Kansas high school state wrestling recap: Quentin Saunders becomes 4-timer at Goddard
The taste of losing was so rare to Quentin Saunders, he almost forgot what it felt like.
But that sensation consumed Saunders this past week after Maize sophomore Ayden Flores stunned the Kansas high school wrestling community by not only handing Saunders his first loss since he was a freshman, but pinning the three-time champ in the regional finals.
Saunders made it his mission to exact revenge and did exactly that at the Class 5A state wrestling tournament at Hartman Arena, winning the 182-pound championship by defeating Flores in a rematch, which this time went to Saunders in a 5-2 decision.
Saunders, who finished his career with a 102-2 record, joined rarefied company by becoming the 38th wrestler in Kansas history to win four individual state titles.
“I’ve never seen that kid more focused than I did after (the loss),” Goddard coach Brett Means said. “He was more focused the last two days than I’ve seen him all year. He worked hard. He drilled hard. He warmed up hard. He was just a man on a mission.”
Becoming a four-timer nearly didn’t happen for Saunders, who won his first three titles at Wichita West and began the school year there. But when Wichita Public Schools switched to virtual learning, Saunders struggled to adapt and became academically ineligible for the fall semester.
Looking for a second chance, Saunders found one in Goddard school district. In October, he enrolled at Goddard Academy, which is an alternative high school that specializes in working with students like Saunders to help them get back on track to graduate on time.
“He just needed a different environment,” Means said.
With the help of Goddard Academy, Saunders quickly got his grades in order and was eligible to start wrestling again in January. Means said he made the most of his second chance with the Lions.
“Quentin is an exceptional athlete,” Means said. “When we brought him in, we told him, ‘Here’s the rules and here’s what you have to do.’ He’s very been respectful. ‘Yes sir, no sir.’ Some kids just need a change and we were able to give him that change and had good results.”
Means thought Saunders wrestled conservatively against Flores at last weekend’s regional tournament. This time around, Saunders was the aggressor. He scored a takedown in the first 20 seconds of the match and added another one in the third period for the decisive victory.
“He’s got a lot of expectations on him, a lot of pressure,” Means said. “I’ve seen it with some of my guys in the past who have wrestled a little too timidly. They wrestled not to lose. (Saturday) he wrestled to win. Once he opened up and started attacking, started shooting, he wins.”
Saunders’ title win was one of three for the Lions, as seniors Jerrdon Fisher (152) and Kaden Glass (195) also came away with championships. And for the eighth straight year, Goddard won the Class 5A team championship with 190.5 points, 22 points better than second-place Blue Valley Southwest. It was the 11th team title for Means, who moved into a tie for second-most all-time for a Kansas high school coach.
For Fisher, it completed a dominant run that saw him win individual titles three straight years. No one even came close to touching Fisher during his title run at 152 his senior year, as he scored two pins, a major decision and then a 19-3 technical fall in the title match over St. Thomas Aquinas senior Jordan Habben. Fisher finished his senior year with a 41-1 record.
“He’s been on another level all year,” Means said. “He’s got the work ethic, discipline, attitude, speed, quickness, skill. A lot of things I can’t teach. He’ just got an impeccable work ethic. He’s the real deal.”
For Glass, it was an especially sweet title after losing in the finals the last two years at the state meet. This time, Glass would not be denied and won a 6-3 decision over Aquinas junior Sean Carroll.
“I was really glad to see that one,” Means said. “He didn’t wrestle his best the last two years in the finals. I think he maybe got caught up in the moment, but this year he was just all business. The kid just worked his tail off and he got what he deserved.”
Kapaun’s Bubba Wright headlines City League finishes with 5A title
It was a clinical performance from Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Bubba Wright, who dominated the 126 field to win his second straight 5A state title.
Wright notched a pair of first-period pins and a technical fall in the semifinals on Friday, then left no doubt in Saturday’s finals with a decisive 3-0 victory over Mill Valley’s Maddox Casella. Wright, who won the 120 title last season, finished his senior season with a 41-3 record and only allowed two points — a reversal in the match he won 17-2 — scored on him during the entire state meet.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel teammates junior Nathan Fury (third at 182), sophomore Omari Elias (fifth at 170) and freshman Romiz Monaco (fifth at 113) all picked up a 5A medal for the Crusaders.
Bishop Carroll had five medalists in senior Caleb Means (fourth at 138), freshman Caden Denton (fifth at 106), freshman Brady Duling (fifth at 126), senior Antonio Huerta (sixth at 160) and junior Broc Eastman (sixth at 195).
Meanwhile, it was heartbreak again for Wichita Northwest junior Caden Ross, who reached the 6A state finals for the second straight year but settled for a runner-up finish. Ross and Blue Valley West’s Brooks Lowe battled to a stalemate, tied 1-1, after three periods, then it was Lowe who scored the game-winning takedown with 17 seconds left in the first overtime period.
The City League also had a host of 6A medalists, headlined by Wichita North junior Richard Shields, who reached the 113 finals and finished runner-up to Lawrence Free State’s Nolan Bradley in a 4-2 decision. Other area medalists were Wichita Northwest senior Zach Morford (third at 195) and Wichita South junior Matt Godsey (sixth at 285).
Tate Rusher wins title to help Derby to second-place 6A team finish
All it took was a moment of brilliance for Derby junior Tate Rusher to etch his name in history.
Rusher scored a takedown late in the first period of the 138 championship match against Junction City’s Patrick Foxworth, then worked quickly to earn the pin with just one second left to stand on top of the podium for the first time.
Rusher, who finished fourth at state as a sophomore, also came through in the clutch in his semifinals match on Friday, earning an escape with 22 seconds left in the third period to secure a 5-4 win.
Rusher’s pin helped Derby finish in second place in the 6A team race with 142.5 points, less than nine away from the champion Washburn Rural. The Panthers also had another wrestler reach the state finals in junior Braden Tatum, who lost a last-second decision in the 120 finals and finished in second place.
Derby did the majority of its work on the backside of the bracket, as the Panthers saw eight of their 12 wrestlers finish with a medal. The other medalists for Derby were junior Knowlyn Egan (third at 145), sophomore Peyton Neptune (third at 182), sophomore Diego Gauna (fourth at 132), freshman Jayden Grijlva (fifth at 106), junior Cole Molloy (sixth at 113) and junior Miles Wash (sixth at 220).
Maize’s Connor Padgett pins his way to a 5A title
No one could come close to touching Maize junior Connor Padgett at the 5A state tournament.
Padgett needed just a little over six minutes of mat time to pin his four opponents en route to the 5A title at 170, capped off by a first-period pin of Goddard Eisenhower’s Mason Levin in the finals.
After finishing third at 160 last season, Padgett completed a dominant 44-4 season with his first state title.
His teammate Ayden Flores also reached the state finals at 182, setting up a much-anticipated rematch with Goddard’s Quentin Saunders, who was looking for his fourth state title, after Flores pinned Saunders in the regional finals last week to hand him his only loss of the season.
But the rematch would go in favor of Saunders, who won a 5-2 decision. Flores, just a sophomore, added a runner-up finish to his state career, which began with a third-place finish at 145 last season.
Maize battled through an injury-filled tournament to still notch a fourth-place finish in the team standings. Besides Padgett and Flores, the Eagles had medalists in junior Clayton Bowers (third at 138), sophomore Ronan Wunsch (third at 195), sophomore Jayden Ford (fourth at 160), senior Keton Patterson (sixth at 132) and junior Camden Padgett (sixth at 145).
Andale, Augusta with wrestlers who win two straight 4A titles
A bump up in weight classes didn’t change anything for Andale sophomore Owen Eck, who won his second straight 4A state title. After claiming the 120 title last year, Eck bumped up to 138 and saw the same result.
Eck was actually trailing 5-4 entering the third period of the title match against Tonganoxie’s Grayson Sonntag, but he dominated the final two minutes — scoring a pair of takedowns and a nearfall — to pull away for an 11-7 decision to cap off a 31-2 season.
Another local wrestler who secured their second straight state title was Augusta junior Marcus Terry, who followed up his state title at 106 last season by winning the 120 title this weekend.
Much like Eck, Terry trailed entering the third period, 3-2, but earned an early escape to tie the match and then won with the title-winning takedown with 39 seconds remaining to win a 5-4 decision over Abilene’s Chris McClanahan.
Augusta, which finished second in the team standings and was less than nine points away from champion Tonganoxie, also had medalists in junior Kalvin LaPlant (second at 113), senior Garrett Davis (third at 195), junior Grady Fox (third at 138), freshman Willy Jon Morales (third at 285) and junior Cannon Carey (fifth at 132).
Andale, which finished third in the team race, also had two other wrestlers make it to the finals, as freshman Trent Eck (106) and junior Riley Marx (220) each finished runner-up. Andale had other medalists in senior Colton Miller (fourth at 120), junior Jonah Meyer (fourth at 160) and junior Kelby Eck (fourth at 152).
Campus’ Dylan Sheler goes out on top with 6A title
The rematch from last week’s 6A regional finals between Derby junior Braden Tatum and Campus senior Dylan Sheler did not disappoint.
This time a state championship was at stake and it once again came down to the final seconds, as Sheler emerged victorious with a late takedown to score a 5-4 victory over Tatum, who had handed him one of just four losses this season last week at regionals.
After losing in the semifinals both his sophomore and junior seasons, Sheler experienced the joy of breaking through in his final go-around.
Campus had another standout reach the championship match in senior Aidan Williams, who came out on top of back-to-back thrillers in the closing seconds to reach the state finals at 182. Williams finished in second place, falling to top-ranked Austin Fager of Washburn Rural.
Valley Center’s Jett Schwartz completes rise with 5A state title
The motivation of coming close, but falling just short of reaching the state tournament last season was what drove Valley Center’s Jett Schwartz for what became a special sophomore season.
Schwartz blossomed into one of the state’s best 106-pounders, completing his meteoric rise to stardom with a 5A title on Saturday with a 6-4 decision over Newton freshman Lucas Kaufman. Schwartz finished the season with a 33-4 record.
In his Hartman Arena debut, Schwartz scored two first-period pins and a major decision on Friday to advance to the finals. He didn’t let up on Saturday, scoring two takedowns in the first two periods to open up a sizable lead and hold on for his much-awaited state championship.
The other medalists for Valley Center were junior Easton Boone (third at 160), senior Dallas Gould (third at 220), freshman Aiden Shields (fourth at 113) and senior Elijah Hunt (sixth at 285).
It was a bittersweet finish for Andover senior Gabe Maki, who gave top-ranked Xerarch Tunjaroenkul of Emporia one of his best matches of the season but ultimately lost in the final seconds in the 145 finals in 5A.
Maki executed his plan flawlessly through the first two periods, taking a 1-0 lead into the final two minutes. But Tunjaroenkul managed to escape halfway through, then scored the title-winning takedown with just two seconds left on the clock.
Maki finished his senior year with a 40-5 record, as the second-place medal was the third straight state medal in his career.
Andover also had two other medalists in junior Landry Root (fifth at 120) and sophomore Adam Maki (fifth at 138).
Goddard Eisenhower senior Mason Levin also reached the 5A finals at 170, but finished runner-up to top-ranked Connor Padgett of Maize in the title match. Levin, who finished fifth at 170 last season, finished off his senior year with a second-place medal and 37-5 record.
Other area medalists were Maize South senior Carter Nguyen (sixth at 152) and the Arkansas City duo of junior Wyatt Bahm (fourth at 170) and senior Jevin Foust (sixth at 138).
Rose Hill has a duo of 4A state champions
Rose Hill senior Keegan Beavers rose to the challenge of making the most of his final state tournament, beating the top-ranked wrestler in 152 in the finals to capture the 4A state title.
Beavers was dominant in the title match, winning a 7-2 decision over Frontenac senior Dawson Lapping to hand the top-ranked wrestler his only loss of the season. Beavers finished his senior year with a 44-1 record.
Rose Hill also had another state champion in freshman Johnny Leck, who emerged with the 106 title after winning a 4-3 decision over Andale freshman Trent Eck.
The Rockets, which finished fourth in the team race, also had state medalists in freshman Milan Colvin (second at 285), freshman Adam Bilby (third at 113) and senior Cade Evans (fourth at 195).
Douglass heavyweight Joe Martin wins 3-1A state title
Respect was earned by Douglass at the 3-1A state tournament, as the Bulldogs entered not ranked in the top 10 teams by the coaches and left with a second-place team trophy with a state champion and three other medalists.
Joe Martin, a senior heavyweight, was one of the biggest surprises in the tournament, beating two ranked wrestlers ahead of him, including a second-period pin over top-ranked Jacob Carver Rossville, to win the title.
Douglass also had three other state medalists in junior Wade Morgan (second at 195), senior Dalton Hilyard (fourth at 160) and senior Jace High (fifth at 182).
Kingman senior Colby Schreiner also scored one of the top upsets of the tournament, handing previously-unbeaten freshman Creyo Koop of West Elk his first loss of the season in the 145 finals with a 5-3 decision. After finishing third and runner-up at 145 the last two years at the state meet, Schreiner finally broke through with the title win to cap a 37-5 season.
The other local champion was Flinthills senior Gavin Girty, who won a 7-1 decision over Phillipsburg’s Brock Buresh in the 220 finals.
The other area medalists included Halstead duo junior Kaleb Wise (third at 220) and freshman Clayton Considine (fifth at 106), West Elk sophomore Evan Coble (third at 113), Garden Plain senior Reed Adelhardt (fourth at 195), Eureka senior Brody Harrison (fifth at 145), Haven junior Gavin Moore (fifth at 132) and Hillsboro senior Tristan Rathbone (fifth at 170).
Buhler’s Sam Elliott wins third straight 4A championship
It was the perfect ending to the final high school season for Buhler senior Sam Elliott, who capped off a 39-0 season with his third straight 4A title.
Elliott was dominant throughout the state tournament, pinning two opponents in the first period and winning his other two matches by major decisions, including a 14-6 victory in the 160 finals over Holton’s Jayden Fletcher.
Another AV-CTL champion emerged in Wellington senior Hagen Wright, who pinned Rose Hill’s Milan Colvin in the second period in the heavyweight finals. Wright finished the season with a 30-1 record.
Other local medalists included three from El Dorado in senior Brock Schell (second in 195), junior Collin Scott (fifth at 220) and sophomore Rhett Briggs (sixth at 145) and three more from Winfield in freshman Owen Suttles (fifth at 113), junior Kody Brenn (sixth at 170) and freshman Talon Suttles (sixth at 106). Others included Circle senior Isaiah King (fourth at 285), McPherson junior Treyton Pelnar (fifth at 126) and Mulvane senior Trent Moses (fifth at 145).
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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