Aurora's Caden Svoboda, left, wrestles Gering's Ashton Dane during a Class B 106 pound championship match.
All that glittered wasn’t gold Saturday for Gering.
But that big trophy sure was.
The Class B No. 1 Bulldogs did enough with depth — seven of nine qualifiers left with medals — and left the CHI Health Center with their first team title in 24 years Saturday at the state wrestling tournament.
Gering won the team title despite not having an individual winner, edging runner-up Beatrice by four points.
“I think it’s pretty rare to not have a state champ but win as a team,” Bulldog coach Jarred Berger said.
Both finalists — 106-pounder Ashton Dane and Paul Ruff at 126 — lost decisions Saturday to settle for silver.
It was Ruff’s loss — a 1-0 tiebreaker decision to Scottsbluff’s Paul Garcia — that tempered Berger’s emotions.
Ruff, who is deaf, was called for a controversial third caution in the extra session, giving Garcia the eventual winning point. He wrestled the final 45 seconds of the match not realizing he was behind.
“It feels great for the team, but I’m devastated for Paul,” Berger said. “That’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Dane fell 6-0 to unanimous No. 1 Cade Svoboda of Aurora to begin the finals session. That, combined with the loss by Ruff, left the door open for Beatrice to make a move for the team crown.
The Orangemen had winners in Drew Arnold (132) and Trevor Reinke (138), but neither secured bonus points.
When Waverly’s Evan Canoyer beat Torrance Keehn of Beatrice in the 170-pound final, it sealed the title for Gering.
Berger pointed to the points the Bulldogs racked up on the backside Saturday as the difference, particularly seniors Quinton Chavez and Nate Rocheleau.
Both were returning state champions that lost in the morning’s semifinal round. Chavez finished third at 120 and Rocheleau got fifth at 138.
“I think it speaks to the team,” Berger said. “We had two state champs that got beat and they were devastated, but they came back. I think that speaks to the character.”
After a third-place team finish a year ago, Berger said his group bought into the team-first mentality.
“From where we were three years ago — with only a few qualifiers and nowhere near the Top 10 — to coming back and having a great group of kids and winning it, it feels awesome,” he said.
2021 Nebraska State Wrestling: Day Four
Scottsbluff's Paul Garcia, left, celebrates his overtime win of Gering's Paul Ruff, right, during the Class B 126 pound championship match.
David City Aquinas's Jakob Kavan, left, Central City's Cole Kunz wrestle during the Class C 113 pound championship match. The two teams entered the finals tied for first.
The wrestlers enter during the parade of champions before the Nebraska State Wrestling championship matches.
A kid prepares to throw a beachball in the crowd before the Nebraska State Wrestling championship matches.
Central City's Drew Garfield, left, wrestles Oakland-Craig's Trenton Arlt during a Class C 106pound championship match.
Central City's Drew Garfield, top, wrestles Oakland-Craig's Trenton Arlt during a Class C 106pound championship match.
Aurora's Caden Svoboda, , left, wrestles Gering's Ashton Dane during a Class B 106 pound championship match.
Aurora's Caden Svoboda, , front, wrestles Gering's Ashton Dane during a Class B 106 pound championship match.
Central City's Cole Kunz celebrates his win over David City Aquinas's Jakob Kavan in the Class C 113 pound championship match. The two teams entered the finals tied for first.
Central City's Cole Kunz, left, escapes from David City Aquinas's Jakob Kavan during the Class C 113 pound championship match.
Bennington's Kael Lauridsen, top, wrestles Ogallala's Pedro Carizales in the Class B 113 pound championship match.
Valentine's Chris Williams, bottom, wrestles Milford's Konner Schluckebier during the Class C 126 pound championship match.
Gering's Paul Ruff, top, wrestles, Scottsbluff's Paul Garcia during the Class B 126 pound championship match.
Scottsbluff's Paul Garcia, left, tries to take down Gering's Paul Ruff during the Class B 126 pound championship match.
O`Neill's Ty Rainforth, back, gets ready to pin Amherst's Quentyn Frank during the Class C 132 pound championship match.
O`Neill's Ty Rainforth, back, celebrates his pin of Amherst's Quentyn Frank during the Class C 132 pound championship match.
Beatrice's Drew Arnold, left, wrestles Wahoo's Malachi Bordovsky during the Class B 132 pound championship match.
Wahoo's Malachi Bordovsky, lunges at Beatrice's Drew Arnold during the Class B 132 pound championship match.
David City Aquinas's Hunter Vandenberg, tries to get out of the grasp of Central City's Dyson Kunz during the Class C 138 pound championship match.
Central City's Dyson Kunz, left, wrestles David City Aquinas's Hunter Vandenberg during the Class C 138 pound championship match.
David City Aquinas's Hunter Vandenberg, right, escapes from Central City's Dyson Kunz during the Class C 138 pound championship match.
Omaha Skutt's Adam Kruse. left, wrestles Beatrice's Trevor Reinke during a Class B 138 pound championship match.
O`Neill's Brady Thompson, back, wrestles David City Aquinas's Christopher Nickolite during a Class C 145 pound championship match.
David City Aquinas's Christopher Nickolite celebrates his win over O`Neill's Brady Thompson, back, for the Class C 145 pound championship match.
Hastings's Landon Weidner, top, wrestles Aurora's Trevor Kluck during the Class B 145 pound championship match.
Aurora's Trevor Kluck, celebrates his win over Hastings's Landon Weidner for the Class B 145 pound championship match.
Cross County/Osceola's Cameron Graham tries to pin Central City's Tanner Schneiderheinz during a Class C 152 pound championship match.
Cross County/Osceola's Cameron Graham tries to pin Central City's Tanner Schneiderheinz during a Class C 152 pound championship match.
Cross County/Osceola's Cameron Graham celebrates his victory over Central City's Tanner Schneiderheinz for the Class C 152 pound championship match.
Ogallala's Cameron Zink, facing, tries to take down Ralston's Noah Talmadge during a Class B 152 pound championship match.
Ogallala's Cameron Zink, right, celebrates his win over Ralston's Noah Talmadge during a Class B 152 pound championship match.
Sutton's Joseph Hinrichs, left, tries to free his leg from Ord's Garret Kluthe during a Class C 160 pound championship match.
York's Kobe Lyons, left, tries to escape the grasp of Plattsmouth's Josh Colgrove during a Class B 160 pound championship match.
Arlington's Josh Miller, top wrestles David City's Tre Daro during a Class C 170 pound championship match.
Arlington's Josh Miller, right wrestles David City's Tre Daro during a Class C 170 pound championship match.
Waverly's Evan Canoyer, left, wrestles Beatrice's Torrance Keehn during a Class B 170 pound championship match.
Arlington's Josh Miller, top wrestles David City's Tre Daro during a Class C 170 pound championship match.
Arlington's Josh Miller does a backflip after defeating David City's Tre Daro during a Class C 170 pound championship match.
David City's Dylan Vodicka, back, wrestles Ord's Kelen Meyer during a Class C 182 pound championship match.
Aurora's Mack Owens, right, tries to escape Bennington's Luke MacDonald during a Class B 182 pound championship match.
Aurora's Mack Owens, right, tries to escape Bennington's Luke MacDonald during a Class B 182 pound championship match.
Aurora's Mack Owens, right, tries to escape Bennington's Luke MacDonald during a Class B 182 pound championship match.
Aurora's Mack Owens, right, tries to take down Bennington's Luke MacDonald during a Class B 182 pound championship match.
Central City's Cole Kunz jumps into Darin Garfield after winning the Class C 113 pound championship match.
Broken Bow's Lathan Duda, right, earns the first points of the match by escaping from Blair's Dexter Larsen during a Class B 195 pound championship match.
Broken Bow's Lathan Duda, wrestles Blair's Dexter Larsen during a Class B 195 pound championship match.
Cross County/Osceola'S Kyle Sterup celebrates his win over Syracuse's Burton Brandt during a Class C 195 pound championship match.
Broken Bow's Lathan Duda, celebrates is win over Blair's Dexter Larsen during a Class B 195 pound championship match.
Broken Bow's Lathan Duda, celebrates is win over Blair's Dexter Larsen during a Class B 195 pound championship match.
Cross County/Osceola'S Kyle Sterup pins Syracuse's Burton Brandt during a Class C 195 pound championship match.
David City's Carl Mundt, left, wrestles Nebraska Christian's Carl Mundt, during a Class C 220 pound championship match.
Nebraska Christian's Carl Mundt celebrates is pin of David City's Carl Mundt during a Class C 220 pound championship match.
McCook's Alec Langan, right wrestles Norris's Dylan Meyer during a Class B 220 pound championship match.
McCook fans cheer a win by Alec Langan over Norris's Dylan Meyer during a Class B 220 pound championship match.
McCook Head Coach Nick Umscheid, center, watches McCook's Alec Langan, left wrestles Norris's Dylan Meyer during a Class B 220 pound championship match.
Centennial's Carson Fehlhafer pins Norfolk Catholic's Isaac Wilcox during a Class C 285 pound championship match.
Centennial's Carson Fehlhafer celebrates his pin of Norfolk Catholic's Isaac Wilcox during a Class C 285 pound championship match.
Waverly's Trevor Brown, left, wrestles Ralston's David Hernandez during a Class B 285 pound championship match.
Waverly's Trevor Brown, top, takes down Ralston's David Hernandez during a Class B 285 pound championship match.
Nick Rubek
Nick covers high school soccer, wrestling and other sports for The World-Herald.
