Wrestlers set up chance to win SEK

ALTAMONT -- Fort Scott High's wrestling team may be on the brink of something that's only been done once in school history. And the Tigers put themselves in position to achieve this feat by sweeping Independence and Labette County in a Southeast Kansas League triangular here Thursday night.

The Tigers took the lead in the SEK with a 5-0 mark (They're 10-2 in all duals). Columbus has only one league dual under its belt so far, winning it. Chanute is 2-1 in league duals, losing to Labette County on January 11.

When the Tigers, Titans and Blue Comets meet at Chanute on February 8, Fort Scott will be in a position to win the league for the first time since 1973-74, when the league champion was decided in a post-season tournament. That's Fort Scott's only league title in wrestling; the Tigers have never won it in the dual format.

In order to put themselves in this position, the Tigers first had to beat an Independence team that had beaten them in a non-league dual at Fort Scott in December and an LCHS team that had emerged as an SEK contender.

"I challenged the team tonight to take the opportunity of determining their own destiny," Fort Scott head coach David Brown said. "I love the opportunities these athletes have at learning lessons beyond the field of play and classroom. Tonight, many learned how to handle great pressure; how to handle the fact that they decide success and failure based on their efforts. As they grow and mature, these young men will surely find themselves facing great pressure to succeed again.

"I can't really recall a bigger dual win than tonight in my tenure."

Because the Tigers have a couple of open weights, they trailed each opponent after six matches in each dual. Cody Kramer got the Tigers back on track each time by winning his 140-pound match.

Against Independence, Kramer's pin of A.J. Reed tied the match at 18-18 and started a run of five straight victories by pinfall. After Dakotah Gettler received a forfeit at 189 pounds, Fort Scott led 48-18.

In the LCHS dual, Kramer got the Tigers going with a 13-5 win over Aaron Arb. Cole Pruitt lost a close decision at 152 by a 5-3 score to Ethan Bogner. But Jordan Renfro pinned the No. 4-ranked wrestler in Class 4A, John Hambleton, to begin a run of five straight Tiger wins.

At 160, Dakota Hall, ranked No. 3, took a 6-3 win over Labette's Joey Hambleton, who was ranked No. 4.

The deciding match was at 215 pounds. Fort Scott led before the match 34-27. Jacob Grant was wrestling for the Tigers despite a knee injury. He had lost his match in the Independence dual but came up big against LC's Sean Moody, pinning him to make Fort Scott's lead in the dual 40-27, which made it impossible for the Grizzlies to win the dual even with a pin at 285.

"Jake inured his knee early in the week but he felt like he could compete," Brown said. "His head throw and pin in the first period iced the win for us."

The Tigers are idle until next Friday, when they will travel to Rose Hill for a two-day tournament.

JUNIOR VARSITY -- Fort Scott wrestlers won all four JV matches. Corey Corpstein pinned Tom Bogart of Independence at 171, Tanner McNutt pinned Cody Robinson of LCHS at 103, Blake Cox stuck Quinton Bogner of LC at 152 and Nick Wallace pinned Tyler Gero of LC at 285.

The Tiger JV is not scheduled to compete again until February 8 at Chanute.

FORT SCOTT 54, INDEPENDENCE 24

103: Levi Tweedy (FS) pinned Zach Berberick. FS, 6-0.

112: Justin Sharp (FS) pinned Raymond Jesse. FS, 12-0.

119: John Hogge (In) won by foreit. FS, 12-6.

125: Nick Hockett (In) pinned Michael Durossette. Tied, 12-12.

130: Both teams open. Tied, 12-12.

135: Ryan Wright (In) pinned Lee Culbertson. In, 18-12.

140: Cody Kramer (FS) pinned A.J. Reed. Tied, 18-18.

145: Cole Pruitt (FS) pinned Ryan Taylor. FS, 24-18.

152: Jordan Renfro (FS) pinned Johnny Aiensworth. FS, 30-18.

160: Dakota Hall (FS) pinned Evan Hurford. FS, 36-18.

171: Blake Nelson (FS) pinned Roger Wilson. FS, 42-18.

189: Dakotah Gettler (FS) won by forfeit. FS, 48-18.

215: Jason Swearingen pinned Jake Grant. FS, 48-24.

285: Caleb Smith (FS) pinned Nathan Walters. FS, 54-24.

FORT SCOTT 40, LABETTE COUNTY 33

103: Tweedy (FS) pinned Garret Lahey. FS, 6-0.

112: Sharp (FS) def. Phillip Martin, 7-0. FS, 10-0.

119: Taylor Dwyer (LC) won by forfeit. FS, 10-6.

125: Anthony Whittley (LC) pinned Durossette. LC, 12-10.

130: Asa Walters (LC) won by forfeit. LC, 18-10.

135: Josh Hinman (LC) pinned Culbertson. LC, 24-10.

140: Kramer (FS) def. Aaron Arb, 13-5. LC, 24-13.

145: Ethan Bigner (LC) def. Pruitt, 5-3. LC, 27-13.

152: Renfro (FS) pinned John Hambleton. LC, 27-19.

160: Hall (FS) def. Joey Hambleton, 6-3. LC, 27-22.

171: Nelson (FS) pinned Clayton Palmer. FS, 28-27.

189: Gettler (FS) pinned Stetson Barney. FS, 34-27.

215: Grant (FS) pinned Sean Moody. FS, 40-27.

285: Cody Nading (LC) pinned Smith. FS, 40-33.