Final Rounds Coming Up

Thee are a few matches for third place remaining and then the championship matches will begin.  The Dawgs have four wrestlers in those matches,  and have a one point lead over Norton 108-107.

Rossville Leads After First Day

From CatchItKansas.com

After Friday’s competition, Rossville and Norton had distanced themselves from the field, though the state crown remains in doubt after Day 1 at Fort Hays State University’s Gross Memorial Coliseum. Rossville leads Norton 101-91. No other team exceeds 54 points.

“You do the math, it’s going to be tough this year, and we knew that going in,” Johnson said. “We were not the favorite by any means, but I think we wrestled well enough to put a little scare in them.”

Rossville, known for its elite talent, has four wrestlers in the finals. Norton, traditionally with excellent depth, qualified three. The Bluejays’ eight wrestlers all remain alive and five are guaranteed medals. Rossville has seven wrestlers. Each one is left with guaranteed five placers.

“We knew it was going to be hard,” senior 195-pounder Gavin Lively said. “They have got quite a few in the finals just like we do, and we are going to try and finish it off.”

Last season, Norton trailed Hoisington and Rossville after Friday but tallied 43 Day 2 points and collected its eighth title in the last 12 years. Last season, the Bluejays had just one in the final and placed seven. This year, Norton has likely less opportunity to score on the backside.

“The chances that we would score a lot more points on the back was greater last year,” Johnson said.

Rossville and Norton had some surprises, both good and bad. Overall, the Bluejays were pleased with a day that put three seniors into championships: 113-pounder Skylar Johnson, 160-pounder Mike Kasson and Lively, undefeated this winter. It marks the second final for Johnson, first for Kasson and Lively.

“That’s all I have ever worked for is to make finals,” Kasson said.

Lively and Kasson have both gone through multiple obstacles in their careers, and for Kasson, some hurdles Friday.

“He has been huge,” Lively said. “He is wrestling in the toughest bracket in the state right now I’d say.”

Lively, a Kansas State football signing, believed he could have placed at state as a freshman and sophomore, though suffered injury. Last season, Lively had a disqualification in the quarterfinals and took third. On Friday, he dominated his three matches.

“It feels great knowing I should have been there last year and making it this year,” Lively said.

Lively, Smith Center’s 220-pound sophomore Dalton Kuhn and Plainville 285-pound senior Jared Plante were the lone wrestlers to record three wins by fall. Lively spent just 5 minutes, 20 seconds on the mat.

“We know we have to wrestle good if we want to take home our fourth team title, so we are all wrestling the hardest we can, and I am just trying to get as many points as I can for my team,” Lively said.

Kasson didn’t place as a sophomore and took third at 152 last season. Kasson said he “drew the short straw” and had to face St. Marys’ Greg Tooley, the eventual champion, in the first round. This year, Kasson had one of the two high-profile first round matchups.

Kasson, ranked sixth by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, faced No. 5 Jacob Stryker, a Marysville junior. Kasson had lost to Stryker twice this winter. This time, Kasson tied the match in the final seconds of regulation on a takedown and then won, 4-2 in sudden victory. Kasson collected a 4-3 decision in the quarterfinals and won 12-3 in the semifinals.

Johnson said Kasson’s performance mirrored his run through the prestigious Newton tournament last month. Kasson barely won his first round match, had a better win in the second, did well in the semifinals – and then didn’t wrestle well in the finals.

“So hopefully we can turn that around and wrestle his best match here, and he is one of those kids that he has an enormous amount of heart,” Johnson said. “He hasn’t always had the great technique, but he has developed that over the years.”

Junior 145-pounder Trenton Wright, with nine losses entering state, was unranked. Wright went 2-1 and is guaranteed a medal in his first trip.

“One of those steady kids,” Johnson said. “Between your sophomore and your junior year is when we want to see those huge gains, and he has made that big step.”

Norton had some negative surprises as well, namely sophomore Ryan Johnson, a returning state runner-up, falling in the quarterfinals at 120 pounds. Rossville won one of its key toss-up matches when Bulldog senior Kole Davoren defeated Oakley sophomore Chris Cox in sudden victory in the 220-pound semifinals.

“I really didn’t expect their 220 pounder to pull that one out, but their kids came to wrestle, and I give them credit for that,” coach Johnson said. “But our guys rose to the occasion.”

Gfeller and Tubbs Meet In Final

From the Capial-Journal

Rossville's Gfeller, Wabaunsee's Tubbs meet again, this time for 3A title

Mid-East League rivals earn fourth showdown in 126 finals of state tourney; St. Marys' Tyler gets rematch with Wabaunsee's Droegemeier for 145 crown

HAYS — As much as their previous three meetings were hyped as potential previews to a state championship showdown, Rossville’s Bryce Gfeller never really got that feeling about his clashes with Mid-East League rival Riley Tubbs of Wabaunsee.

When he steps onto the mat Saturday in Gross Memorial Coliseum to face Tubbs for a fourth time, that all changes. This time, the showdown between the friendly rivals will be just that, a battle for the Class 3-2-1A 126-pound state championship.

Both handily earned a fourth and final showdown this year during Friday’s opening day of the state meet. Gfeller won two of his three matches by major decisions and the other via pin on his way to the finals, while Tubbs opened with a 6-2 win over defending state champion David Hileman of Smith Center and cruised into the finals from there on the strength of two pins.

“It will definitely be a real state match this time,” said Gfeller, who will be seeking his third straight state title after previously winning at 106 as a freshman and 113 as a sophomore. “I knew going into those other matches that I would probably be wrestling him again at state, probably.”

The Gfeller-Tubbs final is one of two Mid-East rivalry battles in Saturday’s finals. At 145, defending champion Corey Tyler of St. Marys will take on Wabaunsee’s Kolby Droegemeier for the third time this season with Tyler dominating the previous two meetings.

“I just have to go out and do the same thing I’ve done the past couple times,” Tyler said. “The plan is just take him down, let him up, wear him out and do it again.”

Tubbs had by far the toughest path of the four to earn his second straight championship match. His opening match against Hileman was a rematch of last year’s 126-pound title match, set up when Tubbs lost in the regional finals and Hileman was upset in his regional semifinals.

In last year’s championship match, Tubbs dominated early before Hileman roared back and caught Tubbs in the third period to pin the Charger for the title.

Needless to say, that loss stuck with Tubbs all offseason.

“I’ve been waiting all year to wrestle him,” Tubbs said of Hileman. “I was pretty motivated for that match and I’m glad I got that off my back. It was huge for me.”

It showed as Tubbs came out the aggressor again and after a scoreless first period built a 3-0 lead in the second on his way to a 6-2 victory, securing the win with a late takedown in the final period.

Tubbs made quick work of Leoti’s Dylon Niswonger in the quarterfinals and pinned Hill City’s Devin Owen in the second period of the semifinals to return to the finals for the second straight year.

All that was left to set up the rematch was for Gfeller to do his part and he had no trouble doing that. After pinning Marysville’s Skylar Widmer, Gfeller got a big and dominating 16-5 win over Norton’s Kade Unterseher in the quarterfinals before handling Council Grove’s Colton Steele 11-3 in the semifinals.

Gfeller (41-5) has won two of the three meetings with Tubbs this year, handing the Charger both of his defeats — winning 6-4 in overtime at Holton and 8-4 in last week’s regional final. In between, Tubbs (43-2) dealt Gfeller a 3-1 loss at Silver Lake, winning in the final seconds.

“It’s definitely different wrestling a kid you’ve known for your whole life and it’s a great matchup between me and him,” Tubbs said. “I just need to wrestle my best and everything will be fine.”

“It’s who I wanted to wrestle the finals with,” Gfeller said. “He’s very strong and it’s going to be a good match. He’s probably out for some blood. It will be fun.”

Tyler actually had a bit of a scare on his way back to the finals after winning state last year as a junior. At least what qualifies for a scare — being taken down.

Only three guys had done that this year, but when Ellis’ Dalton Hensley did it in the quarterfinals, it snapped Tyler to life. He rebounded from the 2-0 deficit to take a 7-4 win and then toyed with Norton’s Trenton Wright in a 20-8 semifinal win.

“I had some nerves going in and when he first took me down, I was kind of mad at myself,” Tyler said. “I was OK, though.”

Droegemeier opened with a pin and then took tight wins over Scott City’s Jarret Jurgens (9-7) and Bennington’s T.J. Ragnoni (3-2), the latter coming in the semifinals to earn a third shot at Tyler.

In the previous two matches, Tyler pinned Droegemeier and took an 18-8 win, but Droegemeier (41-7) is eager for another chance at the undefeated state champ (42-0).

“I felt like I had a good chance to get there and I just had to do whatever I could to get to the finals,” Droegemeier said. “I just have to do whatever I can and wrestle my best. I’m a little more confident than the other times. He’s good, I just have to do what I can.”

Four Dawgs Reach 3A Finals

Luellen brothers position Rossville for 3A team title

Posted: February 26, 2016 - 10:18pm

Read more prep stories at PrepZone

By Brent Maycock

brent.maycock@cjonline.com

HAYS —For as long as Isaac and Isaiah Luellen have been wrestling together, only once have they had their hands raised as state champions in the same year.

That came at the 2013 Kids State Tournament and proved to be a special moment for the Rossville brothers.

What could top it? If they could duplicate the feat Saturday at the Class 3-2-1A state championships in Hays and help bring home a team title for the Bulldawgs in the process.

The duo set up both possibilities with dominating performances Friday. Isaiah had no trouble finding his way into Saturday’s 152-pound title match and Isaac had even less trouble returning to the 182-pound finals after winning last year’s state title at that weight.

“It’s what we wanted all season, so that’s accomplished,” Isaiah Luellen said. “But we’ve still got another step. We can’t be happy with just being in the finals. We have to win the whole thing. We’ve got some unfinished business to take care of.”

Overall, Rossville did some heavy lifting in its bid to capture its first team state title after posting top-three finishes the past two years. The Bulldawgs put four in the finals with Bryce Gfeller earning a shot at his third straight state title by reaching the 126-pound finals and Kole Davoren putting a dramatic and momentum-building finish on the day with a 3-2 sudden-death upset win in the 220-pound finals.

Rossville heads into Saturday’s action with a 10-point lead on three-time defending champion Norton (101-91).

“I really want to win this tournament,” Isaac Luellen said. “That’s been our goal all season long. If we both win, that could lead to a team title as well.”

Of all Rossville’s victories on Friday, Davoren provided the most dramatic moments. And they started even before the state meet with Davoren waking up Monday with a 101-degree temperature coupled with vomiting.

“I could not think of a worse time for a fever to come on and be throwing up,” Davoren said. “I wasn’t going to let it keep me from being here, though.”

If Davoren was weakened by the bout of fever, it hardly showed and he had plenty in the tank when he needed it the most. He got down early against Hoisington’s Austin McHenry in the quarterfinals, but rallied for a 5-3 overtime win to set up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with top-ranked Chris Cox of Oakley in the semifinals.

The two traded escapes during regulation, and after a scoreless overtime Cox got an escape in the second overtime for a 2-1 lead. Davoren couldn’t manage an escape in his overtime period on bottom, but Cox couldn’t keep him on the mat and Davoren was awarded a stalling point to tie the match and force sudden death.

Needing an escape to win, Davoren got it with four seconds left in the match, earning a shot in the finals against Smith Center’s Dalton Kuhn (13-3).

“I probably gave my mom a heart attack,” said Davoren, who improved to 37-6. “I was confident and I could tell my shape was being important and that helped me in the end.”

Isaac Luellen was virtually untouchable in his three matches at 182, taking easy wins, including a 22-7 technical fall win over Riley County’s Chris Truesdale in the semifinals.

“I felt great today, relaxed and on point,” said Luellen, who improved to 45-0 and will face Lyons’ Cody Clarke (32-5) in the finals. “If I wrestle like that tomorrow, it’ll produce a state championship.”

Isaiah, meanwhile, posted pins in his first two matches and then handled Russell’s Chase Prester 8-3 in the semifinals. His challenge in the finals is a huge one, No. 1 Christopher Ball of Hoisington, who is 40-0 and the younger brother of Brandon Ball, who beat Luellen at state last year.

“I was just letting it fly today,” said Luellen, who is 39-6. “I just want to get that state title. I have to get to his legs early on and attack him and beat him on my feet.”

Rossville did have a handful of hiccups that could have put the Bulldawgs in firm control of the tourney.

Senior 120-pounder Alex Cavanaugh, ranked No. 1 all year, was upset in the semifinals in a match that had state championship written all over it. Facing standout freshman Dayton Porsch of Hoxie, Cavanaugh led 1-0 in the second period before Porsch caught him with an underhook and threw him for a takedown to lead 2-1 and went on to win 3-1.

Earlier in the day, 160-pound No. 1 Derek Gentry was knocked off in the quarterfinals, getting pinned by Russell’s Kelton Suchy in the first period of their match.

Both are still alive, however, as is freshman Phoenix Thomas, who bounced back from a first-round loss to pin his consolation first-round foe.

First Two Complete Rounds At State

CLASS 3-2-1A

First round

106 — Dodson, Douglass pinned Kroeger, Ellis, 4:22; Gleason, Mission Valley won by tech. fall over Huehl, Lincoln, 15-0; Tucker, Scott City pinned Hathaway, Uniontown, 0:30; Ware, Royal Valley dec. Rohr, Plainville, 6-4; Richard, Riley County pinned Ragland, Pleasant Ridge, 1:26; Beitz, Eureka maj. dec. Lynn, Cimarron, 10-0; Ware, Wellsville dec. Snellings, Marysville, 9-4; Farmer, Remington dec. Nolde, Larned, 6-2.

113 — Kuhn, WaKeeney dec. Schoenberger, Russell, 16-11; Beitz, Eureka maj. dec. Ewing, Wellsville, 10-0; Johnson, Norton pinned Hight, Marysville, 1:29; Butler, Council Grove pinned Parker, West Elk, 1:29; Stanton, Caney Valley dec. Pringle, Perry-Lecompton, 8-1; Slack, Oakley dec. Harris, Beloit, 7-4; Priddy, Silver Lake pinned Benton, Bluestem, 1:28; Tucker, Scott City pinned Goans, Lyons, 0:52.

120 — Crownover, Marysville pinned Vance, Winfield, 2:56; Younger, Ellis, dec. Skerce, Council Grove, 3-1; Kester, SE-Cherokee won by tech. fall over Jamie, Lyons, 21-4; Johnson, Norton maj. dec. Bailey, Royal Valley, 16-3; Porsch, Hoxie pinned King, St. Marys, 3:30; Emmot, Beloit pinned Jennings, Fredonia, 3:43; Cavanaugh, Rossville pinned Hamel, Hill City, 1:07; Herbstritt, Jayhawk-Linn dec. Constable, Minneapolis, 5-2..

126 — D. Owen, Hill City pinned C. Owen, Chase County, 1:23; Goans, Lyons dec. Harrell, Sabetha, 6-4; Niswonger, Leoti pinned Compton, Jayhawk-Linn, 5:03; Tubbs, Wabaunsee dec. Hileman, Smith Center, 6-2; Steele, Council Grove dec. Lenker, Phillipsburg, 4-2; Bailey, Eureka pinned Asper, Chaparral, 3:24; Gfeller, Rossville pinned Widmer, Marysville, 5:10; Unterseher, Norton dec. Johnson, Marion, 4-0.

132 — Voth, Fredonia dec. Bradford, Silver Lake, 8-5; McFee, Atwood dec. Lowell, Republic County, 9-8; Wilmarth, Wellsville pinned Lehman, Erie, 1:15; Rhoades, TMP-Marian pinned Perez, Lakin, 4:54; Hutchinson, Smith Center dec. Thomas, Scott City, 5-1; Darnell, Marion dec. Brownlee, Sabetha, 11-8; Deters, Marysville pinned Rains, Oakley, 1:25; Ostertag, Atchison County pinned Byram, Jayhawk-Linn, 3:25.

138 — Porsch, Hoxie pinned King, Hillsboro, 1:06; Resler, Riverside maj. dec. Davis, Phillipsburg, 16-2; Kruep, Atwood pinned Shults, Marion, 4:49; Heise, Osborne pinned Lux, Royal Valley, 5:43; Dultmeier, Silver Lake won by forfeit over Whitakey, Sacred Heart; Jueneman, Oberlin pinned Delaney, Central-Burden, 2:13; Wessling, Beloit won by tech. fall over Thomas, Rossville, 18-3; Newton, Cimarron pinned Hartzell, Erie, 1:23.

145 — Tyler, St. Marys pinned Merchant, Hesston, 3:04; Hensley, Ellis dec. Hansen, Plainville, 8-2; Williams, Wellsville dec. Sharp, Chase County, 2-1; Wright, Norton pinned Will, Ell-Saline, 5:37; Jurgens, Scott City pinned Colson, Rock Hills, 2:56; Droegemeier, Wabaunsee pinned Albin, Marion, 4:17; Ragnoni, Bennington maj. dec. Murphy, Oakley, 13-5; Morris, Halstead dec. Howerton, Silver Lake, 14-11.

152 — De Waal, St. Francis pinned Rodriguez, SE-Saline, 3:06; Howerton, Silver Lake maj. dec. VanRooy, Cherryvale, 15-2; Ball, Hoisington pinned Nichols, Sterling, 1:55; Hart, Royal Valley pinne Moorman-Maedor, Herington, 1:50; Luellen, Rossville pinned Moran, Bluestem, 1:37; Truesdale, Riley County dec. Schoenthaler, WaKeeney, 10-7; Speer, Doniphan West pinned Hollandsworth, Caney Valley; Prester, Russell dec. Hayes, Scott City, 3-1.

160 — Sherman, Fredonia won by tech. fall over Polston, Wabaunsee, 17-2; Mick, Bennington dec. Erickson, Oberlin, 1-0; Gentry, Rossville won by tech. fall over Hagerman, Herington, 24-5; Suchy, Russell dec. Overton, Chaparral, 6-3; Kasson, Norton dec. Stryker, Marysville, 4-2 OT; Dunlap, Doniphan West dec. Putter, Marion, 3-0; Waggoner, Riley County dec. Green, Atwood, 6-5; Failer, St. Marys dec. Morris, Halstead, 1-0.

170 — Wesley, Oberlin maj. dec. Ames, Onaga, 13-3; Moran, Bluestem dec. Wilkens, Plainville, 9-5; Ellis, Wellsville pinned Tankersley, Leoti, 3:07; McMichael, Central-Burden pinned Meitler, Smith Center, 2:41; Mintzmyer, Marysville pinned Dodson, Caney Valley, 3:47; Hager, Norton pinned Jones, Burlingame, 5:04; Schmidt, Eureka maj. dec. Schoen, SE-Saline, 12-1; Rokey, Sabetha pinned Hafliger, WaKeeney, 5:40.

182 — Seabolt, Cimarron pinned Jost, Hillsboro, 1:30; Cruickshank, St. Marys dec. Davenport, Ell-Saline, 8-4; Delaney, Central-Burden pinned Stewart, Scott City, 5:19; Clarke, Lyon maj. dec. Box, Royal Valley, 14-4; Luellen, Rossville dec. Ackerman, Marysville, 11-5; Rains, Oakley pinned Wingfield, Hesston, 1:52; Truesdale, Riley County pinned Holt, Burlingame, 0:53; Jenkins, Chaparral pinned Nordquist, Marion, 1:42.

195 — Haase, Ellis dec. Graham, Pleasant Ridge, 8-7; Gerber, Chaparral dec. Anderson, Caney Valley, 9-2; Collins, Doniphan West pinned Vogelsberg, Marysville, 1:05; Griffith, Scott City pinned Fouts, Douglass, 5:54; Palic, Marion pinned Bogner, Cimarron, 0:46; Brown, Osborne pinned Duncan, Riverside, 5:22; Lively, Norton pinned Mendoza, Hillsboro, 1:19; Shuler, Mission Valley won by tech. fall over Kroetsch, Lyons, 18-3.

220 — Cox, Oakley pinned Renfro, Silver Lake, 1:52; Alvarez, Sacred Heart maj. dec. Holloway, Cherryvale, 9-1; Davoren, Rossville pinned Helms, Chaparral, 5:56; McHenry, Hoisington pinned Green, Douglass, 1:46; Kuhn, Smith Center pinned Timms, Flinthills, 3:28; Hinton, Hiawatha pinned Doyle, St. Francis, 1:45; Guzman, Hesston dec. Detimore, Marysville, 6-0; Lara, Onaga pinned Gugelmeyer, Lakin, 3:47.

285 — Berry, West Elk pinned Eslinger, Chaparral, 1:38; Urban, Hoisington dec. Todd, Royal Valley, 6-5; Washington, Hoxie dec. Fell, Bluestem, 7-2; Plante, Plainville pinned Rose, Wabaunsee, 0:13; Cottenmyre, Republic County dec. Zidek, Oanga, 4-1; Shirley, Oakley pinned Pryce, Eureka, 0:28; Lumpkin, Phillipsburg pinned Stiver, Pleasant Ridge, 1:06; Auker, Norton pinned Schlup, Chase County, 1:14.

Quarterfinals

106 — Dodson, Douglass won by tech. fall over Gleason, Mission Valley, 17-1; D. Ware, Royal Valley pinned Tucker, Scott City, 4:22; Richard, Riley County dec. Beitz, Eureka, 10-4; R. Ware, Wellsville pinned Farmer, Remington, 1:31.

113 — Beitz, Eureka dec. Kuhn, WaKeeney, 6-2; Johnson, Norton dec. Butler, Council Grove, 12-5; Stanton, Caney Valley dec. Slack, Oakley, 7-2; Priddy, Silver Lake maj. dec. Tucker, Scott City, 10-1.

120 — Younger, Ellis dec. Crownover, Marysville, 10-3; Kester, SE-Cherokee dec. Johnson, Norton, 1-0; Porsch, Hoxie pinned Emmot, Beloit, 5:53; Cavanaugh, Rossville maj. dec. Herbstritt, Jayhawk-Linn, 8-0.

126 — Owen, Hill City dec. Goans, Lyons, 9-2; Tubbs, Wabaunsee pinned Niswonger, Leoti, 2:49; Steele, Council Grove dec. Bailey, Eureka, 9-6; Gfeller, Rossville maj. dec. Unterseher, Norton, 16-5.

132 — McFee, Atwood pinned Voth, Fredonia, 3:44; Wilmarth, Wellsville dec. Rhoades, TMP-Marian, 2-1; Hutchinson, Smith Center dec. Darnall, Marion, 6-1; Deters, Marysville dec. Ostertag, Atchison County, 6-3.

138 — Porsch, Hoxie dec. Resler, Riverside, 6-0; Heise, Osborne dec. Kruep, Atwood, 13-6; Dultmeier, Silver Lake dec. Jueneman, Oberlin, 4-2; Wessling, Beloit pinned Newton, Cimarron, 2:40.

145 — Tyler, St. Marys dec. Hensley, Ellis, 7-4; Wright, Norton dec. Williams, Wellsville, 8-6 OT; Droegemeier, Wabaunsee dec. Jurgens, Scott City, 9-7; Ragnoni, Bennigton pinned Morris, Halstead, 2:13.

152 — Howerton, Silver Lake dec. DeWaal, St. Francis, 5-3; Ball, Hoisington dec. Hart, Royal Valley, 4-0; Luellen, Rossville pinned Truesdale, Riley County, 1:12; Prester, Russell pinned Speer, Doniphan West, 5:26.

160 — Mick, Bennington dec. Sherman, Fredonia, 8-2; Suchy, Russell pinned Gentry, Rossville, 0:54; Kasson, Norton dec. Dunlap, Norton, 4-3; Waggoner, Riley County dec. Failer, St. Marys, 1-0.

170 — Moran, Bluestem dec. Wesley, Oberlin, 11-5; McMichael, Central-Burden pinned Ellis, Wellsville, 3:35; Mintzmyer, Marysville pinned Hager, Norton, 2:59; Schmidt, Eureka dec. Rokey, Sabetha, 12-8.

182 — Seabolt, Cimarron pinned Cruickshank, St. Marys, 2:59; Clarke, Lyons dec. Delaney, Central-Burden, 11-4; Luellen, Rossville maj. dec. Rains, Oakley, 18-5; Truesdale, Riley County pinned Jenkins, Chaparral, 0:39.

195 — Gerber, Chaparral pinned Haase, Ellsworth, 3:29; Collins, Doniphan West dec. Griffith, Scott City, 10-8 OT; Palic, Marion pinned Brown, Osborne, 3:04; Lively, Norton pinned Shuler, Mission Valley, 0:26.

220 — Cox, Oakley dec. Alvarez, Sacred Heart, 11-9; Davoren, Rossville dec. McHenry, Hoisington, 5-3 OT; Kuhn, Smith Center pinned Hinton, Hiawatha, 0:20; Lara, Onaga dec. Guzman, Hesston, 5-2.

285 — Berry, West Elk dec. Urban, Hoisington, 5-3; Plante, Plainville pinned Washington, Hoxie, 2:43; Cottenmyre, Republic County pinned Shirley, Oakley, 1:40; Auker, Norton dec. Lumpkin, Phillipsburg, 8-2.

Wrestling Article In CatchitKansas

    Here is a nice article about 321A wrestling in Kansas.
http://www.catchitkansas.com/sports/wrestling/top-5-to-watch-321a-state-wrestling/38192764

State Wrestling Progress (Updated Continuously)

The State 321A wrestling tournament at Hays is underway.

    There are 16 qualifiers in each weight class.  Winning 4 straight gets you a state championship.
    Losing drops you into the consolation bracket for a chance at 3rd place.


Alex Cavanaugh (38-2) won his first match over Ethan Hamel (21-14) of Hill City with a fall at 1:07
                                 won his 2nd match over Kevin Herbstritt (29-14) of Mound City  with MD 8-0
                                 lost in semi-final to Dayton Porsch of Hoxie by a 3- decision.
                                 won next match against Ryan Johnson (30-16) of Norton by a 3-2 Dec.
                                 won match for 3rd place with Tyler Kester (32-2) of Cherokee SE 7-1 Dec

Bryce Gfeller (39-5) won first match over Skylar Widmar of Marysville with a fall at 5:00
                                 won 2nd math against Kad Unterseher (25-15) of Norton by MD 16-5
                                 won semi-final against  Colton Steele (37-7) of Hoxie by MD 11-3
                                 Lost championship match against Wally Tubbs (42-2) of Wabaunsee by 6-3 dec.

Phoenix Thomas (28-12) lost his first match to Carter Wessling of Beloit (34-3) FT 1.5 0:00
                               won 2nd match against Jared Hartzell (25-12) of Erie by a fall at 5:56.
                               lost 3rd  match  against Scott Resler (39-6) of Riverside TF 1.5 0:00

Isaiah Luellen (37-6) won his first match over Coy Moran (32-15)  of Bluestem with a fall at 1:37.
                               won 2nd match over Tom Truesdale of RC with a fall at 1:12.
                               won semi-final against Chase Presler (39-3) of Russell by an 8-3 decision.
                               lost in final match against Chris Ball (41-0) of Hoisington by 6-5 Dec.

Derek Gentry (35-5) won his first match over Richard Hagerman (19-20 of Herington TF 1.5 0:00.
                                 lost his 2nd match with Kelton Suchy of Russell by fall at 0:54.
                                 lost to Jacob Stryker (37-6) of Marysville by a 10-5 Dec

Isaac Luellen (43-0)  won his first match over Nick Ackerman of Marysville with a decision 11-5.
                               won 2nd match over Macoy Raines of Oakland with MD 18-5
                               won semi-final over Chris Truesdale (19-11) of Riley Co. by TF 1.5 0:00
                               won final over Cody Clark (32-6) of Lyon by MD 16.3.

Kole Davoren (35-6) won his first match over Isaac Helms of Anthony Harper Chaperell with a fall at 5:56.
                      won 2nd match over Austin McHenry (35-9)of Hoisingington by Dec. 5-3.
                      won semi-final over Chris Cox (32-3) of Oakley  by a 3-2 decision.
                      won final match over Dalton Kuhn (13-4) of SC by a 5-3 Dec.

The Dawgs and Norton are having a close battle for the lead,  staying within a few points of each other all day Friday.

RHS finished the day on Friday evening ahead 101-93  their big lead of the day.

On Sat. afternoon,  Rossville moved to a 108-107 lead over Norton.
However,  Norton picked up a championship in the 113 class to move to a 111-108 lead.
Norton up 121-117 with only a short time left.
Looks like final score is Norton 121, Rossville 117.

Buckle That Seat Belt

The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office will be increasing  traffic enforcement efforts around the Shawnee County area high schools as part of the SAFE (Seat belts Are For Everyone) program initiative. The enforcement phase will be Feb 29rd – March 11th. Officers will be focusing efforts on seatbelt compliance and citations will be issued.  This is the 6th year the Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office in implementing the SAFE program in the county high schools.  Based on survey results, seat belt usage county wide has consistently increased throughout each school year since 2012.

Rock Creek Takes MEL Title

    The Rock Creek boys basketball team beat Rossville 67-54 to win the Mid-East League title for 2016 on Thur. night, Feb. 25.

Rock Creek 14 20 17 16 = 67

Rossville       6 20    7 21 = 54

Rossville scoring:

Albertz            4 (1)    5-6      14
Mason             3         6-6      12
Roduner          4         1-2        9
Anderson         2 (1)    1-2        6
Schumacher    2          1-3        5
Hulbert            1 (1)     0-0       3
Morris              1 (1)     0-0       3
Horak               0          2-2       2  

Totals             17 (4)  16-21    54.

RHS Girls Win

    The RHS girls basketball team beat Rock Creek 49-23 Thur. evening to wrap up their season.

Rossville        17 14 13  5    =    49

Rock Creek      7   8   1  7    =    23

Rossville scoring:
Hill                6 (1)       2-2       15
Nitsch           3 (2)       2-2       10
Steckel         1 (1)       3-5         6
Porter           1             3-3         5
Hill               2             1-1         5
Conley          2             0-0         4
Shinn            0            1-2          1
Zemek          0            1-2          1. 
Totals         16 (4)     13-21      49

Mid-East Has Wrestling Power To Spare

From the Capital-Journal:

No. 1 Rossville might be the top Dawg in the Mid-East League, but there’s plenty of bite coming from the other league schools at this weekend’s Class 3-2-1A state meet in Hays.

Three of the other four 3A league schools are ranked in the top 10 — Silver Lake is fifth, St. Marys is seventh and Riley County is ninth. The fourth, Wabaunsee, was No. 10 last week.

Each school has a legitimate title contender as well.

St. Marys boasts the lone returning state champion. Senior 145-pounder Corey Tyler is back to defend his title and is 39-0 after setting a state record for victories with his 51-1 season a year ago. Wabaunsee’s Kolby Droegemeier (38-7) is ranked No. 2 at 145, but Tyler has dominated their matches this year and has a clearer path to a second straight title now that Hoisington’s Christopher Ball has moved up to 152.

Ball was runner-up at 152 last year to former Bear Greg Tooley but has spent most of this season at 145 and is 37-0. Tyler beat Ball’s brother Jonathan in a 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker decision in the finals last year.

St. Marys’ Matthew Cruickshank is No. 2 at 182 with a 33-7 record — six of those losses coming to No. 1 Isaac Luellen of Rossville.

Silver Lake’s Dalton Dultmeier and Wabaunsee’s Riley Tubbs each were state finalists last year and are looking to finish as champs this year after heartbreaking losses. Dultmeier lost 1-0 in the 120-pound title match to Atchison County’s Hunter Ostertag and is 38-5 at 138 this year, ranked third.

Tubbs, meanwhile, saw a lead on Smith Center’s David Hileman turn into disaster when he got caught and pinned in the third round of last year’s 126-pound final. Though Tubbs is 40-2 and ranked second with both losses coming to No. 1 Bryce Gfeller of Rossville, his trek back to the finals has a huge roadblock right away: a first-round clash with Hileman, who was upset in his regional semifinals.

Riley County freshman Luke Richard, meanwhile, joins Tyler as top-ranked at his weight. The 106-pound Falcon is 38-2 with both losses coming at the Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Invitational, each to top-ranked wrestlers — Class 4A No.1 Christian Davis of Santa Fe Trail, whom Richard beat at the Rossville Invitational, and 5A No. 1 Dawson Podlena of Seaman.

Riley County’s Mikey Waggoner is No. 2 at 160 pounds, and Silver Lake’s Josh Priddy (113) and Hunter Howerton (152) are each No. 3 at their respective weights, and Gable Howerton (145) is sixth.

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.”

Injury Accident In Willard

    Emergency crews were dispatched to a bridge just south of 2nd and Gilkerson St. in Willard. Rossville Police Chief Jason Connell says that the car is from Gardner, Kansas, and the driver was not familiar with the road.

    “They lost control you can see that there is a nice 90 degree curve up here,” Connell said. “[They are] not familiar with the road over here, hit loose gravel, lost control and hit the guardrail.”

    The driver was transported to the hospital with a lower leg injury.

    “There’s almost 12 inches of impingement from the bridge itself into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, so it was significant impact to the bridge,” said Chief Dirk Christian, Shawnee County Fire District #4.

    A second passenger in the car refused medical treatment at the scene.
    There is some good video of the accident scene, including the victims, at:  http://www.wibw.com/content/news/1-injured-as-car-spins-into-bridge-guardrail-in-Willard--370028161.html

Scholars Bowl Team on KTWU

      The  Rossville Scholars Bowl team will be in the  televised Quest competition  on local channel 11 KTWU on Sunday February 28th at 11:00 am