Rossville Heads To State Ranked #1

From the Capital-Journal:

From left, Rossville's Derek Gentry, Alex Cavanaugh, Bryce Gfeller and Isaac Luellen 

all will enter this weekend's Class 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament in Hays 

with No. 1 rankings in their respective weight classes.

ROSSVILLE — “It’s just a number.”

Yes, one is just a number. But in sports, it’s pretty much the number.

Every individual, every team strives to be No. 1. To be the best.

Heading into Saturday’s Class 3-2-1A state wrestling championship in Hays, Rossville has the distinction of being the top-ranked team in 3A. What’s more, four Bulldawgs hold the same standing in their respective weight classes.

But until they are standing atop the podium or raising a team trophy on Saturday night, everybody in the Bulldawg program is treating such rankings with the same thought expressed by senior Alex Cavanaugh.

“It’s just a number.”

It’s easy to understand such thinking. After all, Rossville went into last year’s state tournament ranked No. 1. Despite having a fairly strong state meet, getting two individual champions in Isaac Luellen and Bryce Gfeller plus another finalist in Nick Reesor, the Bulldawgs couldn’t knock off the current king of 3A, Norton.

That’s something nobody has been able to do lately, with the Bluejays on a streak of three straight 3A titles. So until somebody beats Norton, well, Norton’s the real No. 1.

“I said that last year,” Rossville coach Curt Brecheisen said. “We went into state No. 1, but until somebody beats them, they’re the one. That’s how we’ve been looking at it all year long.”

“To knock Norton off would be huge,” Luellen said. “They’re tough, and they’ve got a bunch of kids who are going to score points for them. ... But this is our year. We’ve put all our eggs in the basket this year.”

Rossville will send seven wrestlers to this year’s state tournament, four going in with a No. 1 ranking at their respective weights — Cavanaugh at 120 pounds, Gfeller at 126, Derek Gentry at 160 and Luellen at 182. The Bulldawgs might have had a fifth No. 1, but 152-pounder Isaiah Luellen was bumped from the top spot despite winning a regional title last week, dropping to No. 2 when Hoisington’s undefeated Christopher Ball moved up from 145 for the postseason.

Rounding out the state contingent are senior 220-pounder Kole Davoren and freshman 138-pounder Phoenix Thomas. Rossville missed out on an eighth member when 2015 qualifier Holden Hurla lost in the consolation semifinals of 132 at regionals.

For seven to be the lucky number for the Bulldawgs this weekend, Rossville’s No. 1s need to perform like, well, No. 1s — without feeling the burden of being the No. 1 guys everyone is gunning for.

“Being No. 1, it’s just something different,” said Cavanaugh, who is 37-2 and has spent the entire season No. 1 at 120 after placing third at 126 last year. “I wasn’t that last year, and so there’s some pressure, but that’s natural. You still have to go out and do what you do because it’s not going to be given to you.”

If any Bulldawg knows how to handle No. 1 pressure, it might be Gfeller. As a freshman, he went into the state meet ranked No. 3 at 106 pounds and came away a state champion. Last year, Gfeller moved up to 113 and fought off all challengers on his way to a second straight state title.

Now at 126, Gfeller has spent the last half of the season bouncing between first, second and third in the rankings, many times based on the outcome of a head-to-head clash with Mid-East League rival Riley Tubbs of Wabaunsee. Tubbs claimed the top spot after beating Gfeller in the finals of the Silver Lake Invitational, but Gfeller returned the favor and grabbed the top spot with an 8-4 regional final win over Tubbs.

“I don’t think rankings really mean that much,” said Gfeller, who is 38-5. “They’ve been proved wrong before. ... It’s what you do at the tournament that counts.”

The regional victory over Tubbs was significant for Gfeller’s bid for his third straight state title — something only Duane Zlatnik and four-time champ Tagen Lambotte have done in Rossville’s history. When the state brackets came out, Tubbs wound up drawing Smith Center’s David Hileman in a rematch of last year’s 126-pound state championship match.

Hileman spent a large bulk of the season ranked No. 1 but was knocked off in regionals by Phillipsburg’s Josh Lenker, who is on Gfeller’s side of the bracket.

“This year there’s more pressure than last year,” Gfeller said. “There are better kids in my bracket this year. Last year, I had really just (Norton’s) Skylar Johnson. Now there’s Riley, Hileman, the Phillipsburg kid. It’s a tough weight.”

No Bulldawg has worn his No. 1 ranking better than Isaac Luellen. After capturing the 182 title last year despite missing the first half of the season with an arm injury suffered in the state football championship, Luellen hit the mats for his senior year at full strength from the opening whistle.

“I feel a lot more prepared this year compared to last year,” Luellen said. “Last year, I got into shape really well and quickly. This year, I’ve just had so much more time and got to wrestle Basehor and see all the tough competition our schedule gives us.”

Luellen has passed every test, most times with relative ease. In building a 42-0 record, the senior has 24 pins and has beaten 3A No. 2 Matthew Cruickshank of league rival St. Marys six times. His closest match of the season was a 5-3 win over Class 5A No. 1 Jacob Smith of KC Turner in the finals of the Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Invitational.

A potential showdown with Norton unbeaten Gavin Lively won’t materialize because Lively moved up to 195 at regionals.

“I was kind of looking forward to a big match at state, but it’s whatever,” Luellen said.

With Isaac a strong favorite to repeat, the Luellen family would like nothing more than to double their pleasure this weekend by having Isaiah join Isaac as a state champion. The two accomplished the feat together at Kids State, and though Isaac said they haven’t really thought about repeating that performance this weekend, both acknowledged it would make the weekend special.

“I just want me and Isaac to go out with a bang, both of us winning individual state titles and getting a team state title,” said Isaiah, who was fourth at state last year. “I’d like Isaac to finish like that and me be a part of it.”

Isaiah is 36-6 and had been No. 1 until Ball, runner-up at 145 last year, moved up to 152. With Ball 37-0, the path to a state title got a lot tougher, but it’s a challenge Luellen looks forward to if he can survive a half of the bracket that includes No. 4 Chase Prester of Russell and No. 6 Corbin Schoenthaler of WaKeeney along with MEL champ Tommy Truesdale of Riley County.

“I’m going to do all I can to get in the finals, and if we meet up it will be a good match,” Luellen said. “I’ll give it my all and do everything I can to win a state title.”

Being No. 1 has barely set in for Gentry, who took over the top spot when Bennington’s Kyler Mick was knocked off in the regional semifinals by Russell’s Kelton Suchy. After topping St. Marys’ Jayson Failer for the third time in four meetings this year, Gentry (34-5) moved up.

“It was interesting,” he said. “I knew the guy ranked No. 1 all year lost, but I didn’t think I’d move up to No. 1. I don’t think anything changes except maybe everybody has more expectations for me. But it’s also more motivation for me to go out and do what I’ve been doing forever.”

Gentry might have the most motivation of any of Rossville’s state qualifiers. A qualifier each of the past two years as well, Gentry is still looking for his first state tournament win.

“I feel like I’ve got all the losing out of my system out there,” he joked. “I just want to do what I need to do to help the team win a title and me win a title. It’s go out and don’t think about rankings when you step on the mat. Just think about what you have to do and what you’ve learned to do and hopefully you get your hand raised at the end.”

Perhaps the key to Rossville’s title hopes comes from Davoren and Thomas. Davoren is a returning qualifier, and though he went 0-2 last year, he has spent the bulk of this season ranked in the top four at 220. At 34-6, he’s ranked second behind Oakley’s Chris Cox, who is on his side of the bracket.

Thomas, meanwhile, is the only newcomer to this year’s state contingent. And though he’s just a freshman, Thomas (28-11) understands the significance of his presence.

“I may not be one of those guys that’s going to get to the finals, but I know it’s still important for me on the back side or front side, to pick up some team points,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be nervous the first match because it’s a big setting and it’s important for me to do well for us to win the title.”

In addition to winning league and regional titles, Rossville has shown well at its biggest tournaments of the season, taking fourth at the prestigious Basehor-Linwood Invitational and getting nine placers at the Eudora Tournament of Champions.

After taking second in 2014 and third last year at the 3A state tournament, Rossville feels it’s got its best shot ever at dethroning Norton. It’s time to be “The One.”

“This is our best team since I’ve been in high school,” Isaac Luellen said. “Numbers-wise, we’re better than we’ve ever been, and we have as much quality as quantity. We really want that state title, and we’re working hard for it. It’s going to take everybody wrestling up to their potential. If we go out and let it fly, it’s our title.”