Warriors' Doren captures state title

SIOUX FALLS- A year ago, Tre`zen Doren saw a state title chance slip away in the final seconds of his Class B 285-pound championship match.

In the same situation again Saturday, Doren never let the outcome become a question.

The Winner Area senior controlled the match for six minutes and clinched a 5-2 victory for the state championship over Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes' Austin Moore at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

"I have been preparing for this for the last year." Doren said. "I told myself that I was going to buckle down and do what I had to do to be on top of the podium and dedicating every day. I wanted to be the state champion and hard work pays off."

Doren used an escape and takedown in the second period to build a 3-0 lead and after Moore used a pair of escapes to trim the lead to 3-2, Doren used another takedown in the final seconds to secure the championship.

With the win, Doren improved his season record to 34-3, while Moore's campaign finished at 32-7. Doren won all four matches he had this season against the fellow Region 3B foe.

"Austin's a great wrestler. He's a strong kid, really strong," Doren said. "We wanted to just stay as aggressive as possible and use my quickness and my God-given abilities to go do what I do."

Winner Area coach Spencer Novotny called the match Doren's best of the season.

"Considering the circumstances and the way he wrestled, I thought it was his best match of the year," Winner Area coach Spencer Novotny said. "He was on the attack and that's what we wanted to do from the start."

Doren wrestled for Andes Central until last season prior transferring to Winner. For the Eagles, he was on a team that never had more than a few wrestlers and never had anyone that could matchup with him at 285 pounds. Doren said he appreciated the chance to wrestle for the Warriors, part of a team that finished in fourth place.

"It's great to have a team, and certainly a great group of guys like what we have in Winner," he said. "It's been a team effort and they helped me get to where I am tonight."