After taking down Totino-Grace 53-17 in the quarterfinals Wednesday, No. 2-seeded NUA closed the night out by defeating Pierz 42-12 in the semifinals at the Grand Casino Arena.

The win moves the Eagles on to the championship dual at 7 p.m. Thursday night against top-seeded Simley.

“All year long these guys just keep showing up,” NUA head coach Kevin Briggs said. “It’s always somebody else, it’s always somebody different. Emerson’s come around again, looking good, Candon with a big pin, that’s a toss-up match and it seems to me like we’re getting all these toss-up matches.”

Chase Wilson (107), Chael Johnson (113), Elijah Rieser (145), Braxton Kiecker (152), Candon Briggs (160), Lane Ruch (189) and Emerson Johnson (285) all went 2-0 on the day for the Eagles.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area fans cheer following a win in the Class AA state semifinals against Pierz on Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

“It’s definitely a confidence-booster and what we’ve been working for all year,” Candon Briggs said. “To be our best at the end of the year and at the state tournament. So to come through with [the wins] is awesome.”

Alex Portner, who earned a win in the semifinals, said the work the team has put in has been worth it.

“I think all the hard work we’ve been putting in has really been paying off in these big matches,” Portner said. “Us believing and trusting in every single one of us.”

SEMIFINALS

NUA 42, Pierz 12

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Emerson Johnson celebrates his pin in the Class AA state wrestling semifinals against Pierz on Wednesday night at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Wilson defeated Easton Stangl-McCann by a 7-5 decision to give the Eagles the first lead for the second time of the evening. Chael Johnson was next up to earn a semifinals win for NUA as he took a dominant lead over Tripp Toops, who ended up being disqualified due to too many stalling penalties. That gave NUA a 9-0 lead.

Rylan Gruber defeated Regan Johnson by a 10-2 major decision to get Pierz on the board, but Portner got that major decision back at 127 when he defeated Gauge Johnson 10-2 for a 13-4 NUA lead.

“Lost my first match to a tough kid, but had a bounce-back in a bigger match, so had to show up when it mattered most,” Portner said.

Kane Johnson earned a 4-1 decision over Grady Young at 133 for a 16-4 Eagles lead. Tegan Kral held his own at 139 against Link Toops, with two takedowns giving Kral an early lead. However, Link Toops got a takedown and 4-point near fall at the end of the third period to come back and win by a 9-7 decision.

Kiecker defeated Hunter Przybilla by an 8-1 decision to put NUA up 23-7, and then Candon Briggs pulled off a big win over Brayden Melby.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Tegan Kral takes down Totino-Grace’s Isaac Bizal in the Class AA State Wrestling Tournament quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Candon Briggs took down Melby early in the first but Melby got the takedown back in the second and allowed an escape to trail 4-3. Candon Briggs was able to cradle Melby moments later, however, getting the pin in 3:15 as his dad — and head coach Kevin Briggs — raised his hands in pride.

“Surreal,” Candon Briggs said of the pin. “To be able to pull that off, I mean, I knew the kid was tough and I was able to catch him there, that was sweet.”

Coach Briggs said that Candon’s confidence helped lead to that moment.

“He’s just wrestling with such confidence right now,” coach Briggs said of his son. “For him to come out and take a kid that’s got one or two losses on the year and just stick him like that, he’s ready. He’s a gamer and he’s doing a great job.”

Jayden Zajac earned a 19-4 tech fall over Dirk Haynes at 172 to give Pierz what ended up being its final win of the night as Lane Ruch took the mat at 189 and earned a 13-2 major decision over Brecken Andres to give the Eagles a 33-12 lead and clinch the finals spot.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Alex Portner, top, wrestles Gauge Johnson during the Class AA State Wrestling Tournament semifinals Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Cole Voges kept the fun going for NUA with an 8-5 win in sudden victory at 215 before Emerson Johnson took down Henry Hoffman quickly and earned a pin in 50 seconds to end the night.

QUARTERFINALS

NUA 53, Totino-Grace 17

Earlier in the day Wednesday, NUA was quick on the attack with three consecutive pins coming from Wilson, Chael Johnson and Regan Johnson for an 18-0 NUA lead. Wilson pinned Kellen Vandermyde in 2:56, while Chael Johnson pinned Matthew Lang in 54 seconds and Regan Johnson pinned Blade Hennig in 1:06.

Totino-Grace got a couple of wins back at 127 and 133 after Logan Refsnider defeated Portner by an 11-4 decision and Jackson Refsnider earned a 7-1 decision over Kane Johnson.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Cole Voges, left, wrestles Pierz’s Brad Tanner during the Class AA State Wrestling Tournament semifinals on Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Kral helped NUA assert its dominance again with a big double-leg takedown into a pin over Isaac Bizal at 139 in 1:26, while Rieser kept the falls coming for NUA with a pin in 1:37 over Jack Garrett to put NUA up 30-6.

Kiecker wasn’t able to give NUA another three-pin streak, but he was just as dominant in his match at 152 as he had two takedowns and three near falls for a 17-0 tech fall in four minutes over Landon Bizal.

Candon Briggs put NUA up 41-6 after pinning Dan Bonebrake in 1:30 at 160. Payton Herbst stopped the bleeding for Totino-Grace with a 16-1 tech fall in 4:12 over Haynes at 172, but Ruch got NUA back on the board with a quick takedown and pin over Daniel Dobbelmann in 53 seconds at 189.

Joe Kruse gave Totino-Grace its final win of the dual when he pinned Tilken Fruhwirth in 1:11 at 215, but Emerson Johnson ended the dual on a high note for NUA when he pinned Fua Taumalolo in 1:17 at heavyweight.

Emerson Johnson was in a tough spot to start his match as Taumalolo attempted a single-leg takedown. Emerson Johnson rolled his back on top of his opponent in a scramble and then managed to work Taumalolo out of bounds for a restart.

“I just had confidence going through my head,” Emerson Johnson said. “I just knew I couldn’t let my team down and I’m giving it all, everything I have for my team on the mat.”

After surviving another single-leg attempt, Johnson threw Taumalolo and got the pin.

Emerson Johnson said getting the final win of the quarterfinals was a moment he will never forget.

“It’s huge,” he said. “Just sealing that dual for us, hyping up the crowd, it means everything.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Elijah Rieser secures a near fall during his Class AA State Wrestling Tournament semifinals match against Pierz’s Carter Young on Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Chase Wilson gets a takedown during his 107-pound match in the Class AA State Wrestling Tournament quarterfinals against Totino-Grace at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Area’s Braxton Kiecker looks to hold his Pierz opponent Hunter Przybilla down during the Class AA State Wrestling Tournament semifinals on Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.