The Prior Lake wrestling team easily cleared the Shakopee hurdle again in Section 2AAA.

Now, the No. 3-ranked Lakers want a shot at the state’s elite – Apple Valley, the eight-team defending Class 3A champions.

Top-seeded Prior Lake pinned second-seeded Shakopee 44-19 in the Section 2AAA title match Feb. 15 at Lakeville North for a fourth straight year. The Lakers won the last six weights 33-0, including finishing with five straight pins.

Like last year, a 59-3 win for the Lakers, the section title match was a mini speed bump, a tune-up for state.

The road block is Apple Valley.

The top-ranked Eagles will be the No. 1 seed at state, while the Lakers (24-8) will be either the No. 2 or 3 seed with second-ranked St. Michael-Albertville. Sixth-ranked Hastings will be seeded fourth.

Other teams in the field: No. 8 Willmar, Maple Grove, Tartan and Moorhead.

The state team tourney is Feb. 27 at the Xcel Energy Center. Action starts at 9 a.m. The title match is at 7 p.m.

Apple Valley has beaten the Lakers twice this winter – 57-9 during the South Suburban Conference season and 67-6 in the finals of the Anoka Duals.

The Eagles have also beaten the Lakers in the state semifinals the last three years. Prior Lake has ended up third at state each time.

But finishing third again is unacceptable for the Lakers.

“State finals, state champions – that’s the goal,” said senior Blake Carlisle.

“I think we can be state champions,” said senior Sean O’Neil. “It’s going to take really hard work and some good matchups. For us now, it’s about getting to the state finals and giving Apple Valley a run for it.”

In the win over Shakopee, the Lakers trailed 19-11 after 152 pounds. But there were no worries.

Five of the Lakers’ eight-ranked wrestlers are in the last six weights – O’Neil (No. 3, 160), senior Robby Schultz (No. 3, 170), junior Rylee Striefel (No. 2, 195), junior Alex Hart (No. 2, 220) and senior Luis Pinto (No. 3, heavyweight).

O’Neil earned a 7-2 win over Owen Webster, ranked No. 4 at 152 pounds. He moved up to face O’Neil.

“I expected to face him,” said O’Neil. “I just attacked. I wasn’t too worried.”

Schultz followed with a fall at 170, as did ninth-grader Lucas Pumper at 182. He was down 2-0 early, but came back strong after an injury timeout to his ankle to get the pin.

Streifel, Hart and Pinto closed the dual and sealed the crown with first-period pins, which took about a combined one minute to get.

“The bottom half of our team is really solid,” said Carlisle. “They’ve been carrying this team all year and they really showed it again (against Shakopee).”

Carlisle, ranked No. 5 at 145, earned a 12-3 major decision at that weight to cut the Sabers’ lead to 13-11. Shakopee won by fall at 152 to go up 19-11.

Eighth-grader Zach Smith had a big win for the Lakers at 106. He won 7-6, getting a reversal with seven seconds left after being taken down with 14 seconds remaining. Eighth-grader Kenny O’Neil won 126 pounds for Prior Lake. Ranked No. 9 at that weight, he earned an 11-0 major decision.

Ninth-grader Gunner Charnonneau had good loss for the Lakers at 113. Facing Brent Jones (ranked No. 1 at 106), he lost a hard-fought 5-1 decision, allowing no bonus points that Shakopee needed.

Prior Lake beat Shakopee 43-19 Feb. 6 at the Bloomington Kennedy triangular. The match was nearly identical to the finals. Shakopee won five of the first eight matches, but had just one fall and led 19-10.

The Lakers won the last six matches by a 33-0 margin as well, winning five by fall. Carlisle and Pinto didn’t wrestler for the Lakers in the first dual.

Prior Lake lost at 145 in the first meeting, but won at 132 with junior Tyler Hanson. The Sabers’ flipped that match in the final.

The Lakers earned a 66-10 over fifth-seeded Kennedy in the section semifinals.

Picking up falls for Prior Lake: Sean O’Neil (160), Schultz (170), Pumper (182), Streifel (195), Hart (220) and Pinto (heavyweight).

Other wins: Smith at 106 (forfeit), Charbonneau at 113 (4-1), junior Dylan Sogge, ranked No. 8 at 120, (8-2), Kenny O’Neil at 126 (7-0), Hanson at 132 (8-6) and Carlisle at 145 (injury default).

The Section 2AA individual tournament is next for the Lakers. It’s Feb. 21-22 at Kennedy. The top-two finishers in the 14 weights qualify for state.

The Class AA state individual tourney is Feb. 28 and March 1 at the Xcel Energy Center.

To see more photos of the Lakers' win over Shakopee, go to Scoreboard's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.747820511909968.1073742062.197190936972931&type=3.