ST. CLAIR — Adam Schavey delivered a fall at 220 pounds to draw Blue Earth Area within six points during Saturday’s Section 2A Team Meet wrestling semifinal, but Thayne Decker countered for Maple River/United South Central at heavyweight.

Decker, who’s ranked No. 3 at 220 pounds, moved to heavyweight and delivered a hard-fought 4-2 decision to cap Maple River/USC’s 37-28 victory over Blue Earth Area.

Maple River/USC then defeated Medford, 42-22, to capture the Section 2 team championship and qualify for the Class A team state meet. Maple River/USC opens state quarterfinal action at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 3, against an opponent to be determined at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

With the Bucs trailing on the team ledger 34-22, Schavey sliced the deficit in half by pinning Collin Van Cleave in 1:02 during 220-pound action. Decker, however, countered for Maple River/USC by outlasting Kale Frank in a low-scoring battle at heavyweight, 4-2.

Down 6-0 early in the semifinal, Cooper Peterson triggered Blue Earth Area’s 13-point scoring surge from the 113-pound spot in the lineup. Peterson posted an 11-5 decision over Kolt Bullerman before Buc teammate Carson Sturtz recorded a fall over Brayden Mithun in 3:12 during 120-pound action.

Caleb Langager then generated four team points for Blue Earth Area by rolling to a 15-1 major decision over Braxton Simon at the 126-pound spot in the lineup.

Maple River/USC, however, answered by reeling off four consecutive wins, including falls by 132-pounder Ethan Elvebak and No. 2-ranked 132-pounder Boden Simon — who moved to the 138-pound spot in the lineup.

Parker Meyers and Kean Hicks combined for back-to-back wins for the Bucs to halt Maple River/USC’s string of wins. Meyers edged Konner Harpestad by a 4-2 decision at 160, while Hicks needed just 1:41 to pin Noah Ziegler during 170-pound action.

Blue Earth Area competes in the Section 2A Individual Meet starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Blue Earth Area High School.

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Section 2A Team Meet Semifinal

Maple River/USC 37, Blue Earth Area 28

106: Wyatt Walters (Maple River/USC) pinned Timmy Nagel, 1:58.

113: Cooper Peterson (Blue Earth Area) dec. Kolt Bullerman, 11-5.

120: Carson Sturtz (Blue Earth Area) pinned Brayden Mithun, 3:12.

126: Caleb Langager (Blue Earth Area) major dec. Braxton Simon, 15-1.

132: Ethan Elvebak (Maple River/USC) pinned Kyren Sunken, 3:56.

138: Boden Simon (Maple River/USC) pinned Ben Anderson, 0:32.

145: Byron Getchell (Maple River/USC) major dec. Blair Lunz, 14-2.

152: Ethan Evenson (Maple River/USC) dec. Kade Gaydon, 8-2.

160: Parker Meyers (Blue Earth Area) dec. Konner Harpestad, 4-2.

170: Kean Hicks (Blue Earth Area) pinned Noah Ziegler, 1:41.

182: Cooper Ochsendorf (Maple River/USC) dec. Cory Kitchel, 6-3.

195: Laken Ivie (Maple River/USC) pinned Elijah Sanchez, 3:38.

220: Adam Schavey (Blue Earth Area) pinned Collin Van Cleave, 1:02.

285: Thayne Decker (Maple River/USC) dec. Kale Frank, 4-2.