BY JIM
MISUNAS
HOISINGTON — Returning state champion Wyatt Pedigo will headline the Hoisington Cardinals in the 3A Beloit wrestling regional Friday and Saturday.
No. 1 ranked Pedigo (32-1, 195) moves up a weight after beating Minneapolis’ Tyson Villalpando 3-2 in last year’s 182-pound 3A state championship match. Pedigo pinned all four opponents to win the Central Kansas league title.
No. 5 ranked Joshua Ball (32-5, 170) captured the CKL title with a 5-0 victory over Smoky Valley’s Dax Hopp. Ball placed sixth with a 10-5 loss to Norton’s Cole Amlong at 160 pounds last year.
“Wyatt Pedigo and Joshua Ball will earn top four seeds, but getting a seed means nothing at the end of the day,” said Hoisington coach Dan Schmidt. “You must bring your ‘A Game’ for every match if you wish to move forward. We’re headed in the right direction, but will have to see how it all works out. All of our wrestlers have looked they’ll do well at regionals, but they’ve proven they can also perform at subpar levels.”
Cardinals Quentin Boxberger (22-11, 106) and Riley Philbern (26-10, 285) were CKL runners-up. Pratt’s Devon Weber pinned Boxberger in 2:23 for first place. Smoky Valley’s Ethan Wampler defeated Philbern 12-5 for first place.
Missing from Hoisington’s lineup with season-ending injuries are, Zach Rubio, Cole Steinert and Dante Urban.
“We’ve been unable to put a full varsity team on the mat,” said Schmidt. “We’ve had a lot of injuries.”
3A BELOIT REGIONAL
Republic County, Beloit, Bennington, Ell-Saline, Ellsworth, Southeast Saline, Herington, Hoisington, Kensington Thunder Ridge, Lincoln, Logan, Lyons, Mankato Rock Hills, Minneapolis, Osborne, Phillipsburg, Salina St. John’s, Smith Center, Stafford, Sterling, Stockton, Sylvan Lucas
HOISINGTON LINEUP
106—Quentin Boxberger (22-11)
113—Nicolas Rubio (19-14)
120—Ian Doss (20-23)
126—Evan Foltz (16-18)
145—Dayne Yott (12-6)
160—Blake Deines (17-15)
170—Joshua Ball (32-5)
182—Nicholas Long (8-19)
195—Wyatt Pedigo (32-1)
220—Cade Boxberger (17-16)
285—Riley Philbern (26-10)
LARNED
Larned Indians Samajay Alboyd (25-9, 138) and Braydon Lemuz (30-4, 145) earned first-place Central Kansas League medals. Alboyd defeated Hillsboro’s Jordan Bachman 8-6 in the finals. Lemuz defeated Pratt’s Hogan Thompson 4-2 in overtime in the finals.
Lemuz is Larned’s only veteran who won two regional matches last year.
Larned’s Gatlin Hoch (21-8, 120) was CKL runnerup and lost in 1:14 against Pratt’s Koda Dipman. Placing third at the CKL meet were Austin Armstrong (18-11, 106); Logan Erway (17-13, 160); Josh Kramer (2-7, 182); and Keaton Thompson (9-7, 195).
4A
PRATT REGIONAL
Andale, Buhler, Clearwater, Hesston, Hugoton, Larned, Mulvane, Nickerson, Pratt, Rose Hill, Scott City, Circle, Ulysses, Wellington, Wichita Trinity
LARNED LINEUP
106—Austin Armstrong (18-11)
113—Dillen Hook (21-13)
120—Gatlin Hoch (21-8)
126—Corbin Weers (0-5)
138—Samajay Alboyd (25-9)
145—Braydon Lemuz (30-4)
160—Logan Erway (17-13)
170—Eva Mull
182—Josh Kramer (2-7)
195—Keaton Thompson (9-7)
285—Hector Garcia (12-9)
