Derby wins first wrestling title since 1986; Goddard clinches fifth straight
Ring for Ross
The Derby High School wrestling team lined up at the top of the stands as the team from 1986 looked down on history from the wall of the upper concourse.
The Panthers won their first team title since senior Cade Lindsey’s dad was on the team. They needed every match, including the final of the tournament, beating Manhattan 200-197 in Class 6A.
Lindsey was beaten in the semifinal round by Wichita West freshman Quentin Saunders.
He said to win the team title was so sweet.
“It was really hard for me to fall asleep last night,” he said. “I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. I just decided that I’m going to come in tomorrow with a better attitude and be a leader for those guys on the back side. A team title hasn’t been done here in over 30 years, so that means a lot to me.”
The Panthers’ tournament started with what turned out to be a pivotal match. Sophomore Cody Woods pinned Washurn Rural’s Bishop Murray in 37 seconds in the second round. Murray was 36-0 and the defending champion at 106 pounds in Class 6A. Without Woods’, or any other Panthers win, the title drought would have continued.
Coach Bill Ross said after his team was announced as champion, he couldn’t help but get emotional. Derby has brought home seven state trophies since 2000; none have “state champion” on them until now.
“I’ve never hugged so many people all at once except maybe when I had my babies,” he said. “This is just so unreal right now.”
The final bout of the night featured Mill Valley sophomore Ethan Kremer and Manhattan’s Christian Schlepp. Derby, up three points, needed Kremer to win. He did with a 5-1 decision in the 220-pound championship bout.
The Derby fans chanted his name throughout the match, and Panther wrestlers hugged him and his coach afterward. Lindsey said they might forward him a state ring and photoshop him into the team picture.
Derby finished with two 6A indivdual champions in seniors Triston Wills at 182-pounds and Crew Squires at 152. Wills’ victory meant two straight individual titles. Squires’ meant two in one year after he helped the football team to the 6A championship in the fall.
Wills was the last Derby wrestler to go Saturday. He needed to win a championship for Derby to have a shot. He beat Washburn Rural junior Gavin Carter by a 9-3 decision. He said he welcomed the pressure.
“I live for it,” he said. “I love big matches. I always wanted to be in the spotlight. If there had to be someone with the pressure on to pull it out for the team, I’d want to take that responsibility.”
Senior 195-pounder Bryce Westmoreland was one of seven Panthers to wrestle their final bouts in a green singlet Saturday. He didn’t capture an individual title, finishing third, but he said making school history felt sweet enough for him.
“I get emotional just talking about it,” he said. “I was so nervous for the whole tournament but definitely for that last match. I couldn’t even stand still.”
Falling in Lion
Troy, Jace and Jerrdon Fisher were looking forward to 2019.
It was the only year the three brothers could be together on the Goddard wrestling team. And they capitalized, helping push the Lions to their fifth straight team title in Class 5A. Goddard beat rival Arkansas City by 74 points.
“I don’t know (what separates us),” senior Troy Fisher said. “We just work, wrestle hard and stay focused. There’s not really one answer.”
Troy Fisher, who is committed to wrestle at Northwestern, wrapped up his high school career with a second straight individual title at 170 pounds. He beat Blue Valley Southwest junior Seth Nitzel by a 20-5 technical fall. He said it was the perfect way to go out with his brothers next to him.
“We’ve definitely grown closer this year,” he said. “Our goal was for all three of us to be state champs this year. We obviously didn’t get that done, but it was still a great year, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Jace and Jerrdon Fisher didn’t win individual titles but both finished in the top three of their weight classes. Jace was runner-up at 138 pounds to BV Southwest junior Brandon Madden by a 4-2 decision that came down to the final seconds. Jace rounded the corner and looked to have earned a buzzer-beating takedown, but it was not given.
Jerrdon lost to Great Bend junior Carsyn Schooler in the semifinal round by a 5-2 decision but came back and beat BV Southwest’s Joseph Dennison and KC Schlagle’s Jonah Andrews to finish third at 126 pounds.
Jerrdon finished his freshman season 42-8 and said though it didn’t end as he wanted, he was happy he had the opportunity to win a team title for one year as a family.
“Ever since fifth grade, my dad has been talking about it that we would get all three of us in school for one year,” he said.
Goddard sent 12 wrestlers to the Class 5A tournament. Eleven reached the quarterfinals in what coach Brett Means called the best round of his career. And all scored team points, including Troy Fisher and junior Jason Henschel who brought home the two individual titles.
Henschel won his 113-pound championship match over BV Southwest freshman Brett Umentum and capped a 32-4 season. He said he has been training hard to become one of the best wrestlers in Kansas.
“All the younger kids look up to me,” he said. “Next year, I’ll be a senior and help build this thing back up again.”
Goddard had two sets of brothers on this year’s team. The Fisher trio and Atkins brothers all finished in the top four of their respective brackets and earned 105.5 of the Lions’ 225.
Troy said to go through everything with this group was something he won’t forget. He looks forward to what the future Lions can do.
“I know if I was a junior, I would be thinking, ‘six,’ ” he said.
This story was originally published February 23, 2019 at 10:51 PM.