Wichita’s best shine on first day of 2019 Kansas state wrestling tournament
Ring for Ross?
Washburn Rural’s Bishop Murray didn’t have a loss, and Derby’s Cody Woods had almost 20.
It didn’t matter Friday as the Panther sophomore upset the defending state champion in the state quarterfinals of the Kansas high school state wrestling tournament: Woods pinned Murray in 37 seconds. It was that type of day for Derby as the Panthers are on the cusp of their first state championship since 1986.
They lead Manhattan by eight points in Class 6A.
After the first round of bouts, Derby had 43 team points, and all 12 wrestlers won. They bettered coach Bill Ross’ goals in about two hours. They will send four wrestlers into the state championship bouts.
“It’s just kind of something we know, nothing we really have to talk about,” Ross said. “Talking to my own son at home, (Cooper) knows what’s at stake. He’s not going to wrestle in college, more than likely, so for him and some of the other guys, they know this is the last go around. And we want to end with something very special.”
Ross has been chasing a championship ring for almost two decades. This appears to be one of his best shots.
“We’ve got a pretty experienced group; we’ve got seven seniors here,” Ross said. “They’ve been wrestling together since a very early age, and they understand each other. We told them, ‘We’re going to hit a few landmines along the way, but we’ve got to bounce back and be there for each other.’ “
Reached the state final:
- Bryce Wells - 126 pounds
- Cason Lindsey - 132 pounds
- Crew Squires - 152 pounds
- Triston Wills - 182 pounds
Five straight on the horizon
The streak appears to be in tact.
Goddard came into Friday on a four-year title run. They ended the first day of the state tournament (Class 5A) with a healthy 94.5-point lead over Blue Valley Southwest.
The Lions sent seven wrestlers into the state championship bouts, including defending champions junior Jason Henschel and senior Troy Fisher.
- Jason Henschel - 113 pounds
- Lucas Glover - 120 pounds
- Jace Fisher - 138 pounds
- Nolan Craine - 152 pounds
- Trevor Dopps - 160 pounds
- Troy Fisher - 170 pounds
- Cayden Atkins - 182 pounds
Goddard picked up a major upset in the state quarterfinals as senior 220-pounder Trenton Willert beat Northwest senior Josh Carter 3-1 in the first sudden victory period, earning a late takedown.
“I think the quarterfinal round where we put 11 into the semis was probably the best I’ve ever seen out of our team,” coach Brett Means said.
Arkansas City and Maize, the two most likely contenders to knock the Lions off, did not have outstanding days. Midway through the semifinal round, the Bulldogs sat fourth, 68.5 points behind the leader.
Through 152 pounds, both teams combined to push four wrestlers into the state finals: Arkansas City’s Gabe Buckbee and Montez Robinson, and Maize’s Aidan Campbell and Devin Gomez.
Stampeding at state
Campus only brought nine wrestlers to state but put five into the state finals in Class 6A.
Freshman 106-pounder Dylan Sheler led the way and beat Derby’s Cody Woods by a 12-4 decision. Other state final qualifiers include senior Kale McCracken (113 pounds), sophomore Nathan Bowen (138 pounds) and senior Luke Bowen (152 pounds) and Brycen Schroeder (195 pounds).
Coach Jim Dryden said he had never seen anything like it in a state semifinal.
“We’ve talked a lot this last month of the season about believing in themselves,” Dryden said. “The back of our shirts has, ‘C.B.A.’ on it, and that stands for: conceiving it, believe it, achieve it. They’re starting to get into that mindset, and it’s showing.”
Midway through the semifinal round, Campus, which was ranked in the middle of Class 6A through the season, sat second behind rival Derby at 106 points.
The Colts will miss out on points in the back half of the bracket, but they will be able to reach their highest finish in school history on Saturday.
A true Pioneer
A Wichita West freshman will wrestle for a state championship by way of one of the biggest upsets of the state tournament.
Quentin Saunders beat Derby senior Cade Lindsey 3-1 in sudden victory in Class 6A. Lindsey, an Oklahoma State-bound 170-pounder, finishes his career with one individual state championship, coming at 120 pounds as a freshman.
Lindsey beat Saunders at the Pioneers’ regional tournament by a 5-1 decision after missing weight at the City League tournament. It was Saunders’ first loss of the 2019 season. With the win on Friday, Saunders will wrestle Manhattan’s Quincy Saddler in the state championship bout.
“It’s been an up and down rollercoaster,” West coach Kenny Taylor said. “He’s been battling some issues with the death of his grandmother, and he kind of dedicated the last part of his season to her. Sometimes as coaches, we forget he’s only 14 years old.”
A Maverick effort
Maize South junior Ian DeMoss was doubted all season.
He rarely appeared in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, but Friday he became a state championship qualifier in Class 5A with a pin of Great Bend freshman Wyatt Weber in the semis and a 4-2 sudden victory decision over top-ranked Jevon Foust of Arkansas City.
Saturday, he will wrestle Blue Valley Southwest freshman Hayden Mills for a chance to become one of the Mavericks’ first state champions in school history.
Out for more
A few state runners-up and defending champions from last year will get their shot again in 2019.
Wichita South junior Malachi Karibo reached at 160 pounds in 6A, beating Garden City senior Andrew Garcia with an 11-2 major decision. He will face Manhattan senior Bubba Wilson in the final Saturday.
Newton seniors Grant Treaster (120 pounds) and Wyatt Hendrickson (195 pounds) reached their respective 5A finals and both will enter as defending title-holders.
Wichita Northwest senior Marcus Hicks and Valley Center junior Tony Caldwell reached the 285-pound 5A championship bout and will meet each other for the title.
Maize sophomore Kyle Haas also reached a state championship bout in 5A after finishing third as a freshman.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 7:33 PM.