Great Bend Post Sports
With 21 wrestlers in action for the fifth-ranked Panther boys, Great Bend was able to cruise to Friday's Corner Classic championship in Hoisington with 241.5 points. Concordia scored 216 points for second, and No. 8 Hoisington (3-2-1A) placed third with 104 points.
The 215-pound pound bracket featured some premiere athletes from across the various classifications. Larned's top-ranked senior Luke Fischer pinned all three pool opponents. He picked up another pin against Liberal in the semifinals, then pinned Great Bend's Matthew Johnson in the title match. Johnson, ranked No. 4, cruised to the finals with four pins, including two in 53 seconds or less. Hoisington sophomore Colin Mater placed fourth in the loaded bracket.
Panther senior Cooper Liles, ranked No. 3 at 150 pounds, put on a show in his bracket. He won all three pool matches in 22 seconds or less, then needed just 14 seconds against Liberal in the title match. Ellinwood's Gabe Martinez placed third in the bracket.
Second-ranked Jace Schartz saw some extra mat time for the title at 157 pounds. He pinned his first opponent but tech-falled his next two pool opponents. Schartz tech-falled Hoisington's Preston Roat 16-1 for the championship. Roat pinned three opponents and won a 12-7 decision against Concordia to reach the finals.
Second-ranked Trenton Kern had no trouble winning out at 190 pounds. The sophomore pinned all four pool opponents with two wins in 52 seconds or less. He pinned Concordia in the title match.
Hayden Liles filled in for ranked Triston Tomlinson at 120 pounds. The mattered little as the Panther wrestled his way to the championship. He pinned all three pool opponents with 26 and 50-second wins included. He pinned Concordia in the first-place match.
Top-ranked Josiah Ball had no problems winning the 138-pound bracket for Hoisington. The senior pinned all three pool opponents in short order, then won a 12-2 major against fourth-ranked Gregory Martinez of Holcomb (4A) in the finals. Trevin Maciel placed fifth for Great Bend.
Hoisington's Landon Beaver won the title at 144 pounds. He pinned all three pool opponents, including a 16-second win, and also pinned his Concordia opponent in just 24 seconds inthe finals. Great Bend's Blake Stein went 2-1 in pool action with a loss to Beaver and two pins. Stein pinned Hoisington's Taylen Morales in the third-place match.
Second-ranked Teron Kraft of Hoisington had his way with the field at 175 pounds. He pinned three pool opponents and won a 10-5 decision against Liberal to reach the finals where he won a 6-2 decision against Concordia. Conner Holladay placed third for Great Bend, and Cooper Gunn finished fifth for Ellinwood.
Barton County wrestlers dominated the field at 285 pounds. Great Bend's Brody Schnoebelen pinned all five opponents, all in 65 seconds or less with three wins coming in 46 seconds or less. Ellinwood senior Jonathon Mason finished at 4-1 with four pins and a loss to Schnoebelen for second. Layton Hoffman placed third for Hoisington, and Ryder Morris finished fourth for Great Bend.
Second-ranked Kaiden Hoffman had to settle for second place at 132 pounds. He pinned all three pool opponents with no match going longer then 39 seconds. He followed that with a 28-second win against Stafford's Tuff Pope in the semifinals but was pinned by one-loss Carter Eakins of Concordia in the finals.
Ambrose Kramer made the finals at 113 pounds. He pinned both of his pool opponents, then needed just 42 seconds to pin Larned's Zev Cox in the semifinals. Kramer fell victim to a quick pin by Concordia in the finals. Cox placed fourth in the bracket.
Junior Ernan Rodriguez also picked up a second-place finish at 126 pounds for the Panthers. He was sitting at 2-0 with a pair of pins before getting pinned by the eventual winner from Concordia. Rodriguez won his final match in a forfeit against Hoisington's Nolan Jacobs, who placed fifth.
Michael Montoya was another Great Bend runner up in the 165-pound bracket. He went 4-0 in pool matches with four pins, two in 41 seconds or less. He was pinned by Concordia in the finals. Hoisington's Courtney Bryant placed fifth.