After two full days of competition at the state wrestling tournament, the only thing keeping Isaac Grieder from going undefeated on the season was Marc Backus of Canyon Randall High School.
To set the stage for the gold medal match, a quick look at Grieder's semi-final match against Sawyer Morris of Austin Westlake is needed.
Many believed the battle between Grieder and Morris would ultimately decide the championship.
Morris and Grieder were the hands-on favorites to win the gold but, like a lot of tournaments, the brackets dictated the Grieder vs. Morris match would happen in the semi-finals rather than the gold medal round.
The talk amongst some wrestling insiders was that Grieder couldn't handle Morris who, like Grieder, was undefeated on the season with a 29-0 record and will be heading to Indiana on a wrestling scholarship in the fall.
As noted in our update from the tournament, the match against Morris turned out to be an extremely emotional one for Grieder.
Grieder drew first blood on a take down and went up 2-0 halfway through the first period. The score was 4-2 at the start of the 2nd, but that's when things got a bit scary for Grieder.
After taking what appeared to take a blow to the back of the head, Grieder was not himself for the remainder of the match. An injury timeout was called and Head Coach (and Isaac's dad) Pete Grieder quickly assessed the situation.
"Had it been a boxing match, it probably would have been over after a couple more shots," said Coach Grieder. "The injury timeout was good for Isaac, but Morris saw an opening and got really aggressive after the action started again."
In the end, Grieder was able to return to form and won the match. No one can claim the match was a fluke either. Grieder won by scoring on five take downs, which is impressive against a top flight wrestler like Morris.
After the emotional win, the normally stoic wrestler became quite emotional and collapsed in his dad's arms.
Following a long break, the stage was set for the championship round matches. Three of the six mats were removed from the floor and the bleachers expanded to allow the crowd to move closer to the action.
Isaac Grieder wins Gold at State!
Mar 01, 2010, 10:30 am by Steve Clary
Senior Wildcat Isaac Grieder went undefeated at 59-0 on the season and is the 2010 state gold medal winner in the 160 lb. weight class.
