 1:41 at 160 and Fitzgerald earned a slap of the mat against Eli Lowry in 1:44 at 170.

Nathan Simmonds then needed only 57 seconds to pin Parker Bothun, and Max Olson built a 16-1 technical fall against Landon Olson at 195.

Rahn fought to a 3-1 decision against Ross Kwilinski for the final points in the second string, then United’s Trey Teichert pinned Hernandez in 3:29 at heavyweight.

Martin County’s individuals will try to punch their tickets to the individual state tournament during the Section 3AA tournament Saturday in Luverne.

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Section 3AA Semifinal

Martin County 61, United 12

106: Cooper Steuber (MC) pinned Daniel Gunlogson, 1:31.

113: Kain Sanders (MC) major dec. Zander Clausen, 9-1.

120: Lucas Jagodzinske (MC) pinned Tyler Schickedanz, 1:30.

126: Jaxson Rohman (MC) pinned Landen Knoshal, 1:28.

132: Blake Jagodzinske (MC) major dec. Dain Mortenson, 9-1.

138: Connor Simmonds (MC) pinned Kadin Huntley, 1:22.

145: Trevon Johnson (UN) pinned Joseph Forsberg, 0:44.

152: Cale Steuber (MC) dec. Avery Wittnebel, 6-2.

160: Payton Anderson (MC) pinned Layton Wittnebel, 1:41.

170: Miles Fitzgerald (MC) pinned Eli Lowry, 1:44.

182: Nathan Simmonds (MC) pinned Parker Bothun, 0:57.

195: Max Olson (MC) tech. fall Landon Olson, 16-1, 3:46.

220: Jacob Rahn (MC) dec. Ross Kwilinski, 3-1.

285: Trey Teichert (UN) pinned Everardo Hernandez, 3:29.

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Section 3AA Championship

Martin County 41,

Marshall 25

106: Brett Regnier (MAR) pinned Cooper Steuber, 4:26.

113: Dylan Louwagie (MAR) dec. Kain Sanders, 7-0.

120: Lucas Jagodzinske (MC) dec. Hsa Khee Lar, 11-5.

126: Jaxson Rohman (MC) pinned Aiden Mattison, 0:45.

132: Blake Jagodzinske (MC) pinned Hsa Law Eh, 2:49.

138: Connor Simmonds (MC) tech. fall Tate Condezo, 16-0 4:11.

145: Cale Steuber (MC) dec. Noah Jensen, 5-3.

152: Payton Anderson (MC) pinned Connor Roth, 3:19.

160: Miles Fitzgerald (MC) pinned Tucker Fiene, 3:40.

170: Nathan Simmonds (MC) dec. Grant Louwagie, 10-3.

182: Spencer Wambeke (MAR) major dec. Max Olson, 11-3.

195: Jacob Rahn (MC) dec. Cole Felcyn, 5-0.

220: Jaiden Bahr (MAR) pinned Shayne Steinbrink, 0:39.

285: Jackson Vierstraete (MAR) pinned Everardo Hernandez, 2:25.