4A Regionals

Wildcats’ season ends at regionals

February 15-16, 2013

For the first time since 2007, the Wildcats end their season without any state qualifiers. In a stacked regional tournament, three wrestlers came one match away, but in the end, the competition was too tough. Chanute won the tournament with 164 points, followed by Fort Scott and then Prairie View. League rival Paola finished in 9th place with three state qualifiers. Louisburg was 15th with no state qualifiers.

For the second year, sophomore Austin Huber (120 lbs.) was one match away from qualifying for the state tournament. Huber had a tough draw, facing the #1 seed in the quarterfinals and losing 2-8. One the backside, he won a tight 1-0 match before falling to the 3rd seed in the consolation semifinals. Senior Austen Scott (132 lbs.) made a great run at a state berth, but despite winning three matches, came up short in the end. Scott had two pins and a revenge win against a Paola opponent. Junior Ben Powers (138 lbs.) was drawn into the bracket to face the #1 seed right off the bat, but he then won two straight matches (one of them being a revenge win from the first meet of the season) before losing to a Frontenac wrestler. Sophomore Sean Dennis (152 lbs.) had really come on strong at the end of the season, making it to the consolation semifinals, but couldn’t overcome his Prairie View opponent, losing by fall.

Senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) ended up having perhaps the toughest bracket in the tournament. In a very deep weight, Lemke lost a heartbreaker in the first round, but bounced back to earn a quick pin in the next round. On his road to state, he would have to face three familiar faces: one whom he’d beaten earlier in the year and two more who had already beaten him in previous meets. Lemke gave his next match everything he could, but he got caught on his back and pinned, ending his season much earlier than anyone would have liked. Seven other LHS wrestlers stepped on the mats, hoping to qualify for state. Freshman Parker Cates (113 lbs.), sophomore Zach Knox (126 lbs.), sophomore Shea Cox (160 lbs.), sophomore Cooper Skeem (170 lbs.), sophomore Brenton Wrigley (182 lbs.), freshman Bradley Trageser (220 lbs.), and freshman Anders Vance (285 lbs.) all went 0-2 at regionals.

Louisburg walked away from the regional tournament without any state qualifiers, but ultimately they were able to keep their heads raised high. The majority of the varsity squad was either freshmen or sophomores, and many of them were only first- or second-year wrestlers. In the off-season, the Wildcats have a lot of work to do, but with the intensity, pride, and faith that the wrestlers possess, next season is already looking promising!

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 0-2
120 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 1-2
126 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 0-2
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 3-2, 2 falls
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 2-2, 1 fall
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 1-2, 1 fall
152 lbs. – Sean Dennis (so.) 2-2, 1 fall
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 0-2
170 lbs. – Cooper Skeem (so.) 0-2
182 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 0-2
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 0-2
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 0-2

Team Placing: 15th out of 15 teams

Frontier League Duals

Huber, Dennis, and Wrigley lead Wildcats at League

February 8-9, 2013

The Wildcats came away with two dual victories and three league runners-up at the 2013 Frontier League Duals. The team title came down to Baldwin and Spring Hill facing off. Ending with a tie score, the champion was determined to be Baldwin, who had more pins than Spring Hill. Paola was in 3rd, followed by Ottawa in 4th. Louisburg finished 5th ahead of DeSoto and Eudora.

Sophomores Austin Huber (120 lbs.), Sean Dennis (152 lbs.), and Brenton Wrigley (182 lbs.) each finished the weekend with records of 5-1. Huber had two wins by fall, while Dennis had two wins by fall and one by technical fall. Wrigley won one match by fall and notched a couple of key decisions. Senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) had hoped to improve on his league runner-up finish from last season, but couldn’t overcome opponents from Paola and Spring Hill. Lemke finished in 3rd place. Sophomore Zach Knox (126 lbs.) looked strong this weekend, losing to the eventual champion from Baldwin by a score of 6-9. Knox nearly had him pinned, but he ended up in 4th place.

Freshman Parker Cates (113 lbs.), senior Austen Scott (132 lbs.), and freshman Anders Vance (285 lbs.) all earned key pins for the Wildcats. Vance’s pin came at the end up the DeSoto dual, securing us a team victory. Junior Ben Powers was 1-5 at 138 lbs., and freshman Bradley Trageser was 2-4 at 220 lbs. Sophomores Shea Cox (160 lbs.) and Cooper Skeem (170 lbs.) also represented the Wildcats at the league tournament.

The Frontier League Duals is the first step in the championship series. Next week, the Wildcats travel to Pittsburg for the 4A Regional Tournament. The top four placers in each weight class qualify for the 4A State Tournament in Salina.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 2-4, 1 fall
120 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 5-1, 2 falls, 2nd place
126 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 3-3, 1 tech fall, 4th place
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 2-4, 1 fall
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 1-5
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 4-2, 1 fall, 3rd place
152 lbs. – Sean Dennis (so.) 5-1, 2 falls, 1 tech fall, 2nd place
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 0-6
170 lbs. – Cooper Skeem (so.) 0-4
182 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 5-1, 1 fall, 2nd place
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 2-4
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 1-5, 1 fall

Dual Results: (2-4 record)
Ottawa 43, LHS 26 (L)
Baldwin 53, LHS 24 (L)
LHS 45, Eudora 33
Spring Hill 63, LHS 9 (L)
LHS 37, DeSoto 36
Paola 63, LHS 18 (L)

Team Placing: 5th out of 7 teams

Next Competition:
4A Regionals @ Pittsburg (February 15-16, 2013)

Silver Lake Invitational

Knox finishes 6th at Silver Lake

February 2, 2013

In a field of tough competition, including several top-ranked schools from 4A and 5A, the Wildcats had a lot of obstacles in the way of having a successful weekend. In round 1, after the first ten weights had been wrestled, LHS was actually in first place as a team, but the other teams quickly caught up and passed us. Louisburg finished the tournament in 15th place out of 18 teams. St. James won the tournament, followed by Seaman and Salina South.

Sophomore Zach Knox (126 lbs.) went 2-3 on the day, knocking off two state qualifiers before falling to 6th place. In the first round, Knox won by tech fall over a state qualifier from Doniphan West, and he won by fall against another state qualifier in the quarterfinals. Junior Ben Powers had a strong day, nearly sneaking in to the top-6 at 138 lbs. Powers won a 5-3 decision and then score a tech fall before losing 7-10 in the consolation quarterfinals. Sophomore Sean Dennis (152 lbs.) filled in on varsity and ended up nearly placing. Dennis won two matches by fall.

Freshman Parker Cates (113 lbs.), senior Austen Scott (132 lbs.), and senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) all went 1-2 on the weekend. Cates and Scott each won a match by fall. LHS was also represented by sophomores Austin Huber (120 lbs.), Shea Cox (160 lbs.), and Brenton Wrigley (182 lbs.), as well as by freshmen Bradley Trageser (220 lbs.) and Anders Vance (285 lbs.). These guys all went 0-2, but they had some good matches and were able to compete strongly.

Next Friday and Saturday, the Wildcats travel to Ottawa for the Frontier League Duals. Participating schools include Baldwin, DeSoto, Eudora, Paola, Ottawa, and Spring Hill. Last year, fielding a team of 8 wrestlers, LHS finished 6th with a dual record of 1-5. This year, with more experience and numbers, we plan to bring home a higher finish.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 1-2, 1 fall
120 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 0-2
126 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 2-3, 1 fall, 1 tech fall, 6th place
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 1-2, 1 fall
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 2-2, 1 tech fall
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 1-2
152 lbs. – Sean Dennis (so.) 2-2, 2 falls
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 0-2
170 lbs. – open
182 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 0-2
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 0-2
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 0-2

Team Placing: 15th out of 18 teams

Next Competition:
Frontier League Duals (February 8-9, 2013)

Baldwin Invitational

Wildcats encounter tough competition at Baldwin

January 26, 2013

It was a loaded field full of 4A schools at the Baldwin Invitational, and the Wildcats had their hands full with lots of tough matches. In the end, Holton took home the team title, followed by Tonganoxie, Spring Hill, and Baldwin. Teams from our regional included Prairie View (6th place) and Paola (10th place). Louisburg came in at 14th place, ahead of Santa Fe Trail and Eudora.

Three Wildcats led the team in placing in the top eight, but none managed to earn a place higher than sixth. Sophomore Brenton Wrigley bumped up a weight class to 182 lbs., going 1-3 to take 6th place. Senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) had an impressive day, going 3-2 to take 7th place. In his first and last match, Lemke ended up wrestling the same opponent, winning 3-2 and 5-2. At 132 lbs., senior Austen Scott went 2-3 to take 8th place. In his eighth place match, Scott was leading when he got caught and pinned.

Freshman Parker Cates (113 lbs.) continues to show improvement. In his first match, Cates won a 14-0 major decision before meeting up with the #2 seed. On the back side, Cates was in a tight match, going back and forth with the lead, when he was caught and pinned by his opponent. At 120 lbs., sophomore Austin Huber stepped up and filled in, but went 1-2. Huber earned a dominant tech fall in his second match, but couldn’t overcome his next opponent. Sophomore Zach Knox bumped up to 126 lbs. and went 1-3. In his first match he won a key match by fall. Freshman Anders Vance was 1-2 at 285 lbs., and Louisburg was also represented by junior Ben Powers (138 lbs.), sophomore Shea Cox (160 lbs.), and freshman Jordan Crowder (152 lbs.).

Next Saturday, the Wildcats will get up extra early to head to Silver Lake for their annual invitational tournament. Several participating teams are regional opponents, including Iola, Prairie View, Anderson County, and Osawatomie.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 1-3
120 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 1-2, 1 tech fall
126 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 1-3, 1 fall
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 2-3, 2 falls, 8th place
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 0-2
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 3-2, 1 fall, 7th place
152 lbs. – Jordan Crowder (fr.) 0-2
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 0-2
170 lbs. – open
182 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 1-3, 6th place
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – open
285 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 1-2

Team Placing: 14th out of 16 teams

Next Competition: Silver Lake Invitational (February 2, 2013)

Topeka Invitational

Lemke wins first title of the season

January 12, 2013

A battered crew of Wildcats traveled to Topeka for the Topeka Invitational. The Louisburg wrestlers earned five medals en route to a 5th place team finish. Winning the tournament was Topeka High, followed by Gardner- Edgerton, Frontenac, and Council Grove.

Two Wildcats brought home championships: seniors Cullen Hood (126 lbs.) and Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.). Hood won his first match by disqualification after his opponent bit him and then won his second match by fall. In the finals, he won a 3-0 decision against a solid opponent from Topeka High. Lemke earned his first gold medal of the season by pinning his way through the bracket. Only his first match went into the second period. Sophomore Shea Cox (160 lbs.) beat teammate Blaise Staver in the semifinals but lost by fall to a Topeka High opponent in the finals. Sophomore Zach Knox went 3-1 at 120 lbs., bouncing back from a first-round loss to win three straight matches and take third place. Senior Blaise Staver (160 lbs.) was able to enter the tournament as an unattached wrestler and came out with a third place finish. After losing to Cox in the semis, Staver won his next matches by fall and disqualification.

Despite being down two starters due to illness, the Wildcats had some good team points being scored on the back side of the brackets. Senior Austen Scott (132 lbs.) went 1-2, losing two very close matches. Sophomore Cooper Skeem filled in at 170 lbs., and freshmen Jacob Bolton (152 lbs.) and Bradley Trageser (220 lbs.) also competed for
the Wildcats.

The varsity squad will enjoy a weekend off before heading to Baldwin for the 12th Annual Baldwin Invitational Tournament. The 16-team BIT is a great opportunity for the Louisburg wrestlers to match up against some key 4A regional and state opponents.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – open
120 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 3-1, 2 falls, 3rd place
126 lbs. – Cullen Hood (sr.) 3-0, 1 fall, 1st place
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 1-2, 1 fall
138 lbs. – open
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 3-0, 3 falls, 1st place
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) 0-2
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 1-1, 1 fall, 2nd place
160 lbs. – Blaise Staver (sr.) 2-1, 1 fall, 3rd place
170 lbs. – Cooper Skeem (so.) 0-2
182 lbs. – open
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 0-2
285 lbs. – open

Team Placing: 5th out of 11 teams

Next Competition: Baldwin Invitational (January 26, 2013)

Wildcat / Panther Dual

Wildcats drop dual to Paola on Senior Night

January 8, 2013

Despite it being Senior Night and the team making some great strides in the practice room, the Louisburg Wildcats couldn’t hold off Paola in our only home dual of the season. Both teams fielded several younger and less experienced wrestlers, but in the end, Paola finished on top 49-24. Louisburg was open at four weight classes.

Four Wildcats came out strong and earned falls, starting with freshman Parker Cates at 113 lbs. Cates wasted little time and pinned his opponent a minute into the match. Sophomore Austin Huber filled in at 120 lbs. and had a great match, but he lost 2-1 in an ultimate tie-breaker. After six minutes of wrestling the score was tied 1-1. Both athletes battled through the overtime period and the two 30-second tie-breakers before it came down to the final 30 seconds. Seniors Cullen Hood (126 lbs.) and Austen Scott (132 lbs.) kept things moving with first-period pins. After the first five weights, Louisburg led 18-3.

A streak of five losses ensued at this point, starting with junior Ben Powers, who lost 3-11 at 138 lbs. Senior Curtis Lemke was having a dominant match at 145 lbs., but was caught in a spladle and pinned toward the end of the second period. Freshman Jacob Bolton (152 lbs.) and sophomores Shea Cox (160 lbs.) and Cooper Skeem (170 lbs.) lost by fall. Louisburg was open at 182 lbs. and 195 lbs., but freshman Bradley Trageser picked up a nice win by fall at 220 lbs. Louisburg was open at 285 lbs., but Trageser’s pin was a nice conclusion to the dual.

Despite dealing with injuries and open weights, the Wildcats are still working to improve on the mat. This weekend, the Wildcats will travel to Topeka for a new addition to this year’s schedule: the Topeka Invitational.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) won by fall, 1:04
120 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) lost in overtime, 1-2
126 lbs. – Cullen Hood (sr.) won by fall, 1:43
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) won by fall, 1:49
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) lost by major decision, 3-11
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) lost by fall, 3:45
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) lost by fall, 1:31
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) lost by fall, 3:41
170 lbs. – Cooper Skeem (so.) lost by fall, 5:31
182 lbs. – open
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) won by fall, 5:27
285 lbs. – open

Paola 49, LHS 24

Dual Record: 1-5 (.167)

Next Competition: Topeka Invitational (January 12, 2013)

Wildcat Classic

Hood wins Wildcat Classic championship in first meet back

January 5, 2013

It was another successful tournament this year as Louisburg hosted the annual Wildcat Classic last weekend. LHS finished in 7th place, just a place higher than last year’s finish. Raymore-Peculiar (MO) won the team title, followed by Tonganoxie and Blue Valley West.

Three seniors had pretty solid tournaments. Cullen Hood, in his first competition of the season, notched four pins and a decision en route to the tournament title at 126 lbs. In the finals, Hood knocked off a tough opponent from Lansing. Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) also reached the finals, but he couldn’t pull out a victory. Lemke faced a strong opponent from Ray-Pec and he gave it his all, but ended up being tech-falled. Austen Scott finished third in his pool at 132 lbs., but in his last match of the day, he earned an exciting pin to earn fifth place. Scott was 3-2 on the weekend.

Sophomore Shea Cox (160 lbs.) also made his first varsity appearance this season, going 2-3 at 160 lbs. to take seventh place. Freshmen Parker Cates (106 lbs.) and Jacob Bolton (152 lbs.) both won matches in their pools to score points for the Wildcats. Two sophomores and four freshmen rounded out the Louisburg squad. Sophomores Zach Knox was 0-3 at 120 lbs. and Cooper Skeem was 0-3 at 170 lbs. Freshmen Zach Jones (138 lbs.), Kole McNatt (195 lbs.), Anders Vance (220 lbs.), and Bradley Trageser (285 lbs.) also competed for the Wildcats, but were winless on the weekend.

In just a few days, Louisburg will host Paola for a friendly dual. It will also be our senior night. Next weekend, we travel to Topeka, a new addition to our schedule, for the Topeka Invitational.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 1-3
113 lbs. – open
120 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 0-3
126 lbs. – Cullen Hood (sr.) 5-0, 4 falls, 1st place
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 3-2, 1 fall, 5th place
138 lbs. – Zach Jones (fr.) 0-4
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 2-1, 2nd place
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) 1-4, 1 fall
160 lbs. – Shea Cox (so.) 2-3, 1 fall
170 lbs. – Cooper Skeem (so.) 0-3
182 lbs. – open
195 lbs. – Kole McNatt (fr.) 0-3
220 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 0-5
285 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 0-4

Team Placing: 7th out of 11 teams

Next Competitions:
Paola Dual (8 January, 2013)
Topeka Invitational (12 January, 2013)

Tonganoxie Invitational

Knox and Lemke finalists at Tongie

December 15, 2012

With a more complete line-up and some huge strides forward, the Wildcats brought out a stronger performance at the Tonganoxie Invitational. We had six wrestlers finish in the top-four, leading the team to a fourth place finish. Tonganoxie took the team title, followed by Shawnee Heights and Atchison. Last season, the Wildcats finished in seventh at this tournament.

Sophomore Zach Knox (120 lbs.) and senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.) both reached the finals in their respective weight classes. Knox earned two falls before losing a major decision in the finals, while Lemke notched three falls (including one against the #2 seed) before losing by fall in the finals. It was the first finals appearance for both wrestlers this season. Junior Ben Powers (138 lbs.) earned two falls before taking fourth place. His overall record on the weekend was 3-2. Senior Austen Scott finished fourth at 132 lbs., as did freshman Parker Cates (113 lbs.) and senior Dylan York (160 lbs.). York earned his first pin of the season this weekend.

Freshman Bradley Trageser, who normally wrestles at 220 lbs., bumped up to fill our open heavyweight spot. Trageser went 2-2 with two wins by fall to take fifth place. Freshman Jacob Bolton (152 lbs.) and sophomore Nephi Rodriguez (220 lbs.) also filled in for the Wildcats, but did not place.

The Wildcats will enjoy some much needed time off for the Christmas Break. Practice resumes after Christmas and we will be gearing up for our home tournament, the Wildcat Wrestling Classic!

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 0-4, 4th place
120 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 2-1, 2 falls, 2nd place
126 lbs. – open
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 1-2, 4th place
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 3-2, 2 falls, 4th place
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 3-1, 3 falls, 2nd place
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) 0-3
160 lbs. – Dylan York (sr.) 1-4, 1 fall, 4th place
170 lbs. – open
182 lbs. – open
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Nephi Rodriguez (so.) 0-4
285 lbs. – Bradley Trageser (fr.) 2-2, 2 falls, 5th place

Team Placing: 4th out of 11 teams

Next Competition: Wildcat Classic @ LHS (Jan. 5, 2013)

Eudora Tournament of Champions

Young team struggles at Eudora

December 7-8, 2012

A small and young squad hit the mats at Eudora for the 2-day, 22-team Eudora Tournament of Champions. St. Thomas Aquinas took the team championship, followed closely by Tonganoxie, Prairie View, and Chanute. The top four teams were separated by a spread of 7.5 points. Louisburg came in at 20th place.

Only one Wildcat made it out of the pool rounds: senior Curtis Lemke (145 lbs.). In his first tournament of the season, Lemke started with two solid pins before running into a state ranked opponent from Shawnee Mission South. He then entered the bracket and faced off against the #1 seed from Rossville. Lemke gave him a good match, but he was eventually caught and pinned in the third period. The rest of the tournament didn’t go very well, as Lemke found himself battling sickness as well as his opponents. He wound up in 8th place in this very tough tournament.

A host of younger wrestlers filled in the open spots in the line-up and gave it their best shot. Junior Ben Powers was 1-3 at 138 lbs., while sophomores Austin Huber was 1-4 at 113 lbs., Zach Knox was 1-2 at 120 lbs., and Brenton Wrigley was 1-2 at 170 lbs. Two freshmen also filled in: Jacob Bolton, who was 0-4 at 152 lbs., and Anders Vance, who was 1-2 at 220 lbs.

Despite fielding only half a squad at this incredibly tough meet, the Wildcats are still running strong and are ready to hit the mats next week at Tonganoxie before taking some time off for Christmas Break.

Individual Results:
106 lbs. – open
113 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 1-4
120 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 1-2, 1 fall
126 lbs. – open
132 lbs. – open
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 1-3
145 lbs. – Curtis Lemke (sr.) 2-4, 2 falls, 8th place
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) 0-4
160 lbs. – open
170 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 1-2, 1 fall
182 lbs. – open
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 1-2, 1 fall
285 lbs. – open

Team Placing: 20th out of 22 teams

Next Competition: Tonganoxie Invitational (December 15, 2012)

Fort Scott Duals

Knox goes undefeated, leads Wildcats at Fort Scott

December 1, 2012

Sophomore Zach Knox recorded 3 pins to lead the Wildcats in our first competition of the season at the 2012 Fort Scott Duals. The Wildcats faced off against five other opponents in a round-robin competition in which all teams go head-to-head in dual format. Louisburg faced three regional opponents and two other larger schools, going 1-4 in duals and taking 5th place as a team.

The weekend was filled with positives and negatives, and this sport is truly a roller-coaster ride throughout the season. Fielding a team with only four wrestlers with varsity experience, the Wildcats were able to fill 13 of the 14 weight classes. Not only were most of the team first-time varsity wrestlers, but eight of them were either freshmen or sophomores. Every LHS wrestler represented the team with pride and determination. Inexperience was our biggest disadvantage, as we lost to Fort Scott 49-30, Blue Valley Southwest 51-21, Anderson County 41-31, and Paola 36-30. Our sole dual victory came against Shawnee Mission West by a score of 42-33.

Three Wildcats ended the day with a .500 record or better: Knox was 3-0 at 120 / 126 lbs., sophomore Sean Dennis was 2-1 at 145 lbs., and freshman Jacob Bolton was 2-2 at 152 lbs. Knox recorded three pins, while Dennis and Bolton each earned two pins. Also recording pins were freshman Anders Vance (1-4 at 220 lbs.) and senior Kade Larson (2-3 at 285 lbs.). Sophomore Austin Huber (120 / 126 lbs.) won by major decision against his Anderson County opponent, senior Austen Scott (132 lbs.) won a high-scoring decision against his Anderson County opponent, and junior Ben Powers (138 lbs.) earned a decision against his Blue Valley Southwest opponent. Five other Wildcats, all of them either freshmen or first-year wrestlers, hit the mats for LHS on Saturday: freshman Adam Harris (0-4 at 106 lbs.), freshman Parker Cates (0-2 at 113 lbs.), senior Dylan York (0-5 at 160 lbs.), sophomore Brenton Wrigley (0-3 at 170 lbs.), and junior TJ McKiearnan (0-3 at 182 lbs.).

This upcoming weekend, the Wildcats will take on a hefty challenge at the 34th annual Eudora Tournament of Champions. Over twenty teams from 4A, 5A, and 6A will be competing at this tough two-day tournament. LHS will have the chance to square off against many state-ranked wrestlers.

Individual Results: (not including forfeits)
106 lbs. – Adam Harris (fr.) 0-4
113 lbs. – Parker Cates (fr.) 0-2
120 / 126 lbs. – Zach Knox (so.) 3-0, 3 falls
120 / 126 lbs. – Austin Huber (so.) 1-3
132 lbs. – Austen Scott (sr.) 1-2
138 lbs. – Ben Powers (jr.) 1-4
145 lbs. – Sean Dennis (so.) 2-1, 2 falls
152 lbs. – Jacob Bolton (fr.) 2-2, 2 falls
160 lbs. – Dylan York (sr.) 0-5
170 lbs. – Brenton Wrigley (so.) 0-3
182 lbs. – TJ McKiearnan (jr.) 0-3
195 lbs. – open
220 lbs. – Anders Vance (fr.) 1-4, 1 fall
285 lbs. – Kade Larson (sr.) 2-3, 2 falls

Dual Record: 1-4

Team Placing: 5th out of 6 teams

Next Competition:
Eudora Tournament of Champions (December 7-8, 2012)