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Over the last two seasons, it has become clear the Luxemburg-Casco and Ellsworth teams are just about as evenly matched as two teams can be.

Ellsworth topped L-C by one point in last year’s Division 2 state championship match.

The two met in another thriller Saturday evening.

With a perfect season and a shot at redemption on the line, Luxemburg-Casco head coach Chas Treml had a simple message for his team as they took to the mat.

“Be great today,” Treml said. “Be great. It’s your turn to be great. Let’s bring it back.”

The Spartans got the better of the Panthers, avenging last year’s loss with a 30-28 victory in the 2018 D2 title tilt at the UW Field House.

Each squad won seven bouts. But Lux-Casco’s Devan Vandenbush won the final match of the dual by major decision to lift his team to the win.

Though L-C entered Team State without a loss, Saturday was the first time the Spartans were able to get the band together in earnest.

“We went through guys getting injured. We had guys who were sick all through January, December,” Treml said. “We’re healthy. I reminded them of that too before we started this match. This is the first time we have everybody back healthy and ready to go. We were the right team, I think.”

Ellsworth set the tone in the early going, using a pair wins to jump out to a 7-0 advantage.

Austin LeRoy got Lux-Casco on the board with a pin at 195 pounds.

Nate Lloyd followed suit at 220 to put the Spartans ahead 12-7 four bouts in.

The Panthers responded at heavyweight thanks to a pin from Caleb Linder to regain a one-point edge.

Lucas Joniaux (106 pounds) and Isaac Blohowiak (113) won by decision and major decision respectively to give L-C a 19-13 lead halfway through the dual.

Charlie Stuhl put the Panthers back on track with a technical fall at 120, bringing Ellsworth within one.

Wins from Bryce Bosman (126) and Nathan Ronsman (132) extended L-C’s edge to eight with four matches remaining.

Ellsworth went on to win the next three bouts. A major decision from Sam Stuhl (145) and decisions from Sawyer Hamilton (138) and Jared Lansing (152) gave the Panthers a 28-26 lead heading to the final match.

Vandenbush cruised to a 12-4 major decision that lifted the Spartans to victory.

“We just wrestled,” Treml said. “We were confident. We knew we were the best team. We knew it and those guys knew it.”

Earlier in the day, second-seeded Lux-Casco topped GET/Melrose-Mindoro 44-21 in the semifinals.

“It was all about team,” Treml said. “Everybody did their job. They knew their job, their routine, what they needed to do. They just finished it today.”

The Spartans finished their season with a perfect 22-0 mark and that final victory was undoubtedly the sweetest.

“It’s the feather in the cap, icing on the cake, whatever slogan you want to go with. It’s the pinnacle,” said. Treml. “This is what we have building up for. Sometimes it’s hard going through the season knowing that those are the stepping stones you have to do to get this point. Sometimes it’s hard. You hit those bumps in the road, but you have to be able to overcome them.”

Luxemburg-Casco 30, Ellsworth 28

170: Dalton George (E) dec. Jacob Zellner, 3-2

182: Connor Ekholm (E) maj. dec. Alex VandenPlas, 14-4

195: Austin LeRoy (LC) p. Ryan McGregor, 1:22

220: Nate Loyd (LC) p. Logan Peterson, 3:32

285: Clab Linder (E) p. Mason Ravet, 3:16

106: Lucas Joniaux (LC) dec. Bailey Poellinger, 6-3

113: Isaac Blohowiak (LC) maj. dec. Carter Huppert 14-6

120: Charlie Stuhl (E) tf. Parker Coppens, 21-6

126: Bryce Bosman (LC) maj. dec. Jon Cain, 12-4

132: Nathan Ronsman (LC) dec. Owen Matzek, 3-0

138: Sawyer Hamilton (E) dec. Cameron Lemmens, 3-2

145: Sam Stuhl (E) maj. dec. Colton Worachek, 15-4

152: Jared Lansing (E) dec. Garrett Jeanquart, 6-2

160: Devan Vandenbush (LC) maj. dec. Cedric Kosnopfal, 12-4