Final Team Standings At State

1.    Norton            121
2.    Rossville         117
3.    Marysville         73
4.    Smith Cebter     68.5
5.    Scott City          68
6.    Riley Co.           59
7.    Hoxie                58
8,    Silver Lake        52
9.    Wabaunsee       50
10.   Anthony Harper Chaperall     49
11.   St. Marys          45

For the complete list of team standings at the 2016 Kasnas State 321A   wrestling tournament,  go to:

http://s400.trackwrestling.com/tw/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&loadBalanced=true&sport=wrestling&TIM=1456631264077&pageName=&ie=false&frameSize=899

Rossville Second At State

Rossville 3A wrestling title dreams dashed in finals

Bulldawgs crown champions in Luellen, Davoren, but Norton wins fourth straight state championship

By Brent Maycock

brent.maycock@cjonline.com

HAYS — The smiles worn by Isaac Luellen and Kole Davoren were genuine, and for good reason.

State championships don’t come along every day and any time you can win one, there’s a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and exultation.

So when Luellen captured his second straight Class 3-2-1A 182-pound title, he “dabbed.” And when Davoren followed with his first state title at 220, he pumped his fists in the air and pointed to the Rossville cheering section.

But the celebrations were somewhat limited and the somber looks on the rest of the Bulldawgs told the other side of the story.

On a day where Rossville could boast two state champions, two runner-up finishers and five total placers, the Bulldawgs simply weren’t in a mood to celebrate. Not when the performance left them painfully short of ending Norton’s reign in Class 3-2-1A and delivering the program’s first state title.

“They did what they had to do all weekend long,” Rossville coach Curt Brecheisen said of Norton, which got three state champions and edged the Bulldawgs by a mere four points for the team title, 121-117. “They went three for three tonight and we went two for four. We knew it was going to be a dogfight and it was.”

Rossville held a one-point lead going into Saturday’s championship matches and had four wrestlers in the finals while Norton had three. Matching the Bluejays champion for champion was a must and if at all, Rossville needed to stay a step ahead.

But by the time Luellen and Davoren captured their titles, Norton had done its work. The Bluejays got titles from Skylar Johnson at 113, Mike Kasson at 160 and Gavin Lively at 195 with Lively’s pin in the finals clinching the title ahead of Davoren’s crown.

“They were just too much for us,” Luellen said.

That somewhat sums up Luellen’s season as well. No matter what came his way, he handled it with relative ease. A state champion a year ago despite missing the first half of the season, Luellen was at full strength as a senior and boy was he strong.

A 5-3 win over KC-Turner’s Jacob Smith was his only close call of the season and really became a turning point in his run to a 46-0 record.

“After beating him at Basehor, I was ready to go for state,” Luellen said. “I was dominating after that. I felt good all year, but after Basehor, it was over.”

The 182 title match with Lyons’ Cody Clark was over quickly as well. Luellen needed 15 seconds to get his first takedown and locked Clarke up in a cradle right away. He couldn’t get the valuable pin points and did give up a reversal, but cruised the rest of the way to a 16-3 major decision.

If Luellen was the known commodity, Davoren was the surprise champion. How much of a surprise? The senior didn’t even start wrestling until his junior year. No kids background, no nothing.

“Derek (Gentry) got me to come out because they didn’t have a 220 so I thought I’d give it a try,” Davoren said. “I went out last year and enjoyed it and it helped me in football. I really didn’t I could be this good, honestly.”

In his title match with Smith Center’s Dalton Kuhn, Davoren got a first-period takedown and appeared to be in solid position going into the third period up 2-1 and starting on bottom. Instead, Kuhn turned him for two back points, forcing Davoren to rally.

He did, getting an escape with just under a minute left and then the winning takedown with less than 40 seconds to go, taking a 5-3 win.

“It’s really amazing,” said Davoren, who finished 38-6.

The fantastic finish for the Bulldawgs was dampened by a heartbreaking start to the finals as both Bryce Gfeller and Isaiah Luellen fell short in their bids to get Rossville rolling.

Gfeller (41-6), a two-time state champion, had a known rival in his 126 final in Wabaunsee’s Riley Tubbs, a Mid-East League colleague whom Gfeller had gone 2-1 against this year. That included an 8-4 win over Tubbs in last week’s regional finals where Gfeller was able to work on his feet and rack up takedowns.

In Saturday’s rematch, Tubbs grabbed the early lead by putting Gfeller on his back for a two-point near-fall in the second period. Gfeller fought back to tie the match 3-3 less than 30 seconds into the final period and then let Tubbs up to try to get a winning takedown. It never came and Tubbs capitalized for a late takedown of his own for a 6-3 win.

“I didn’t shoot near enough throughout the whole match,” Gfeller said. “We’ve been back and forth all year and he got me when it mattered. It’s definitely motivation to get No. 3 next year.”

Sophomore Isaiah Luellen faced a tough challenge to get his first state title, meeting undefeated Christopher Ball of Hoisington in the 152 finals. The task got even bigger when Ball scored an early takedown and rode Luellen out the rest of the period.

Even though Luellen (39-7) fought back and got a takedown in both the second and third periods, Ball stayed one step ahead and took the 6-5 victory.

“I got rode a lot so if I couldn’t get up, I wasn’t going to beat him,” Luellen said. “I thought he was getting tired, but it all went back to I couldn’t get off bottom. There wasn’t really much I could do.”

Rossville also got a third at 120 from Alex Cavanaugh (41-3), who gave the team a huge shot of momentum when he beat Norton’s Ryan Johnson 3-2 in the consolation semifinals and followed with a 7-1 win over Southeast-Cherokee’s Tyler Kester for third.

But in the end, the Bulldawgs came up just short of the goal of becoming state champions.

“We should feel blessed, but we all feel the same way,” Brecheisen said. “Our expectations from Day One this season was to be No. 1. And we didn’t get it.”

Final Class Results

    The final standings of each weight class at the state tournament can be read at:

http://s200.trackwrestling.com/tw/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&loadBalanced=true&sport=wrestling&TIM=1456622985588&pageName=&ie=false&frameSize=899

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.