BY JIM MISUNAS
The final phase of a three-part state qualifying system heads to Park City Thursday for 5-6A girls and Friday for 5A boys for state wrestling. The Great Bend Panthers qualified three girls and three boys.
“This is when all the effort is worth it," said Great Bend coach Nathan Broeckelman. "Experience at state helps with your confidence."
5A STATE – Great Bend’s No. 3 ranked Wyatt Weber (39-3, 138) upset Maize High’s Cayden Hughbanks (3:54) and captured the 5A substate wrestling championship. After Weber shocked Hughbanks, he finished the job with a 6-2 victory over Andover’s Gabe Maki in the finals.
Weber is the Panthers' wild child who wrestles his style with flair with a hairstyle that is epic.
"I just wrestle. I don't look at the bracket or the rankings," Weber said. "It shows anybody is beatable. I wrestled aggressive. I got taken down, reserved him and pinned him. That was one of my coolest matches. For sure, I've got a shot."
Broeckelman is confident Weber has a decent shot of reaching the finals.
“Wyatt Weber was on fire last week,” Broeckelman said. “He could make a run for the title. If he wrestles like last week, he’ll have a shot.”
Great Bend’s runner-up No. 2 Kaden Spragis (35-3, 106) lost 4-1 to Newton’s No. 1 ranked Nick Treaster in the substate championship match.
"I wrestled well, not by best, but ended up second," Spragis said. "I expect to see Treaster in the finals. I executed my game plan pretty well. I would say attack more in my matches. If I wrestle my best, I've got a shot. A one-day tournament takes away the privilege of being a finalist."
Broeckelman said Spragis has a decent shot of reaching the finals.
“Kaden has a tough Mill Valley wrestler likely in the semifinals,” he said. “Kaden would love to get a third shot at Newton’s No. 1 ranked Matt Treaster.”
Third-place finisher No. 4 ranked Avery Wolf (36-6, 113) defeated Andover’s Landry Root 6-3 for third place.
“Avery is determined to get a rematch with Nakaylen Shabazz,” Broeckelman said. “He should have a good semifinal Friday afternoon.”
4A LARNED – Larned’s returning state champion No. 4 ranked Samajay Alboyd was pinned by Buhler’s No. 1 ranked Sam Elliott for the second consecutive weekend in the championship round. Alboyd will have to win two matches to earn his third shot against Elliott Saturday at the 4A state tournament at Salina.
3A HOISINGTON – Hoisington’s Ball brothers Josiah Ball (25-4, 113) and No. 1 ranked Joshua Ball (34-0, 182) advanced to Hays Feb. 27 along with Stafford qualifier Tarrant Young (19-4, 132). The wrestlers compete Saturday at Hays.
Joshua Ball pinned Hill City’s No. 2 ranked Jayce Hamel (1:52) in the finals. Hoxie’s No. 4 ranked Wayne Shepard downed No. 1 ranked Josiah Ball 6-3 in the finals.
Stafford's Tarrant Young (19-4, 132) was a surprise third-place state qualifier. Young pinned Minneapolis' Adam Reed (2:52) for third place.
5A STATE
106—No. 1 Treaster, Newton, 33-1 vs. Long, Leavenworth, 21-10; No. 4 Lincoln, Shawnee Heights, 35-3 vs. No. 5 Glover, Goddard, 24-8; No. 2 Kaden Spragis, GB, 35-3 vs. Krimer, Aquinas, 28-11; No. 3 Cooper, Mill Valley, 15-2 vs. No. 6 Newcomb, Andover Central, 27-16
113—No. 1 Hughart, Mill Valley, 12-1 vs. No. 5 Root, Andover, 24-5; No. 3 Miller, Goddard, 24-9 vs. Kruse, Seaman, 15-17; No. 2 Nakaylen Shabazz, Maize, 31-1 vs. Lopez, Pittsburg, 18-6; No. 4 Avery Wolf, GB, 36-6 vs. No. 6 Cook, Bonner Springs, 22-3
138—No. 1 Lara, Bonner Springs, 26-0 vs. No. 6 Holmes, Goddard, 16-7; No. 5 Maki, Andover, 29-3 vs. Feist, St. James, 20-8; No. 2 Dulitz, Mill Valley, 11-2 vs. No. 4 Hughbanks, Maize, 32-3; No. 3 Wyatt Weber, GB, 29-3 vs. Lewis, Shawnee Heights, 35-7
5A SUBSTATE
106—No. 2 Kaden Spragis, GB, 35-3, 2nd; Spragis pinnned Alfers, Andover, 0:20; Spragis def. Newcomb, AC, 15-2; 1ST—No. 1 Treaster, Newton def. Spragis, 4-1
113—No. 5 Avery Wolf, GB, 36-6, 3rd; Wolf pinned Steinmetz, Newton, 0:52; No. 1 Nakaylen Shabazz, Maize pinned Wolf; Wolf pinned Phimvongsa, SC, 0:49; 3RD—Wolf def. Landry Root, Andover, 6-3
138—No. 5 Wyatt Weber, GB, 29-3, 1st; Weber def. No. 2 Cayden Hughbanks, Maize, 3:54; 1ST—Weber def. Maki, Andover, 6-2
4A STATE
LARNED QUALIFIER
160—No. 1 Sam Elliott, Buhler 39-0 vs. Gleghorn, Paola, 21-7; No. 4 Hoback, Burlington, 31-6 vs. No. 5 Dietrich, Mulvane, 25-3; No. 2 Metcalfe, Perry, 29-4 vs. No. 6 Tubbs, Colby, 34-10; No. 3 Samajay Alboyd, Larned, 35-6 vs. Fraser, Eudora, 26-7
3A STATE
HOISINGTON QUALIFIERS
113—No. 1 Shepard, Hoxie 36-8 vs. Langill, Nemaha Central, 16-14; No. 3 Atkins, Hill City, 35-9 vs. No. 6 Stanton, Caney Valley, 17-2; No. 2 Josiah Ball, Hoisington, 25-4 vs. Wikle, Sabetha, 27-15; No. 4 Polansky, Republic Co. 33-10 vs. No. 5 Fredrickson, Marysville, 23-10
182—No. 1 Joshua Ball, Hoisington, 34-0 vs.Wassenberg, Marysville, 25-16; No. 3 Uehlin, Oberlin 35-10 vs. No. 6 VandeVelde, Silver Lake, 41-5; No. 2 Hamel, Hill City 28-3 vs. High, Douglass, 35-10; No. 4 Walker, Beloit, 31-8 vs. No. 5 Claibourn, Fredonia, 20-0
STAFFORD QUALIFIER
132—No. 1 Bell, Hoxie, 41-0 vs. Hurla, Rossville, 23-12; No. 3 Rakestraw, Silver Lake 16-5 vs. No. 6 Tarrant Young, Stafford, 20-4; No. 2 Scholz, Effingham 23-4 vs. Colburn, Stockton, 25-11; No. 4 Heady, Erie 28-2 vs. No. 5 Hockman, Hill City, 21-11
