"People want to see it": Stillwater's Ryder Rogotzke eyes state wrestling rematch with Waconia's Max McEnelly
STILLWATER, Minn. – It was not a hard decision.
"There was no doubt in my mind," said Ryder Rogotzke. "I gotta go up because that's the only way I'm gonna face him again."
Stillwater High School's Rogotzke is talking about Waconia's Max McEnelly. Rogotzke moved up a weight class mid-season to avenge a loss to McEnelly, one of the country's best.
"We've been nothing but nice to each other. There's no real like beef, we just both like a competition, both like a challenge. It's been a question for a long time," said Rogotzke. "People want to see it. Might as well make it happen."
The Ohio State commit dominated at 182 pounds last year on the way to a state title. Stakes soared once he made public his move to 195.
"Bigger, better, faster, stronger, just all around ready to go," said Rogotzke, who won his first round match by fall. "Everyone wants to see the match. Everyone supports it. I mean, they would support it if I stayed down at [182 pounds], but everyone likes to see a challenge and a good match."
Rogotzke is proficient at the pin, one of the more dramatic moments in sports. He's engineered a scenario where Minnesota wrestling fans could get quite the show on Saturday.
"Sparks flying. Big things…all eyes are gonna be on the match. It'll be a big one," said Rogotzke. "Everyone knows about it, everyone's been knowing about it the second I went up. So, it's been highly anticipated and you can expect a show."