Beavers qualify 7 matmen for state

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The fourth time proved to be a charm for Scott Community High School senior Paco Antillon in the Class 4A regional wrestling tournament.

In three previous matches with Ulysses junior Robbie Hines, Antillon had lost each time by decision. The SCHS senior finally gained his revenge with a 1-0 win in the regional finals to claim the first of three gold medals for the Beavers.

Brothers Dakota (145) and Luke Hayes (189) were also regional champions while Clay Mulligan (103) and Calvin Erven (215) were runners-up.

Also among Scott City’s seven state qualifiers were Morgan Numrich (152) and Alex Kough (112).

As a team, the Beavers (129.5) finished in fourth place behind Andale (185.5), Valley Center (180.5) and Colby (133.5).

Seven state qualifiers were about what the SCHS coaching staff expected. That’s how many medalists the Beavers had at the rugged Rocky Welton Invitational at Garden City, which head coach Jon Lippelmann says is often a good indicator of what to expect at regional.

“We’re never satisfied. We felt we had one or two more possibilities,” says Lippelmann. “But our kids wrestled well. We lost a couple in the championship round that we wanted to win, but they weren’t crushing losses. Now that we’ve qualified for state we can continue to work on those things that will hopefully raise our game to another level.”

Antillon’s win snapped a three-match streak against Hines who entered regional as the No. 2 ranked 119-pounder in Kansas.

“After he beat me pretty bad (in the Scott City Classic) I knew I had to get better. I couldn’t wrestle his match. I couldn’t make mistakes,” says Antillon.

Unlike when Antillon (34-7) lost to Hines in the Mid-State Activities Association tournament two weeks earlier, this time the Scott City grappler was able to escape in the second period for a 1-0 lead.

When in the riding position, Antillon is one of the toughest boys in Kansas to score on. He was able to control Hines for the final two minutes of the match.

“If I can get ahead by one point that means a lot to me,” he says. “It may not mean a lot to other people, but it makes a big difference for me.”

Dakota Hayes (36-3), who leads the team with 31 falls, collected two more on Friday. In the semi-finals he needed just 43 seconds to pin Colby’s Bob Schroeder.

A first period takedown set the stage for Hayes in his 5-3 decision against Colton Duhr (Andale) in the finals. Duhr tied the match with a third period reversal, but an escape and takedown by Hayes gave him a big enough lead to ensure his fourth trip to the state tournament.

“I was looking for motion. Most of what I do is set up by me moving,” says Hayes. “He was a pretty good rider and was able to stick with me through most of the match. Once I got the motion going things fell into place.”

The 189-pound finals set up a rematch between Luke Hayes and Chase Kreutzer (Pratt) who had split their two previous matches.

Hayes (34-8) was looking to avenge a disappointing 10-2 loss to Kreutzer in the MSAA tournament.

Hayes was able to ride Kreutzer through the entire second period, but still trailed 1-0 because of a penalty point. He quickly gained a 2-0 lead with a reversal in the second period and when Kreutzer tried to roll the 6-4 SCHS sophomore, Hayes’ left arm wrapped tightly under the Pratt grappler’s waist. Kreutzer was trapped on his back with nowhere to go.

Because of his length, Hayes was able to leverage against Kreutzer, keeping him from rolling in either direction. Kreutzer was trapped helplessly for 1-1/2 minutes while Hayes collected near-fall points.

“I wasn’t worried about pinning him,” says Hayes. “I just didn’t want to do anything stupid and let him back up again. I knew I had the match won if I just kept him where he was at.”

Mulligan (32-2) gave up a pair of takedowns on his way to a 7-3 loss in the championship finals to Dustin Reed (Colby).

The SCHS sophomore entered regional as the No. 2 ranked wrestler in Class 4A while Reed was ranked No. 5. Mulligan had been a 2-0 winner over Reed when the two met in mid-December.

Erven (31-10) had advanced into the finals with a 3-1 decision over Hugoton’s Colten Lissolo where he faced Titus Hopper, the No. 5 ranked wrestler in Class 4A.

The SCHS senior took a 3-2 lead in the third period following a reversal, but Hopper sent the match into overtime with an escape. Hopper was able to get a favorable call with a takedown on the edge of the mat in the extra period for a 5-3 win.

Morgan Numrich (33-10) picked up a bronze medal with a 9-2 decision over Ethan Stickel (Colby).

The senior’s only loss of the weekend came in the championship semi-finals by a 2-0 decision against Cade Blair (Valley Center), the No. 1 ranked wrestler in Kansas. A two-time state champion in Class 5A, Blair’s only points came on a second period reversal.

Earning his first trip to the state tournament was freshman Alex Kough who had to work his way through the consolation bracket after a first round 7-5 overtime loss to Jake Gehring (Buhler). Kough (24-15) won his next two matches to earn a rematch with Gehring for third place.

A late reversal gave Kough a 3-2 lead, but Gehring was able to score with a reversal in the final four seconds to hand the freshman a 4-3 loss.

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