Upper weights dominant at Baldwin!

Baldwin Invitational

January 30, 2015

The Louisburg wrestling team brought home more medals than ever before from the Baldwin Invitational Tournament. Three teams dominated the 17-team event. Abilene took the championship with 215.5 points, followed by Baldwin (185) and Smoky Valley (141.4). Louisburg finished in 10th place overall with 110 points. The difference between 10th and 5th place ended up being just 18 points. This was the Wildcats’ best performance at the BIT since entering the tournament in 2012.

Brenton Wrigley, Mason Koechner, and Anders Vance go for a combined 12-3, each wrestler taking 3rd in his respective weight class after losing to top-ranked wrestlers in the semifinals. Photo courtesy of Alicia Vance.

Three upper-weights lead the Wildcats with 3rd place finishes. Senior Brenton Wrigley took 3rd at 195 lbs. after losing an overtime semi-finals match to the eventual champion. Sophomore Mason Koechner, who rebounded from a semifinals loss at 220 lbs., and junior Anders Vance, who fell in the semifinals at 285 lbs., also took 3rd place in their respective weight classes. Wrigley’s lone loss was to the #3 ranked wrestler from Baldwin. Koechner was trailing by two points against the #5 ranked wrestler from Smoky Valley and had a cradle locked up when he slipped and was pinned. Vance dropped a tough match to the #2 ranked wrestler from Wamego. Sophomore Nathan Keegan took 5th place at 113 lbs., earning a pin and a major decision along the way. Senior Zach Knox lost a tough match to an Osawatomie opponent to take 6th place at 132 lbs. Junior Bradley Trageser, wrestling unattached at 285 lbs., came out and took 6th place in his weight class. Freshman Ryan Adams faced some tough opposition, earning 2 pins en route to a 7th place finish. His final match was a revenge win against Tonganoxie.

Three Wildcats earned a win on the day but didn’t place. Freshman Thad Hendrix was 1-2 at 106 lbs., freshman Tucker Batten was 1-2 at 126 lbs., and junior Jordan Crowder was 1-2 at 170 lbs. All of their wins were by pin. A pair of juniors and a pair of sophomores also represented LHS at Baldwin: junior Chris Turner at 145 lbs., junior Dillin Roberts at 152 lbs., sophomore Ben Hupp at 160 lbs., and sophomore Lyndon Smith at 182 lbs. LHS was open at 120.

Vance brought home a nice honor in addition to his 3rd place medal. Vance was given the Gorriarian Award, a traditional award given to the wrestler in the tournament with the most pins in the least amount of time. He recorded 4 pins in a time of 9:53. Knox was also recognized with earning 3rd fastest pin of the tourney at 0:13.

After the Wildcats take a week off of competition, our next meet will be the Frontier League Duals, hosted by Eudora. Last year, we went 2-4 to take 5th place in the league. Anders Vance is looking to improve on his 3rd place finish from 2014 and Brenton Wrigley is looking to improve on his 4th place finish.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 1-2, 1 pin
113 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 3-2, 1 pin, 1 major, 5th place
120 lbs. – open
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 1-2, 1 pin
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 2-3, 1 pin, 6th place
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 3-2, 2 pins, 7th place
145 lbs. – Chris Turner (jr.) 0-2
152 lbs. – Dillin Roberts (jr.) 0-2
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 0-2
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 1-2, 1 pin
182 lbs. – Lyndon Smith (so.) 0-2
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 4-1, 2 pins, 3rd place
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 4-1, 3 pins, 3rd place
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) 4-1, 4 pins, 3rd place
285 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (jr.) 2-3, 2 pins, 6th place (unattached)

Team Placing: 10th place out of 17 teams (110 points)

Next Competition: Frontier League Duals (February 13-14, 2015)

Wildcats 2nd at Parsons, drop final dual to Lebanon, MO

Competition: Parsons Viking Duals

January 23, 2015

For the second straight year, the Louisburg Wildcats brought home a 2nd place plaque from the Parsons Vikings Duals. This year, LHS again fell to Lebanon, MO, in the championship dual. The final score was a dominant 63-15 in favor of Lebanon. LHS went 4-1 in duals.

The Wildcats pose for a team picture after going 4-1 and taking 2nd place at the 4th Annual Parsons Viking Duals.

Opening the day, LHS dropped Labette County by a score of 65-15. Labette County, who had been battling injuries and illnesses all week, only had six wrestlers on their roster this weekend. LHS won the next dual 70-12 against a Parsons squad that was also short of numbers. Now up against a full squad, the Wildcats faced the Lebanon JV team. The score was tight until the 182-pound match, and LHS won the next four matches by pin to finish with a 52-29 score. The final round of duals in the pool saw #2 seed Louisburg against #3 seed Independence. Indy took the lead early with four straight victories, but LHS ran the gauntlet with six unanswered victories to take charge of the dual. The final score was 41-30. Taking a 4-0 record into the finals, the Wildcats faced a familiar foe. It was a rematch of last year’s finals between Louisburg and Lebanon. Lebanon took the lead early and never looked back, winning 9 matches by pin.

One Wildcat came away undefeated on the day. Freshman Ryan Adams was 5-0 at 138 lbs. with 2 pins and 2 tech falls. Adams had the most tech falls out of all wrestlers in the tournament. Sophomore Nathan Keegan was 4-1 at 113 lbs., with his only loss being a 2-1 decision against Independence. Senior Zach Knox was 4-1 at 132 lbs., senior Brenton Wrigley was 4-1 at 195 lbs., and sophomore Mason Koechner was 4-1 at 220 lbs. Knox’s lone loss was to a Missouri state medalist from Lebanon. Wrigley made huge strides by beating the #5 ranked wrestler from Independence by a score of 5-3. Wrigley took the lead early with a quick ankle pick to his opponent’s back, nearly pinning him in the 1st period. Koechner led the team with 4 pins, and his only loss was to the #3 ranked wrestler from Parsons. Five Wildcats were 3-2: freshman Tucker Batten (1 pin, 1 major), sophomore Ben Hupp (1 pin, 1 major), junior Jordan Crowder (3 pins), sophomore Lyndon Smith (1 pin), and junior Anders Vance (2 pins). This was Vance’s first tournament back after suffering a concussion in early January.

Freshman Kyle Allen continues to fill in at 120 lbs. after Keegan dropped down a weight, finishing the day 2-3. Junior Chris Turner is filling in at 145 for Connor Green, who is out with a rib injury. Junior Dillin Roberts is filling in at 152 for Zach Jones, who is also out with a rib injury. Turner and Roberts were both 2-3. Freshman Thad Hendrix suited up at 106 to take a forfeit against Parsons, but that was his only match of the day. Juniors Jacob Mitchell (145 lbs.) and Bradley Trageser (285 lbs.) wrestled exhibition matches. Mitchell won his exhibition 9-3 and Trageser was 1-1, winning by pin in the first and losing by pin in the second.

Next week, we will return to Baldwin for the 14th Annual Baldwin Invitational Tournament. This tournament features only 4A teams, including some of the top teams in the state.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 1-0
113 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 4-1, 1 pin
120 lbs. – Kyle Allen (fr.) 2-3
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 3-2, 1 pin, 1 major
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 4-1, 1 pin
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 5-0, 2 pins, 2 tech falls
145 lbs. – Chris Turner (jr.) 2-3, 1 pin
145 lbs. – Jacob Mitchell (jr.) 1-0 (unattached)
152 lbs. – Dillin Roberts (jr.) 2-3, 2 pins
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 3-2, 1 pin, 1 major
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 3-2, 3 pins
182 lbs. – Lyndon Smith (so.) 3-2, 1 pin
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 4-1, 1 pin
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 4-1, 4 pins
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) 3-2, 2 pins
285 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (jr.) 1-1, 1 pin (unattached)

Dual Results:
LHS 65, Labette County 15
LHS 70, Parsons 12
LHS 52, Lebanon JV 29
LHS 41, Independence 30
Lebanon 63, LHS 15

Dual Record: 4-1 (8-3 overall)

Team Placing: 2nd place out of 10 teams

Next Competition: Baldwin Invitational (January 31, 2015)

Wildcats surge on the backside, finish runners-up at Topeka

Topeka Invitational

January 17, 2015

With three open weights, the LHS wrestlers knew that it would be difficult to have a strong team showing, especially against teams like Topeka High and Highland Park who had full line-ups. However, thanks to a strong surge on the back side of the bracket, the Wildcats made a run for the team title, falling just shy of achieving the championship. Topeka High won its home tourney with 175.5 points, LHS was in 2nd with 166.5 points, and Highland Park was in 3rd with 125.5 points. With the exception of one wrestler, all Wildcats earned a place in the top-4 in his weight class.

The Wildcats pose after taking 2nd at the Topeka Invitational. Eleven out of twelve Wildcats placed in the top 4.

Three Wildcats brought home the gold: senior Zach Knox at 132, freshman Ryan Adams at 138, and senior Brenton Wrigley at 195. Knox opened the tournament with a first-period pin, then edged out the #3 seed by a decision in the semifinals. In the finals, Knox trailed by a point, scored a scramble takedown and put his opponent on his back to earn the pin and his first varsity championship of the season. Adams made quick work of all three of his opponents, going 3-0 with three pins to earn his first high school championship. Wrigley won his second championship of the season by pinning all three of his opponents, too.

Four Wildcats brought home 3rd place finishes: sophomore Nathan Keegan at 113, freshman Tucker Batten at 126, sophomore Connor Green at 145, and sophomore Mason Koechner at 220. Keegan’s only loss was to the #2 ranked wrestler in the state from Schlagle. Batten rebounded from a first-round loss to the eventual champion by pinning two opponents and tech-falling his third. Green fought through a hard-earned overtime victory to win his first varsity medal. Koechner lost a close semifinals match but had no trouble bouncing back to take third. Koechner had three pins on the weekend.

On the backside of the brackets, the Wildcats really showed a lot of heart. Freshman Kyle Allen (120 lbs.), sophomore Ben Hupp (160 lbs.), and sophomore Lyndon Smith (182 lbs.) each went 2-2, with all their wins by pin, to finished 4th in their respective weight classes. Junior Jordan Crowder was 1-2 with 1 pin to finish 4th at 170 lbs. Allen is filling in at 120 while Keegan drops down to fill in at 113, and Smith is filling in for Jimmy Dolan at 182 after Dolan was seriously injured in a car accident earlier this week. Freshman Thad Hendrix began the tournament at 106 lbs., but a rib injury suffered earlier in the week caused him to injury default from the tournament.

With our performance at Topeka High, the Wildcats have shown that they can rebound from a team tragedy and battle through against the odds. Next weekend, we travel to Parsons for the 4th Annual Parsons Duals, where we finished 2nd as a team in 2014.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 0-1, injury default
113 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 3-1, 3rd place
120 lbs. – Kyle Allen (fr.) 2-2, 2 pins, 4th place
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 3-1, 2 pins, 1 tech fall, 3rd place
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 3-0, 2 pins, CHAMPION
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 3-0, 3 pins, CHAMPION
145 lbs. – Connor Green (so.) 3-1, 1 pin, 3rd place
152 lbs. – open
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 2-2, 2 pins, 4th place
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 1-2, 1 pin, 4th place
182 lbs. – Lyndon Smith (so.) 2-2, 2 pins, 4th place
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 3-0, 3 pins, CHAMPION
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 3-1, 3 pins, 3rd place
285 lbs. – open

Team Placing:
2nd place out of 11 teams (166.5 points)

Next Competition: Parsons Viking Duals (January 23, 2015)

Trio leads Wildcats with third place finishes at home invitational

Louisburg Wildcat Classic

January 10, 2015

With just one open weight and several unattached wrestlers entered in the tournament, the LHS Wildcats made a pretty good showing at the Louisburg Wildcat Classic Invitational. Louisburg finished in 6th place with 128.5 points. Rockhurst won the championship with 230 points, Baldwin was second with 206.5, and Lansing was third with 165. Three wrestlers finished in 3rd place in their respective weight class, and two finished in 4th place.

The Wildcats were led by 113-pound sophomore David Bindi, 139-pound freshman Ryan Adams, and 220-pound sophomore Mason Koechner. Adams, whose sole loss in the tournament was against a state-ranked opponent from Baldwin, had three pins and a major decision. Koechner was 4-1 with three pins. His lone loss was a 3-0 decision to a state-ranked opponent from Baldwin. Bindi, who is returning after sitting out due to a concussion, had two tough losses, but recorded three pins on the day. Freshman Kyle Allen made his varsity debut, wrestling unattached at 120 lbs. and taking 4th place. Junior Jimmy Dolan had an incredible tournament, but dropped two matches and finished 4th at 182 lbs. Sophomore Nathan Keegan was 2-2 at 120 lbs., earning 1 pin and 1 major to take 5th place, and senior Zach Knox was 3-2 at 132 lbs., earning 1 tech fall and 1 major to take 5th place.

Freshman Thad Hendrix was 6th place at 106 lbs., junior Jordan Crowder was 6th place at 170 lbs., and junior Bradley Trageser was 6th place at 220 lbs. Each of them earned at least one win by pin. Sophomore Dylan Meyer wrestled unattached at 132 lbs., losing by major decision to teammate Knox for 6th place. Sophomores Connor Green (145 lbs.) and Ben Hupp (160 lbs.) were each 2-2 and finished 9th in their respective weights. Junior Dillin Roberts, wrestling unattached at 160 lbs., finished 10th in his weight. Freshman Tucker Batten was 9th at 126, and junior Zach Jones was 8th at 152.

Some notable performances include Allen winning his first varsity medal at his first varsity meet of the season, Hendrix earning the tournament’s fastest pin in 0:09, and Koechner leading the team with his 19th win of the season.

Next week, the Wildcats will travel to Topeka High School for the Topeka Invitational Tournament. We hope to improve on our third-place finish from last season.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 1-3, 1 pin, 6th place
113 lbs. – David Bindi (so.) 3-2, 3 pins, 3rd place
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 2-2, 1 pin, 1 major, 5th place
120 lbs. – Kyle Allen (fr.) 1-3, 1 pin, 4th place (unattached)
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 0-4, 9th place
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 3-2, 1 tech fall, 1 major, 5th place
132 lbs. – Dylan Meyer (so.) 1-3, 6th place (unattached)
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 4-1, 3 pins, 1 major, 3rd place
145 lbs. – Connor Green (so.) 2-2, 2 pins, 9th place
152 lbs. – Zach Jones (jr.) 1-4, 8th place
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 2-2, 1 pin, 9th place
160 lbs. – Dillin Roberts (jr.) 2-3, 2 pins, 10th place (unattached)
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 2-3, 1 pin, 6th place
182 lbs. – Jimmy Dolan (jr.) 3-2, 1 major, 4th place
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 4-1, 3 pins, 3rd place
285 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (jr.) 2-3, 1 pin, 6th place

Team Placing:
6th place out of 13 teams (128.5 points)

Next Competition: Topeka Invitational (January 17, 2015)

Wildcats 3rd at Tongie, Wrigley wins 195 championship

Randy Starcher Memorial Invitational

December 20, 2014

To close out the first part of the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats took to the mats at the Randy Starcher Memorial Invitational hosted by Tonganoxie. Overall, the team came out with a 3rd place finish with 179.5 points behind runner-up Tonganoxie (216.5 points) and champion Shawnee Heights (262.5 points). Despite being open at two weight classes and having two junior varsity wrestlers filling in this weekend, the Wildcats’ performance was strong enough to bring home the first team plaque of the season.

Senior Brenton Wrigley made a splash at 195 lbs., taking the tournament title with an exciting pin in the finals. Wrigley earned his first varsity championship of the season by going 5-0 with three pins and two decisions. Sophomore Mason Koechner opened the tournament with a solid 1-0 decision against a regional opponent and ultimately placed 2nd at 220 lbs. Junior Anders Vance came out strong with three pins before falling to a Bishop Ward opponent in the finals at 285 lbs. A pair of juniors gave the Wildcats strong performances. Zach Jones took 3rd at 152 lbs., and Jimmy Dolan took 3rd at 182 lbs. Jones was 4-1 with three pins and had his strongest tournament of the season. Dolan was 3-2, but one of his losses was a two-point decision to the eventual champion from Doniphan West. Sophomore Nathan Keegan started off strong at 120 lbs., but had to default out of the tournament due to illness, taking 4th place. Freshman Tucker Batten won his first high school tournament medal, taking 4th place at 126 lbs. and racking up two pins.

Three Wildcats took 5th place in their respective weight classes. Freshman Thad Hendrix was 3-2 with three pins at 106 lbs., and sophomore Dylan Meyer filled in for Zach Knox at 132 lbs. and also had three pins. Freshman Ryan Adams suffered a tough last-second loss that put him out of the championship bracket. Adams was 3-2 with two pins and a tech fall. Sophomore Connor Green was 1-3 at 145 lbs., earning a dominant major decision in his last match, and junior Dillin Roberts was 2-2 at 160 lbs. as he filled in for Ben Hupp.

In total, the Wildcats had a pretty good performance to close out 2014. Had we been at full strength, there’s no telling how we would have done, but the important thing is that our younger wrestlers and our JV wrestlers are able to step into the varsity line-up and contribute to our team success. One notable performance is Roberts, who earned an 11-second pin as the fastest of the tournament. Also, LHS was ranked 2nd as a team with 25 pins in the tournament.

After a nice Christmas Break, the Wildcats will be back for the January portion of our season. We’ll be hosting the thirteen-team Wildcat Classic Invitational on January 10.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 3-2, 3 pins, 5th place
113 lbs. – open
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 2-2, 2 pins, 4th place
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 2-3, 1 pin, 1 major, 4th place
132 lbs. – Dylan Meyer (so.) 3-2, 3 pins, 5th place
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 3-2, 2 pins, 1 tech fall, 5th place
145 lbs. – Connor Green (so.) 1-3, 1 major
152 lbs. – Zach Jones (jr.) 4-1, 3 pins, 3rd place
160 lbs. – Dillin Roberts (jr.) 2-2, 1 pin
170 lbs. – open
182 lbs. – Jimmy Dolan (jr.) 3-2, 1 pin, 3rd place
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 5-0, 3 pins, CHAMPION
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 4-1, 3 pins, 2nd place
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) 3-1, 3 pins, 2nd place

Senior Brenton Wrigley, 195, stands at the top of the medal stand at Tonganoxie.

Team Placing: 3rd out of 12 teams (179.5 points)

Next Competition: Wildcat Classic Invitational (January 10, 2015)

Vance leads Wildcats to strong finish at Eudora!

Eudora Tournament of Champions

December 12-13, 2014

Since the Eudora Tournament of Champions changed to its current 2-day format with many of the top teams in the state, the Wildcats have struggled to make an impact. This weekend, however, the LHS wrestling team took to the mats and delivered a strong performance. Out of 25 teams, Mill Valley ran away with the title, racking up 332.5 team points. In second was Baldwin with 275.5 and in third was Maize South with 248. The Wildcats came in at 6th place with 177 points, just seven points behind DeSoto.

Junior Anders Vance led the team with a championship at 285 lbs. Vance begin the tournament in a pool of six, dropping his first two matches. However, the tournament format enabled him to rattle off six straight wins for the championship, five of those wins by pin and one of them an overtime victory against the #2 ranked wrestler in Kansas Class 4A. Right behind Vance was sophomore Mason Koechner, who finished in 3rd place at 220 lbs. Koechner notched seven pins, one of which was against the #3 ranked wrestler in the state. Freshman Ryan Adams finished in 4th place at 138 lbs., with his only losses coming from a state-ranked wrestler and a senior who is a three-time state qualifier. Sophomore Nathan Keegan finished 6th place in a tough bracket at 120 lbs., and senior Brenton Wrigley finished 6th place at 195 lbs. Freshman Thad Hendrix, in his first tournament of the season, knocked off the #4 seed in overtime and ended up with 7th place at 106 lbs.

Senior Zach Knox was 1-2 at 132 lbs., his two losses coming against state qualifiers from last season. Sophomore Connor Green was 1-2 at 145 lbs., and sophomore Ben Hupp was 1-4 at 160 lbs. A pair of juniors were 1-2 in their pools: Jordan Crowder at 170 lbs. and Jimmy Dolan at 182 lbs. Freshman Tucker Batten was 0-3 at 126 lbs., and junior Zach Jones was 0-5 at 152 lbs. LHS was open at 113 lbs., as starter David Bindi was forced to sit out with a concussion.

Louisburg had several notable feats this weekend. The team finish was the highest we’ve ever placed since Eudora became the 2-day Tournament of Champions. Koechner had the most pins in the least amount of time (7 pins at 14:34) of all wrestlers in the tournament. Finally, LHS had the 5th most team pins with 19 pins.

Next week, the Wildcats will take to the mats at Tonganoxie. Last season, we finished in 2nd place at the Randy Starcher Memorial Invitational at Tonganoxie, and this year we’re looking to take that finish a step higher.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (fr.) 2-3, 7th place
113 lbs. – open
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 2-6, 6th place
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 0-3
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 1-2
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 3-3, 1 fall, 4th place
145 lbs. – Connor Green (so.) 1-2
152 lbs. – Zach Jones (jr.) 0-5
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 1-4, 1 fall
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 1-2, 1 fall
182 lbs. – Jimmy Dolan (jr.) 1-2
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 4-3, 3 falls, 6th place
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 7-1, 7 falls, 3rd place
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) 6-2, 5 falls, CHAMPION

Junior Anders Vance, 285, earns the Wildcats’ first individual championship at Eudora

Team Placing: 6th out of 25 teams (177 points)

Next Competition:
Tonganoxie Invitational (December 20, 2014)

LHS drops duals to Paola and BVSW, finishes 3rd at Fort Scott

Fort Scott Duals

December 6, 2014

For the second straight year, the Wildcats have brought home a 3rd place finish at the Fort Scott Duals. The varsity squad went 3-2 in duals, soundly beating Fort Scott, Shawnee Mission West, and Anderson County, but dropping competitive duals to Paola and Blue Valley Southwest. Blue Valley Southwest defeated Paola for the team title.

Bringing in a solid core of experienced wrestlers, the Wildcats were able to balance out with some new additions to the varsity line-up. Overall, we were 39-26 in individual matches, with 25 matches being won by pin. This squad, while fielding a group with relatively mixed experience levels, remains competitive. To open the day, we defeated host school Fort Scott 54-25. The rest of the day was back-and-forth, with the next dual being a 25-37 loss to Blue Valley Southwest. LHS rebounded to knock off Shawnee Mission West 51-18, but then we lost the next dual to Paola 33-39. The final dual of the day was a 54-21 victory over Anderson County.

Freshman Ryan Adams (138 lbs.) and junior Anders Vance (285 lbs.) led the team on Saturday. Both finished the day 5-0. Adams had four pins and Vance had two. Four Wildcats were 4-1 on the day: sophomore David Bindi (113 lbs.), sophomore Nathan Keegan (120 lbs.), junior Jimmy Dolan (182 lbs.), and senior Brenton Wrigley (195 lbs.). Bindi lost a close match against BVSW, getting reversed in the final seconds. Keegan’s only loss came to a returning 4A state placer from Paola. Dolan’s and Wrigley’s sole losses came against some athletic opponents from SMW. Senior Zach Knox faced some tough competition, going 3-2 at 132 lbs. One of his losses was to a returning state qualifier from Paola. Sophomore Ben Hupp was 3-2 at 160 lbs., earning three pins along the way. Sophomore Mason Koecher (220 lbs.) was also 3-2 on the day, recording three pins. Other Wildcats competing were freshman Tucker Batten, who was 2-3 at 126 lbs.; freshman Will Ridley, who was 0-5 at 145 lbs.; junior Zach Jones, who was 1-4 at 152 lbs.; and junior Jordan Crowder, who was 1-4 at 170 lbs.

This Friday and Saturday, the LHS wrestling team will be competing at the 36th Annual Eudora Tournament of Champions, which will include state-ranked teams such as Atchison County (321A), Baldwin (4A), Prairie View (4A), Rossville (321A), and St. James Academy (5A). In total, twenty-five teams will be competing at Eudora this weekend.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – David Bindi (so.) 4-1, 2 pins
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) 4-1, 3 pins
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) 2-3
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) 3-2, 2 pins, 1 major
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) 5-0, 4 pins
145 lbs. – Will Ridley (fr.) 0-5
152 lbs. – Zach Jones (jr.) 1-4
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) 3-2, 3 pins
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) 1-4, 1 pin
182 lbs. – Jimmy Dolan (jr.) 4-1, 2 pins
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) 4-1, 3 pins
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) 3-2, 3 pins
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) 5-0, 2 pins

Dual Results:
LHS 54, Fort Scott 25
Blue Valley Southwest 37, LHS 25
LHS 51, Shawnee Mission West 18
Paola 39, LHS 33
LHS 54, Anderson County 21

Dual Record: 3-2 (4-2 overall)

Team Placing: 3rd out of 6 teams

Next Competitions:
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Blue Valley NW Mixer (JV)
Friday, Dec. 12: Santa Fe Trail Mixer (JV)
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 12-13: Eudora Tournament of Champions (Varsity)

Wildcats win exciting home dual to open the season!

Louisburg-Osawatomie Dual

4 December, 2014

For the first competition of the season, the Wildcats hosted Osawatomie in an exciting single dual featuring two Miami County rivals. The evening was highlighted by a 45-30 victory over the Trojans. It was an electric atmosphere as both teams were high-energy and ready to scrap. The LHS Drum Line was on hand to play between varsity matches, which provided a great environment for everyone.

Several Wildcats came out with key victories. Senior Zach Knox won an exciting 8-4 decision against a returning regional finalist from last season. The match was tied in the third period, but Knox locked up a front headlock to a cradle that secured the winning points. Senior Brenton Wrigley hit a sweet ankle-pick before winning by fall at 195 lbs., and junior Anders Vance hit his opponent in a lateral drop to get the fall at 285 lbs. Junior Jimmy Dolan took a forfeit at 182 lbs. A trio of sophomores scored big for us as David Bindi (113 lbs.), Nathan Keegan (120 lbs.), and Mason Koechner (220 lbs.) all earned pins in their first matches of the season. Freshman Ryan Adams made his Wildcat wrestling debut at 138 lbs., getting the pin in his match.

LHS also fielded several young wrestlers against some of Osawatomie’s strongest wrestlers. Junior Jordan Crowder returned to the mat to face a returning state qualifier at 170 lbs., but came up short. Sophomore Ben Hupp lost by fall to a two-time state qualifier at 160 lbs., and freshman Tucker Batten was pinned by a 2013 regional champ at 126 lbs. Freshman Will Ridley was pinned at 145 lbs., and sophomore Connor Green, bumping up a weight to fill an open spot, was pinned at 152 lbs. Both teams were open at 106 lbs.

At the JV level, the Wildcats were 6-6 against Osawatomie. JV winners include freshman Kyle Allen at 120 lbs., sophomore Evan Ayres at 132 lbs., sophomore Dylan Meyer at 138 lbs., sophomore Owen Staver at 160 lbs., junior Bradley Trageser at 220 lbs., and senior Nephi Rodriguez at 220 lbs. Rodriguez had the honor of wrestling the last match of the evening, and when he scored the pin, the crowd was just as loud as any point in the evening.

It was a big win for the Wildcats, but the road to Salina is a long one. This weekend, the varsity squad will compete at the Fort Scott Duals against Anderson County, Blue Valley Southwest, Fort Scott, Paola, and Shawnee Mission West. The junior varsity squad will compete at the Blue Valley North.

Varsity Results:
106 lbs. – both teams open
113 lbs. – David Bindi (so.) def. Kitana Diediker, fall 2:28
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (so.) def. James Clement, fall 0:51
126 lbs. – Tucker Batten (fr.) lost to Brendon Chrisjohn, fall 0:27
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (sr.) def. Cody Hazlett, dec. 8-4
138 lbs. – Ryan Adams (fr.) def. Will Thompson, fall 3:14
145 lbs. – Will Ridley (fr.) lost to Tyler Chrisjohn, fall 1:35
152 lbs. – Connor Green (so.) lost to John Diediker, fall 0:28
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (so.) lost to Daniel Dees, fall 0:57
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (jr.) lost to Andy Blanton, fall 1:32
182 lbs. – Jimmy Dolan (jr.) win by forfeit
195 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (sr.) def. Cole Wallace, fall 0:32
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (so.) def. Seth Kingsolver, fall 1:35
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (jr.) def. Tanner Wilson, fall 1:38

LHS 45, Osawatomie 30

Dual Record: 1-0 (1.000)

JV Results:
120 lbs. – Kyle Allen (fr.) def. James Clement, fall 1:27
132 lbs. – Sierra Sullivan (so.) lost to Tonya Gallager, fall 1:03
132 lbs. – Evan Ayres (so.) def. Tonya Gallager, fall 2:00
138 lbs. – Dylan Meyer (so.) def. Seth Lofing, fall 3:30
145 lbs. – Garrett Caldwell (fr.) lost to Seth Lofing, fall 0:58
145 lbs. – Chris Turner (jr.) lost to Tristan Geiger, fall 3:10
152 lbs. – Zach Jones (jr.) lost to Tristan Geiger, dec. 8-2
160 lbs. – Owen Staver (so.) def. Sam Raybern, fall 4:21
160 lbs. – Dillin Roberts (jr.) lost to John Diediker, fall 2:00
182 lbs. – Billy Rose (sr.) lost to Cole Wallace, fall 0:56
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (jr.) def. Seth Kingsolver, fall 3:42
220 lbs. – Nephi Rodriguez (sr.) def. Tanner Wilson, fall 4:00

Next Competitions:
Saturday, Dec. 6: Ft. Scott Duals, 9:00am (Varsity)
Saturday, Dec. 6: Blue Valley North JV, 8:00am (JV)

White Team victorious at the Purple-White Scrimmage!

4th Annual Purple-White Scrimmage

2 December, 2014

Keeping the tradition going, the Wildcats unofficially kick-started the season with the 4th Annual Purple-White Scrimmage. Thirty-nine wrestlers took to the mat Tuesday evening to give our home crowd a show in a formal intersquad dual to determine who will represent LHS at the varsity level. Wrestlers also engaged in matches to determine the ranking in each weight class and exhibition matches to give them invaluable mat experience.

Ultimately, the White Team prevailed 66-45. The White Team is currently 3-1 against the Purple Team since the scrimmage’s inception in the 2011-12 season.

Although there were several pins on the evening, there were also many exciting match-ups. Winning a 7-0 decision at 145 lbs., freshman Will Ridley defeated sophomore Connor Green for the varsity spot. Sophomore Nathan Keegan edged freshman Kyle Allen at 120 lbs., and senior Zach Knox won a tough 6-4 decision against sophomore Dylan Meyer at 132 lbs. Senior Brenton Wrigley defeated junior Jimmy Dolan for varsity at 182 lbs. In other varsity wrestle-offs, sophomore Ben Hupp pinned Dillin Roberts in an exciting come-from-behind match at 160 lbs. Sophomore Mason Koechner pinned junior Bradley Trageser at 220 lbs., and junior Jordan Crowder pinned junior Marshall Rooney at 170 lbs. Uncontested for varsity positions were freshman Thad Hendrix at 106 lbs., sophomore David Bindi at 113 lbs., freshman Tucker Batten at 126 lbs., freshman Ryan Adams at 138 lbs., junior Zach Jones at 152 lbs., and Anders Vance at 285 lbs. Senior Joey Goode was to face off against sophomore Nathan Allen at 195 lbs., but a concussion suffered at practice prevented Goode from being able to wrestle.

The Wildcats feature several returning lettermen from last season. Bindi was 21-14 at 106, Knox was 27-15 at 126, and Goode was 13-9 at 195. Bindi, Meyer, Knox, and Wrigley were all one match away from qualifying for state in 2014. Other letterwinners in 2014 include Dolan, Jones, Roberts, Trageser, Vance, and Koechner. Senior Nephi Rodriguez, Hupp, Keegan, and sophomore Owen Staver also won varsity matches last season.

For the fourth year, we’ve been proud to welcome back several figures from Louisburg High School Wrestling history. This season we had the honor to have Shawn Crossley (’98), Dereck Kerr (’00), Justin Kircher (’00), and Jesse Myers (’00) serve as honorary coaches. Crossley was a 3-time state qualifier, sported an 83-31 career record, and was the 1998 Senior Wrestler of the Year. Kerr was a 4-time state qualifier, a 2-time Frontier League champion, and had an 80-28 career record. Kircher was a 2-time state qualifier for the Wildcats. Myers was a 3-time state qualifier, a regional champion, a 2-time Frontier League champion, and had a 63-21 career record. All four were members of the 1997 team that was undefeated Frontier League Duals champions and the 1998 team that won the Frontier League Tournament. That team was also 12-1 in duals and won team titles at Spring Hill, Louisburg, and Prairie View. Crossley and Kerr coached the White Team to its third straight victory in the Purple-White series.

The Wildcats officially begin the season with a home dual against Osawatomie on Thursday, December 4. The varsity then takes to the mats Saturday, December 6 at the Fort Scott duals where we’ll face off against Anderson County, Blue Valley Southwest, Fort Scott, Paola, and Shawnee Mission West. That same day, JV will compete at the Blue Valley North JV Tournament.

Varsity Challenge Matches:
120 lbs. – Nathan Keegan (Purple) def. Kyle Allen (White) dec. 6-4
132 lbs. – Zach Knox (Purple) def. Dylan Meyer (White) dec. 8-6
145 lbs. – Will Ridley (Purple) def. Connor Green (White) dec. 7-0
160 lbs. – Ben Hupp (White) def. Dillin Roberts (Purple) wbf
170 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (Purple) def. Marshall Rooney (White) wbf
182 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (White) def. Jimmy Dolan (Purple) dec. 6-2
220 lbs. – Mason Koechner (White) def. Bradley Trageser (Purple) wbf

Ranking Matches:
132 lbs. – Jaylen Boileau (White) def. Sierra Sullivan (Purple) wbf
145 lbs. – Chris Turner (Purple) def. Jacob Mitchell (White) wbf
160 lbs. – Kylan Harper (White) def. Jud Deering (Purple) wbf
160 lbs. – Leland Koehn (White) def. Kain O’Keefe (Purple) wbf
182 lbs. – Lyndon Smith (White) def. Billy Rose (Purple) wbf
220 lbs. – Nephi Rodriguez (Purple) def. Matthew Rison (White) wbf

Exhibition Matches:
106 / 120 lbs. – Thad Hendrix (Purple) def. Alec Maler (White) wbf
113 / 120 lbs. – David Bindi (White) def. Nathan Keegan (Purple) dec. 6-4 OT
132 / 145 lbs. – Garrett Caldwell (Purple) def. Jaylen Boileau (White) wbf
138 / 152 lbs. – Ryan Adams (White) def. Zach Jones (Purple) wbf
160 lbs. – Owen Staver (Purple) def. Zac Meyer (White) wbf
182 lbs. – Austin Raetzel (White) def. Billy Rose (Purple) wbf
195 / 220 lbs. – Josh Vickrey (White) def. Nathan Allen (Purple) wbf
220 / 285 lbs. – Anders Vance (White) def. Bradley Trageser (Purple) wbf

Next Competitions:
Thursday, Dec. 4: Osawatomie Dual @ HOME, 6:30pm (Varsity and JV)
Saturday, Dec. 6: Ft. Scott Duals, 9:00am (Varsity)
Saturday, Dec. 6: Blue Valley North JV, 8:00am (JV)