BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

PARK CITY – Great Bend's unranked Kaiden Hoffman (27-15, 126) upset Valley Center's No. 2 Jett Schwartz 7-5 in overtime and pinned Basehor's No. 5 Brody Ballard (0:55) to earn a 5A state wrestling championship berth.

Hoffman and Great Bend coach Nathan Broeckelman knew the challenge against Newton's No. 1 ranked A.B. Stokes (37-4). Stokes used his strength and speed for a quick takedown and a pin in 45 seconds.

"I had not wrestled Stokes," Hoffman said. "I gave it everything I had and left everything on the mat for two days. I wrestled the best I've ever wrestled. I learned to work hard, pray a lot and go to church."

Broeckelman said Hoffman showed mental toughness by overcoming a concussion and ankle issues during the season. Hoffman's state title appearance marked Great Bend's sixth consecutive year with a state finalist.

"Kaiden wrestled lights out. Kaiden wrestled with 'no fear' and battled to reach that title match," Broeckelman said. "He's a hard worked and he never gives up on himself. That's the biggest match Kaiden has ever wrestled. It's a great experience that Kaiden will learn from. I'm excited to see what he accomplishes next year." 

Hoffman finished sixth at 5A regionals and avoided the three wrestlers who beat him at the Andover regional. Great Bend state champion Kaden Spragis surprised Stokes 11-9 in last year's state title match.

Great Bend earned seven state medals with a third-place, a fourth place, three fifth places and a sixth place. The Panthers scored 115.5 points to finish fourth behind Maize (214), Newton (175.5) and St. Thomas Aquinas (122).

"If you told me last week that Great Bend would compete for a top three state trophy, I'd say you're crazy," Broeckelman said. "We proved anything is possible. I'm proud we brought home seven state medals with six guys back next year. The guys wrestled unbelievably well for two days. We beat guys who had beaten us earlier. We have expectations to bring home medals, not just be state qualifiers." 

The Panthers four state-ranked wrestlers – No. 4 Triston Tomlinson, No. 6 Skyler McMullen, No. 5 Jace Schartz and No. 3 Cooper Liles lost in Friday's semifinals to No. 1 or No. 2 ranked wrestlers at Hartman Arena. 

In the semifinals – Maize's state runner-up Talon Verbeck beat Tomlinson, 9-2; Maize's state runner-up Nakaylan Shabazz pinned McMullen (1:28); Goddard's state champion Jacob Goodwin defeated Schartz, 13-6; and Maize's state runner-up Clayton Bowers defeated Liles, 8-0.

In third place matches, Tomlinson (34-12, 106) pinned Newton's Taylor Rickard (5:00) and Kapaun Mt. Carmel's No. 4 Adrian Turner edged Matthew Johnson 5-3.

In fifth-place matches, Mullen (34-14) lost 5-3 to Pittsburg's Corbin McIntier; Schartz (41-10) beat Carroll;s Eli Means; Cooper Liles (37-10, 150) pinned Shawnee Heights' Nick Freeland (0:29); and freshman Trenton Kern (31-22, 190) edged Newton's Logan Buchanan 6-4. 

Liles placed fifth and Johnson finished sixth last year. 

STATE WRESTLING

5A GREAT BEND  RESULTS

106—No. 4 Triston Tomlinson, GB (34-12), 3RD; Tomlinson pinned Rice, Seaman, 0:39; Tomlinson def. Welch, Bonner, 8-0; No. 1 Talon Verbeck, Maize def. Tomlinson, 9-2; Tomlinson def. McCulley, BVSW, 8-3; 3RD—Tomlinson def. Rickard, Newton, 5:00

126—No. 5 Kaiden Hoffman, GB (27-16), 1ST/2ND; Hoffman def. Cook, Bonner Springs, 1:32; Hoffman def. No. 2 Schwartz, VC, 7-5 (OT); Hoffman def. No. 5 Ballard, Basehor, 0:55; 1ST—No. 1 Stokes, Newton def. Hoffman, 0:45

132—Hayden Kelly, GB (19-23); No. 2 Kaden Allen, Aquinas def. Kelly, 2:39; Kelly def. Cullum, Bonner, 8-0; Bonebrake, Shawnee Hts def. Kelly, 1:59

138—No. 6 Skyler McMullen, GB (34-14), 6TH; McMullen def. Anderson, Seaman, 1:06; McMullen def. McIntier, Pittsburg, 7-5 (OT); No. 2 Shabazz, Maize def. McMullen, 1:28; No. 5 Hainline, Emporia def. McMullen, 6-5; 5TH—McIntier, Pittsburg def. McMullen, 3:55

144—No. 5 Jace Schartz, GB (41-10), 5TH; Schartz def. Davis, Leavenworth, 12-2; Schartz def. Means, Carroll, 7-3; No. 1 Goodwin, Goddard def. Schartz, 13-6; No. 2 Padgett, Maize def. Schartz, 3-0; 5TH—Schartz def. Means, Carroll 

150—No. 3 Cooper Liles, GB (37-10), 5TH; Liles def. McMurray, Leavenworth, 17-2; Liles def. No. 6 Freeland, Shawnee Hts. 0:48; No. 2 Bowers, Maize def. Liles, 8-0; No. 5 Sample, Goddard def. Liles, 2-0; 5TH—Liles def. Freeland, Shawnee Hts, 0:29

175—Matthew Johnson, GB (36-13), 4TH; Johnson def. Partee, Pittsburg, 2:32; No. 2 Henson, Lansing def. Johnson, 7-5; Johnson def. Elvin, Basehor, 2:38; Johnson def. Harper. Newton, 2:34; Johnson def. Hutchinson, Andover, 4:49; 3RD—No. 4 Turner, KMC def. Johnson, 5-3

190—Trenton Kern, GB (31-22), 5TH; No. 1 Sean Carroll, Aquinas def. Kern, 2:42; Kern def. Alexander, Spring Hill, 4:22; Kern def. Augustin, Pittsburg, 3:53; Kern def. Eastman, Carroll, 10-4; Wunsch, Maize def. Kern, 1:53; 5TH—Kern def. Buchanan, Newton, 6-4 

215—Keyven Schroeder (38-13); Varagay, Lansing def. Schroeder, 15-6; Schroeder def. Harrigan, Bonner, 2:06; Elias, KMC def. Schroeder, 3:52

285—Brody Schnoebelen, GB (26-21); No. 2 Jaxson Thomas, Seaman def. Schnoebelen, 0:45; Schnoebelen def. Wingerter, Spring Hill, 0:48; Jensen, Hutchinson def. Schnoebelen, 0:23

5A STATE 

106—No. 3 Gallet, Aquinas def. No. 1 Verbeck, Maize, 6-5; 113—No. 1 Kaufman, Newton vs. No. 4 Adam, Salina Central, 11-0; 120—No. 1 Treaster, Newton def. No. 2 Glover, Goddard, 8-2; 126—No. 1 Stokes, Newton def. Hoffman, GB, 0:45; 132—No. 1 Zimmerman, Hays def. No. 2 Allen, Aquinas, 6-4 (OT);  138—No. 1 Maki, Andover def. No. 2 Shabazz, Maize, 9-6; 144—No. 1 Goodwin, Goddard def. No. 6 Hogan, Salina Central, 10-0; 150—No. 1 Tungjaroenkul, Emporia def. No. 2 Bowers, Maize, 3-1; 157—No. 1 Cronk, BVSW def. No. 2 Wessley, Goddard , 7-4; 165—No. 1 Elmore, Aquinas def. No. 2 Ford, Maize, 13-5; 175—No. 1 Padgett, Maize def. No. 2 Henson, Lansing, 11-3; 190—No. 1 Carroll, Aquinas def. No. 2 Fury, KMC, 3-2; 215—No. 1 Flores, Maize def. Cunningham, Aquinas, 1:21; 285—No. 2 Thomas, Seaman def. No. Forsyth, BVSW, 3:41