Zach and Alex In State Finals

From the Capital-Journal:

HAYS — About midway through the season, Rossville’s Zach Archer began riding a wave of confidence after beating several quality opponents.

That wave ended up carrying Archer all the way into the 106-pound finals in the Class 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament.

Archer, who has never placed at state before, upset No. 1-ranked Colby freshman Tyler Voss in the semifinals, earning a 5-3 decision on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

“Especially toward the middle of the year when I started beating some really good people, it really started to come together,” Archer said.

Voss (38-8) jumped in front with an early takedown, but Archer didn’t give up anything in the second period and controlled the third.

“In the second period, I rode him out and didn’t let him get any points, so I just knew if I got an escape and got a takedown that it would pretty much be over,” Archer said.

He will meet Goodland’s D.J. Knox (40-11) in Saturday’s finals.

Moments after punching his ticket to the final, Archer watched his older brother, Alex Archer, do the same for Rossville at 120, advancing to the final with a 16-0 technical fall over Minneapolis’ Austin Roth.

Alex Archer (35-5) will meet Eureka’s Kolby Beitz (30-2) in the finals.

“It’s really cool because neither of us have placed at state before,” Zach Archer said. “And now we’re both in the finals in the same year.”

Zach Archer said his aggressive mindset against Voss paid off.

“Just make sure to attack,” Zach Archer said of the strategy. “I think I did it pretty well. I got taken down in the first, but then in the third period I got a takedown.”

Zach Archer opened with a major decision (13-3) over Norton’s Darius Shields then earned another major decision (10-2) over Connor Booth-Hughes from Eureka to move to the semis.

Alex Archer’s path to the 120 finals included a pin over Dominic Davis in the first round and a 10-8 decision win over Fredonia’s Hunter Reddick in the quarterfinals.

Silver Lake’s Allen knocks off top-ranked 126-pounder

Silver Lake sophomore Kai Allen beat the the top-ranked 126-pounder, grinding out a 1-0 decision over Hill City’s Alec Segarra.

Allen, 42-6 on the season, will meet Phillipsburg’s Jacob Sisson (29-5) in the finals.

“My strategy was just wrestle my match — don’t wrestle not to lose, but wrestle to win,” Allen said. “I think I did fairly well. I think I executed what I needed to do in order to win, and that showed.”

Allen brought home third place last year at 113 pounds.

“It, of course, made me a lot more hungry to get better and to win,” Allen said. “I think it helped me a lot.”

Allen opened with a pin of Adam McPhail, of Cimarron, and also pinned Smith Center’s Joe Stocker in the quarterfinal.

Riverside’s Horn advances to 132 finals

After a disappointing 1-2 showing last year at the state tournament, Riverside junior Beau Horn atoned with an impressive outing on Friday.

Horn (34-5) clinched his spot in the 132-pound finals with an 8-3 decision over Beloit’s Tate Kadel in the semifinals.

“Riding on top, I knew that I was going to be able to turn him over,” Horn said. “That’s what I did at the end of the match to get the victory — just ride him out a little bit. My main objective was to get on top and stay on top.”

Horn will meet Hoxie’s Dylan Weimer (38-6) in the finals.

“I was very happy, but then I was like, ‘Well, I still have one more and it’s going to be even tougher,’ ” Horn said.

Riley County’s Richard remains unbeaten

One Riley County undefeated season remained intact, while another streak was snapped for the Falcons.

Senior Luke Richard moved to 42-0 on the season and advanced to the 145-pound finals with a 12-1 major decision over Hoxie’s Aidan Baalman. He will meet Plainville’s Brandon Rohr for the title.

However, Riley County’s Mikey Waggoner took his first loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion, falling 5-4 in overtime to Plainville’s Jordan Finnesy at 170 pounds after Finnesy got a late escape. Waggoner dropped to 33-1 on the season.

After edging Lakin’s Hadley Panzer in overtime in the semifinals last year on the way to an 285-pound title, Sabetha’s Elliot Strahm lost the rematch to Panzer in another overtime bout in the semis Friday. Panzer won 4-2.

At 195 pounds, Rossville’s Kody Davoren made it to the semis before being pinned in the third period by Hoisington’s Wyatt Pedigo.

Sabetha’s Cauy Rokey made it to the 220 semifinals before suffering an early fall to Norton’s Hayden Wiltfong.

Wellsville’s Anthony Signs reached the 152 semifinal before taking an 8-6 decision loss to Eureka’s Brent Escareno.

Class 3-2-1A wrestling results Friday

Semifinals

106 — Zach Archer, Rossville, dec. over Tyler Voss, 5-2; Knox, Goodland, pinned, Grafel, Oberlin, 4:40.

113 — White, Mound City-Jayhawk Linn, pinned Colton Shoemaker, Smith Center, 1:37; Beitz, Eureka, pinned Spiller, Stockton, 2:36.

120 — Beitz, Eureka, major dec. over Bell, Hoxie, 11-3; Z. Archer, Rossville, tech fall over Roth, Minneapolis, 16-0.

126 — Allen, Silver Lake., dec. over Segarra, Hill City, 1-0; Sisson, Phillipsburg, dec. over Caleb Farmer, 12-7.

132 — Horn, Riverside, dec. over Kadel, Beloit, 8-3. Weimer, Hoxie, dec. over Schreiner, Kingman, 5-4.

138 — Lowe, Eureka, pinned Kendrick Woody, Atwood-Rawlins County, 0:19; Hauck, Minneapolis, dec. over Schroeder, Colby, 4-2

145 — Rohr, Plainville, dec. over Weilert, Fredonia, 8-3; Luke Richard, Riley County, maj. dec. over Baalman, Hoxie, 12-1.

152 — Zane Colson, Mankato-Rock Hills, dec. over Konnor Pfeifer, Ellis, 11-6; Escareno, Eureka, dec. over Anthony Signs, Wellsville, 8-6.

160 — Seabolt, Cimarron, pinned Uehlin, Oberlin-Decatur Community, 1:29; Porsch, Hoxie, pinned, Rodriguez, Southeast Of Saline, 2:23.

170 — Amlong, Norton, dec. over Morgan Rains, Oakley, 5-4; Finnesy, Plainville, won in tie breaker over Waggoner, 5-4

182 — Johnson, Holcomb, dec. over Villalpando, Minneapolis, 8-3; Finley, Colby, dec. over Newton, Cimarron, 7-3.

195 — Pedigo, Hoisington, pinned Davoren, Rossville, 5:44; Booi, Colby, pinned Dressler, Douglas, 5:10.

220 — Wiltfong, Norton Community, pinned, Rokey, Sabetha, 0:50; Davenport, Brookville-Ell Saline, pinned, Branum, Colby, 1:04

285 — Zimmerman, Belleville-Republic County, won by fall over Opat, WaKeeney-Trego, 1:22; Hadley Panzer, Lakin, won in tie breaker over Strahm, Sabetha, 4-2

Team scores after Friday

Eureka 99.02, Colby 79.03, Hoxie 64.04, Rossville 53.55, Norton Community 53.06, Plainville 49.07, Riley County 46.08, Hoisington 40.09, Minneapolis 38.010, Cimarron 36.011, Phillipsburg 35.012, Belleville-Republic County 31.013, Sabetha 29.014, Silver Lake 28.015, Smith Center 27.516, Mound City-Jayhawk Linn 26.017, Wathena-Riverside 24.518, Goodland 23.019, Beloit 22.019, Brookville-Ell Saline 22.019, Mankato-Rock Hills 22.022, Holcomb 21.523, Lakin 21.024, Oberlin-Decatur Community 20.025, Fredonia 19.026, Wellsville 18.527, Douglass 16.027, Gypsum-Southeast Of Saline 16.029, Oakley 15.030, WaKeeney-Trego Community 14.031, Ellis 13.031, Hill City 13.033, Whitewater-Remington 12.034, Kingman 11.035, St. Francis 10.036, Atwood-Rawlins County 9.036, Stockton 9.038, Effingham-ACCHS 8.038, Marion 8.038, Oskaloosa 8.041, Erie 7.042, Cherryvale 6.042, Cottonwood Falls-Chase County 6.042, Council Grove 6.042, Ellsworth 6.042, Eskridge-Mission Valley 6.042, Garden Plain 6.048, Bennington 5.049, Cheney 4.049, Lincoln 4.049, Osage City 4.049, Salina-St. Johns Millitary 4.049, Uniontown 4.049, White City 4.055, Easton-Pleasant Ridge 3.055, Hillsboro 3.055, Logan 3.055, Sterling 3.055, Sylvan-Lucas Unified 3.060, St. Marys 2.561, Humboldt 2.061, Lyons 2.061, Stafford 2.064, Anthony/Harper-Chaparral 1.064, Highland-Doniphan West 1.064, Leoti-Wichita County 1.067, Cherokee-Southeast 0.067, Halstead 0.067, Quinter 0.0.