BLUE EARTH — Half of Blue Earth Area’s 14 individual wrestlers gained the Section 2A championship round, while the other half remains alive in the postseason wrestlebacks.

Ty Peterson (113), No. 7-ranked 120-pounder Davis Sunken, Caleb Beeler (132), No. 7-ranked 138-pounder Jaxen Klinkner, Koby Nagel (145), No. 3-ranked 160-pounder Max Ehrich and Luke Mertens (195) will step to center circle in Blue Earth at 4:30 p.m. today to see how many grapplers can double their Class A state bids.

Blue Earth Area opens the Class A team state quarterfinals against Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/ Southland at 9 a.m. next Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The entire team competition will be decided on Day 1 before the Class A individual state preliminaries hit the canvas at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28, back at the Xcel Energy Center. The three-day state event will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 29.

“It’s like I’ve said all season long — we’ve got a lot of depth in this program,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Randy Wirtjes. “Our guys just went out there and worked hard for their entire time on the mat, and we’ve got seven in the finals for their efforts.”

Peterson established the Bucs’ early winning ways by generating a fall in 1:05 over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Area’s John Northquest in Thursday’s Section 2 quarterfinals before disposing of Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Trent Foss in the semifinals in 3:50.

Peterson will face No. 10-ranked 113-pounder Bryce Sonnek of United South Central in tonight’s gold-medal match.

Sunken needed only 1:45 to press K-W opponent Kiefer Olson’s shoulders to the canvas in sectional quarterfinal action before assembling a textbook 13-0 major decision over New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva’s Nikolas Petsinger in the semifinals.

Sunken will square off against No. 5-ranked Boden Simon of Maple River tonight in the 120-pound sectional finals.

Caleb Beeler required a mere 27 seconds to dispatch Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton’s Jeramia Hale in the 132-pound quarterfinals before delivering a good-to-the-last-reversal ultimate tiebreaking victory over LCWM Area’s Tucker Wills. Caleb Beeler and Wills were deadlocked at 4-all after three periods before neither wrestler scored in the first OT. Wills escaped from the down position during the initial 30-second second extra session before Beeler produced a match-winning reversal in the final 30-second OT for the 6-5 decision.

Caleb Beeler faces No. 2-ranked Charley Elwood of Medford in tonight’s 132-pound gold-medal clash.

Klinkner kicked off the quarterfinals with a fall in 2:44 over USC’s Konner Harpestad before rallying for three late points to seal a 7-4 semifinal victory over Medford’s Garron Hoffman.

Klinkner will battle K-W’s Alec Johnson in tonight’s 138-pound championship bout.

Nagel opened Thursday’s individual meet by posting an 11-2 major decision over Le Sueur-Henderson’s Jordan Grinde in the quarterfinals. Nagel then required only 3:48 to pin NRHEG opponent Agro Gushwa in the semifinals.

Nagel aims at a state bid when he takes on No. 10-ranked 145-pounder Tate Hermes of Medford tonight in Blue Earth.

Ehrich then utilized a takedown-and-turn-loose strategy to assemble a 19-3 technical fall over NRHEG’s George Roesler in the sectional quarterfinals. Ehrich then displayed his technical skills again, disposing of WEM/JWP’s Ethan Rider via a 14-4 major decision.

Ehrich takes on Medford’s Josiah Hedensten in tonight’s 160-pound championship matchup.

Mertens delivered the Bucs’ seventh and final sectional finals bid. The 195-pound junior needed only a blink of the eye to stick Maple River’s Dizel Butler in 25 seconds during quarterfinal action.

Mertens, who upended USC’s Jacob Billings by a 5-1 semifinal decision on Thursday night, will lock up with No. 3-ranked Colton Krell of Westfield in the 195-pound state-qualifying showdown tonight in Blue Earth.

Jacob Beeler (126), Nick Frank (182) and heavyweight Ian Cornelio all reached Thursday’s semifinals. Jacob Beeler posted a 13-4 major decision over Medford’s Derek Bartosh, Frank planted K-W opponent Logan Meyers in 1:40, while Cornelio muscled out a last-second 3-1 win over NRHEG’s Ben Hagen.

Unfortunately all three Bucs lost in their respective semifinals to drop into tonight’s wrestlebacks. LCWM Area’s Trayton Hewitt pinned Jacob Beeler in 12 seconds, LCWM Area’s Avery Northquest earned a fall in 2:32 over Frank, while No. 5-ranked heavyweight Dylan Nirk of Westfield flattened Cornelio in 1:58.

Jacob Beeler, however, opens tonight’s wrestlebacks against USC’s Ethan Elvebak, Frank takes on NRHEG’s Conner Okland, while Cornelio locks up with Medford’s Gavin Hermes.

Caleb Langager (106), Kean Hicks (170) and Nick Lawrence (220) each won in the consolation bracket, while BEA teammate Adam Schavey (152) received a bye to earn spots in today’s wrestlebacks.

Langager posted a 4-2 win over NRHEG’s Annabelle Petsinger, Hicks doubled up K-W’s Daniel Van Epps, 6-3, while Lawrence recorded a fall in 4:00 over Maple River’s Thayne Decker on Thursday.

Langager faces Medford’s Tommy Elwood, Schavey takes on NRHEG’s Thor Routh, Hicks battles LCWM Area’s Brenden Jones, while Lawrence locks up with USC’s Masyn Elvebak.