State wrestling notes: Heights’ Sean Deshazer becomes four-time champ (VIDEO)
PARK CITY – With 12 seconds remaining in his final high school match, Heights senior Sean Deshazer vomited on the corner of the wrestling mat at Hartman Arena.
“I told my coach earlier, I was like, ‘If I throw up, it’s going to be OK. It’s going to be extra energy,’ ” Deshazer said.
Following a lengthy cleanup, Deshazer took down Goddard junior Christian Bowen with three seconds remaining and got the 5-2 win.
It was Deshazer’s fourth title, something 31 Kansans had done before this weekend. He won at 106 and 113 pounds in Class 6A, and won at 120 pounds in 5A.
“It’s the feeling I was looking for,” Deshazer (42-0) said. “I couldn’t grasp it earlier. Obviously I haven’t been in a situation to get a feelng like this.”
After the match, Deshazer and Heights coach Mike Church ran up to the Heights fan section, where Deshazer’s family cheered loudly. They wore T-shirts emblazoned with Deshazer’s face and “One More. Going for 4.”
“Probably one of the coolest accomplishments I’ve ever seen as a coach,” Church said of Deshazer. “He’s the greatest wrestler to come out of Wichita Heights.”
Bowen was in the match, getting an escape with 1:51 to go to come within 3-2 of Deshazer.
“He was working hard. Sean was working hard,” Church said. “He was grinding. I think he pushed himself to the limit. He made himself throw up. He worked hard.”
Deshazer professed the need for a massage after the match, saying his body hurt everywhere. No surprise, his postmatch backflip fell short and he fell flat on his front.
“I’m acrobatic,” Deshazer said. “I can land those. He wore me out. My whole body’s tired.”
Unbeaten and two-time 5A champs — Newton senior Jared Langley, who won at 182 pounds last season, got his second title with a 3-0 win at 195 pounds to finish 38-0.
Carroll senior Nick Nolting won his second title at 220 pounds, finishing 40-0.
“That’s how I wanted to end my senior year, go out with a bang,” Langley said.
Nolting knew he had a formidable foe in Aquinas senior Ben Ewing, who was 26-0 and the 2013 champ at 220.
They didn’t meet in 2014 because Ewing lost in the 220 semifinals. Ewing beat Nolting in nationals later that summer, though, and that loss haunted Nolting.
“It’s just kind of been my redemption match all year,” Nolting said. “The guy I’ve been looking forward to, the guy I’ve been working hard for.”
Nolting won 3-1.
As for being a two-time champion and unbeaten, Nolting paused before responding.
“It’s something I’ll be able to tell my kids,” he said.
Rematch — With two seconds remaining in the third period of the 5A 120-pound final, two-time champion Logan Terrill, an Arkansas City senior, got an escape to tie the score.
Regulation ended and Andover sophomore Paul Stuart went straight to the center of the circle, ready for the overtime.
“When he got that escape, it did kind of disappoint me,” Stuart said. “… I heard his coach yell out, ‘Get on him. He’s tired.’ When the final whistle blew, I had to prove that I was the man that kept attacking.”
Stuart won 4-2 in overtime for his first title, avenging his finals loss to Terrill in 2014. Stuart finished 40-0 and beat Terrill four times this season.
It was a disappointing finish for Terrill, who won titles at 106 and 113 pounds.
“You never want to end on a loss,” Terrill said.
Robinson, Biddle win first titles —Ark City teammates freshman Marcus Robinson and junior Kendall Biddle won their first titles.
Robinson won 6-4 at 106 pounds, while Biddle won 3-2 at 152.
Robinson was taken down twice in the first period, but nearly pinned Gowin in the second period.
“It was a big confidence booster,” Robinson said. “I gave up two early takedowns. I knew I had to come back from that.”
In the final 15 seconds, the Ark City fans started clapping their familiar cadence. Robinson heard it.
“It means (it’s) a good sign,” Robinson said.
As soon as Biddle won, he shook coaches’ hands and then ran into the stands to find his parents.
“I know they’ve been there, supporting me my whole entire life,” Biddle said. “I wouldn’t have done it without their support. It give sme extra motivation to win a state championship.”
Late escape — Newton sophomore Logan Treaster went into the third period, the score at 0-0, knowing he needed an escape.
With eight seconds remaining, he got it and won his first championship 1-0 at 113 pounds.
“Both our first time in the finals, neither wanted to open up too much and accidentally get caught and the whole match is gone,” Treaster said. “… Third period, my goal was just to get out, and I did in the nick of time.”
While there was some sense of relief at the win, Treaster looked to the future.
“It almost makes me want to win more next year,” he said.
Class 6A
152-pound rematch – There is a history between Junction City’s Jeryl Denton and Derby’s Garrett Xanders that started well before their 152-pound match for the Class 6A championship on Saturday at Hartman Arena.
Denton and Xanders had wrestled three times before Saturday, all three hotly contested that forged an intense rivalry between the two. When they were introduced in the Parade of Champions, the two had an intense staredown an hour before their match.
It was only fuel to the fire for Xanders, who had lost to Denton three previous times before defeating him on Saturday in a 19-5 major decision.
“I think he took me as a joke,” Xanders said. “He didn’t respect me. He always came up to me before matches and taunted me and tried to get in my head. I didn’t let it get to me this time because I knew I was going to get him in the championship.”
The intensity was evident from the start, as Xanders aggressively charged Denton out of the ring and off the mat. Both fell on the concrete and Denton suffered a gash right above his right eye. He laid on his back for five minutes while being treated, emerging with a thick roll of tape covering the wound.
Denton was noticeably woozy after the accident, which occurred 31 seconds into the first period with Xanders leading 5-1.
“Those guys aren’t the best of friends and you probably shouldn’t be when you’re wrestling,” Derby coach Bill Ross said. “I think it bothered (Xanders) how he lost to that kid and it kind of ate at his heart this week. He wanted a chance to do something about it.”
At regionals last week, Denton pinned Xanders in the third period and Xanders felt that he lingered over him afterward. While it was an emotional loss, it also taught Xanders the importance of positioning when it came against Denton.
On Saturday, Xanders kept the flurries with him to a minimum and stayed in good position throughout the match. Even though he lost the three matches before, Xanders was able to win the one that mattered while also revenging his loss in the state finals last season.
“It feels amazing,” Xanders said. “That’s the only way to describe it.”
Teammate Braden Dipman was also able to wrap up a state championship, winning the 120 title in the most impressive fashion -- beating the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3-ranked wrestlers in his division en route to the title.
After defeating Olathe East’s De’Khyale McFarland and West’s Idris Elias on Friday, Dipman said that he was filled with too much confidence not to finish off the championship on Saturday. He defeated Manhattan’s Jalin Harper, who defeated him in the regional finals last week, in a 8-2 decision.
“I felt like coming into this tournament I hadn’t really beaten very many big names,” Dipman said. “But after I beat those two guys (Friday), I felt like I was a better wrestler. When I started opening up after that, that’s when I started scoring all of my points.”
Derby’s other finalist, Cody McDonald, suffered his third straight loss in the state finals in a 7-5 decision in overtime against Manhattan’s Mason Wallace. McDonald forced overtime with a takedown as time expired in the third period.
Journey completed – Dylan Brazell has been wrestling since the fifth grade and has never ended his season as a champion. He has been good, but never the best and that has been the driving force behind his senior campaign at Northwest.
So when Brazell correctly predicted the next move of Olathe North’s Blake Stovall in the third period of the 138-pound title match, all of the heartache Brazell was drowned out by the emotions of becoming a champion when he pinned Stovall.
“I feel like I actually did something finally,” said Brazell, who capped a 33-7 season. “It makes you feel like you’re actually worth something. It’s the greatest happiness ever.”
Brazell led 3-1 entering the final period and said he knew that Stovall would resort to a go-to move of his. When Brazell recognized the move coming, he had the perfect counter awaiting and rolled Stovall onto his back for the pin.
“I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders now,” Brazell said.
Northwest’s other two finalists, Saul Ortiz at 170 and Noah Ornelas at 220, lost. Ortiz suffered his first loss of the season to fellow unbeaten Isaac Dulgarian of Olathe North in a 13-1 major decision, while Ornelas lost a 3-1 decision on a late takedown by Hutchinson’s Francisco Escamilla.
Titan champions – To become state champions, South’s Dallas Wilson and Asiel Flores had to protect leads in the third period. Both did and became the first title winners from South since 2005.
Flores, a freshman, earned an escape in the first period of the 106-pound title match on Garden City’s Efrain Sanchez then wrestled flawlessly to preserve the 1-0 victory. Flores successfully stayed on top of Sanchez for the entire third period.
“This is so much better than what I imagined,” said Flores, who completed a 40-6 season. “It’s better to live it than think it, right?”
Wilson trailed entering the third period of the 113 title match against Garden City’s Kaj Perez, but escaped and then snapped Perez down and spun behind him for the reversal. He was able to hold on for a 5-4 decision to finish with a 40-2 record.
“That was the longest minute and a half of my life,” Wilson said. “But it feels amazing. All the sacrifices, everything I put into this, it was all worth it.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2015 at 8:27 PM.