State wrestling: These are the quarterfinal matches you NEED to watch on Friday

Thursday's opening round at the 2021 state wrestling championships was exciting.

The action is only going to get better on Friday.

To get you ready, we've provided a list of quarterfinal matches here.

A quarterfinal victory is big, as the winner secures a top-six finish and moves one step closer to reaching Saturday night's finals. Some of these matches will have team-race implications, while others just look like fun.

Class 1A

106 pounds: Caleb Coffin (Don Bosco) vs. Brody Brisker (Wilton)

Coffin scored a big first-round pin to help Don Bosco to the early team lead, but Brisker put up 19 points in less than five minutes in his opener. Expect fireworks.

113 pounds: Garrett Rinken (Nashua-Plainfield) vs. Andrew Kimball (Don Bosco)

Kimball used some late points to score a come-from-behind victory Thursday morning. His reward: top-seeded and undefeated Rinken.

Every quarterfinal at 126 pounds. Seriously.

Beau Klingensmith (Woodbury Central) vs. Kaden Knaack (Don Bosco)

Another case where a Don Bosco wrestler hit the top-seed. Klingensmith is a North Dakota State signee.

Ryan Steinlage (Interstate 35) vs. Stevie Barnes (Underwood)

Barnes, a past finalist, needs to navigate a scrappy Steinlage if he wants to return to the finals this week.

Damon Huston (Midland) vs. Cameron Clark (West Sioux)

Huston, an Iowa State signee, advanced via first-round pin, but Clark is battle tested, and a win would help West Sioux in the team race.

Cade Siebrecht (Lisbon) vs. Clayton McDonough (Central Springs)

Siebrecht carries the same team-race pressure as Clark, and McDonough, who is 53-0, will be a tough out.

132 pounds: Mikey Baker (West Sioux) vs. Michael McClelland (Don Bosco)

This match will have some team-race implications. Baker advanced by fall, McClelland by an 8-0 major decision.

152 pounds: Briar Reisz (Logan-Magnolia) vs. Lincoln Holub (Lisbon)

Another team-race battle here. It would be a monster upset if Holub knocks off Reisz.

160 pounds: Gavin Maguire (Logan-Magnolia) vs. Cael Frost (Don Bosco)

Yet another crucial team-race matchup here, especially since Logan-Magnolia has some ground to make up.

285 pounds: Chest Buss (North Butler-Clarksville) vs. Easton Eledge (Underwood)

Both of these big guys are quick and can move. Both can also record quick pins. Don't blink.

More 2021 state wrestling coverage

• Class 3A: Ames' Greenlee comes from long line of successful heavyweights
• Class 1A: Logan-Magnolia three-time finalist Briar Reisz still after first title 
• Photos:Every picture from the 2021 state tournament
• Updates: Opening sessions, as they happened

Class 3A

106 pounds: Zane Behrends (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge)

A big matchup with regards to the team race, and the winner will likely get Waukee's top-seeded Carter Freeman.

120 pounds: Lane Cowell (Fort Dodge) vs. Chad Bellis (Dubuque Hempstead)

Both of these guys could win this weight this week, but a win here only guarantees a top-six finish.

126 pounds: Carter Fecht (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. Grant O'Dell (Iowa City West)

Fecht muscled his way through Hempstead's Adler Kramer in the first round. If he can beat O'Dell, he might just win the whole thing.

Every quarterfinal at 132 pounds. Seriously.

Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. Kael Scranton (Iowa City West)

Scranton wrestled really well positionally to get through the first round, but Block is a different animal altogether.

Ayden Kingery (Southeast Polk) vs. Ryder Downey (Indianola)

Both guys are long, lanky, but explosive and technically-sound. This will be a fun one.

Bryce Parke (Linn-Mar) vs. Jace Rhodes (Mason City)

Parke beat Rhodes, 6-4, last month, but Rhodes is a past finalist with a propensity to wrestle better when it counts. Expect fireworks.

Grant Harbour (Norwalk) vs. Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge)

Harbour is a two-time medalist. Ayala is a two-time champ. Exciting!

138 pounds: Carter Martinson (Southeast Polk) vs. Owen Helgeson (Johnston)

Helgeson won a barnburner, 10-8, when these two teams met in a dual last month. If Martinson can flip the result, big team points for the Rams.

160 pounds: Trestin Sales (Burlington) vs. Logan Adamson (Bettendorf)

Adamson won this match 19-9 last month at Bettendorf's Midwest Shootout, but Sales was in on a bunch of winnable positions that could have easily flipped the match.

170 pounds: Ashton Barker (Iowa City West) vs. Tristen Duncan (Norwalk)

Both guys pinned to advance, but this match should go the distance.

182 pounds: Ben Egli (Fort Dodge) vs. AJ Petersen (North Scott)

Egli muscled his way through the first round while Petersen recorded a pin. This could be a fun clash of styles.

285 pounds: Kody Huisman (Pella) vs. Ben Reiland (Waukee)

Huisman opened with an 18-second pin. Not sure he'll get one that quickly against Reiland, but these two athletic heavyweights should put on a show.

Class 2A

106 pounds: Cody Hay (Bondurant-Farrar) vs. Kade Blume (Roland-Story)

Blume's stellar freshman campaign now goes through a seasoned junior who's 33-2 this year.

120 pounds: Keaton Zeimet (Central DeWitt) vs. Rylie Anderson (Bondurant-Farrar)

These two are a combined 68-4, and the winner takes another step toward the finals.

126 pounds: Carter Straw (Independence) vs. Chase Fiser (Bondurant-Farrar)

Lots of Bondurant-Farrar matches, but this one specifically could have team-race implications.

126 pounds: Cael Ihle (Gilbert) vs. Dominik Ridout (East Marshall)

Cael is absolutely a wrestling name. Ridout is almost like rideout, which is a wrestling term. Also, this match should be great.

138 pounds: Kain Luensman (Monticello) vs. Reed Abbas (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows)

A future Grand View Viking in Abbas and a future Upper Iowa Peacock in Luensman. Should be a dandy.

152 pounds: Jadyn Peyton (West Delaware) vs. Colby Tool (PCM, Monroe)

Two guys with plenty of firepower. This one could get wild.

152 pounds: Chance Bockenstedt (North Polk) vs. Grifen Molle (West Burlington-Notre Dame)

Bockenstedt reached the semifinals a year ago, but Molle has been on a roll lately.

182 pounds: Cael Meyer (West Delaware) vs. Fernando Villaescusa (Gilbert)

Villaescusa won an Arizona state title last year before moving to Iowa, and Meyer is a senior looking to go out on top.

220 pounds: Crew Howard (Clarinda) vs. Gage Marty (Solon)

Howard's only loss is to Ames heavyweight Gabe Greenlee, but Marty's only losses the last few weeks have been to West Liberty's top-seeded Kobe Simon.

285 pounds: Carson Petlon (West Delaware) vs. Aaron Graves (Southeast Valley)

Petlon is the man to beat at this weight in this class. Might be a tall ask for the future Hawkeye.

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.