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)

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)