Four win titles; Tigers top team at Bonner Springs

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

BONNER SPRINGS -- Fort Scott High's wrestling claimed the team title and four individuals won their weight classes at the Bonner Springs Dick Burns Mat Classic here Saturday.

Of the 11 wrestlers head coach David Brown brought here, nine earned medals. This helped the Tigers score 204 1/2 points to win the title by 28 1/2 points over the host school, which is ranked second in Class 4A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.

Jerad Heckman (126 pounds), Jacob Durossette (145), John Metcalf (195) and Brendan Blackburn (285) won their weight classes. Victor Hughes finished second at 138 pounds. Tyler Sharp (120), John Hughes (160) and B.J. Wilson (220) each finished third in their brackets and Cole Stewart placed fourth at 113 pounds.

Heckman's title was his first as a high-school wrestler. Durossette was participating in just his second event of the season coming off minor knee surgery. Metcalf was the top seed in his bracket and enjoyed the rare privilege of having two byes. And Blackburn finally defeated a long-time friend and rival in the finals at 285.

"He defeated the third ranked wrestler in class 4A, Joe Pomatto from Paola," Brown said. "Brendon and Joe have a long history and are good friends. But since the age of 7, Brendon has never been able to gain a victory over Joe. He wrestled the best technical match in his career and if he can continue to develop his heavyweight skills, Brendon will have more and more quality wins this season. Coach Bo Graham has worked long and hard the past few weeks to push Brendon past the mistakes of the past and it paid off."

Blackburn started the day with a pin over Alex Cigard, a freshman from Baldwin. He followed that with a pin of Bonner's Les Wessel and a semifinal stick of Zack Ortega from Topeka-Highland Park. Those three bouts lasted a total of 4 minutes, 36 seconds.

In the finals, Blackburn scored an 11-3 major decision over Pomatto, who is ranked No. 3 in Class 4A.

Metcalf, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A at 195, drew the consecutive byes because there were only six wrestlers in the bracket. In the semifinals, he defeated Zack Newcomb of Class 6A Shawnee Mission Northwest, 7-4. In the final, he pinned Jamaja Guesby of Highland Park with 45 seconds left in the second period.

Durossette drew Dalton Inlow, an unattached wrestler, in the first round. Inlow was an extra wrestler from one of the other schools whose coach wanted to give some extra experience but his results didn't count in his school's total. Durossette scored a 19-3 technical fall.

Next, Durossette pinned Highland Park's Caleb Cott. In the semifinal, he beat Bonner's Bryan Lanning, 8-2. In the final, he took a 6-3 decision over Cory McClearly of Bonner Springs. McClearly was coming off an upset of Colton Almos, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A for Shawnee Mission Northwest, in the semifinal round.

Heckman was the No. 2 seed in his bracket and earned a first-round bye. He pinned Kolbe Seaton, another unattached wrestler, in the quarterfinal. Heckman needed only 50 seconds to pin Sam Seaton of Basehor-Linwood in the semifinal. He went on to beat top-seeded Jeff Wallingford of Atchison in the final, 13-3.

Victor Hughes, ranked second in Class 4A at 138 by the KWCA, reached the finals and faced top-ranked Bryce Shoemaker of Baldwin, who came away a 7-1 winner in the battle of top seniors.

"Victor Hughes gained ground against indisputably one of the best wrestlers in the state," Brown said. "Victor gave himself a chance to tie or win the match late in the third period, but the gamble didn't pay off."

Hughes drew a bye in the first round then pinned unattached wrestler Adam Vanausdall in the quarters. He took a 6-0 decision over Kossivi Esse of Kansas City-Sumner Academy in the semifinals.

Sharp started out by pinning Blake Wilson of Atchison in the first round. He pinned unattached wrestler Nate Henderson in the quarterfinals.

Luke Lepper of Lees Summit (Mo.) North claimed a 9-4 win over Sharp in the semifinals. Lepper went on to claim the tourney title with a 10-6 win over Donte Boose of Sumner, who is ranked No. 6 in Class 4A, in the final.

Sharp took the third-place match by pinning Bonner's D.J. Ballard in 2:52.

John Hughes drew a first-round bye at 160. He lost an 11-7 decision to Evan Weidner of Lees Summit North in the quarterfinal.

In consolation, Hughes pinned Bishop Miege's Jacob Belfeld and unattached wrestler Jordan Mauk in the next two rounds. He won by default over Baldwin's Jason Von Bargen in the consolation semifinal. He went on to bet Weidner in a rematch, 8-4, to take third.

Wilson was the No. 2 seed at 220 and drew an opening-round bye. IN the quarterfinal, he pinned Highland Park's Mason Dean. In the semis, Atchison's Tyler Hunt claimed an 8-5 decision.

Wilson took an 8-3 verdict over Bonner's Johnathan Carter in the consolation semifinal. He took third place when Dean defaulted a rematch.

Stewart pinned an unattached wrestler, Josh Coffman, in the first round at 113. He lost on a technical fall to Ethan Nielson of Lees Summit North in the quarterfinal.

In consolation, Stewart pinned unattached wrestler Austin Simms and Eudora's Noah Kennedy in the first two matches. He took a 4-2 decision from Atchison's Andrew Adrian in the semifinal. Bonner's Justus Seaton won the third-place match by default.

Adam Deloney represented Fort Scott at 132 pounds. He drew an opening bye before getting pinned by eventual bracket champion Keegan McCormick of Lees Summit North. In consolation, Deloney was eliminated by Jorge Amunatigui of Shawnee Mission Northwest via pin.

Cody Bunn wrestled at 170 pounds and finished one match away from a medal. He was pinned in the first round by Jacob Folsom of Bonner Springs. He drew a bye in his first consolation match, then took a 5-2 decision from Basehor's Zach Holtgrewe.

Next, Bunn won a 5-0 decision from Skyler Manley of Eudora. He then drew Folsom again in the consolation semifinal with the LSN wrestler taking a 13-3 decision.

The Tigers will be idle most of the week before going to the two-day Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Classic Friday and Saturday. This tournament annually draws top teams from Kansas, Missouri and occasionally Nebraska and Iowa. Friday's action begins at noon.


HOW THEY"RE DOING

Season records for the wrestlers who participated in the Bonner Springs tournament Saturday:

Wrestler, weightW-L (Pins)
Cole Stewart, 11318-9 (9)
Tyler Sharp, 12024-2 (12)
Jerad Heckman, 12620-4 (14)
Adam Deloney, 1322-7 (0)
Victor Hughes, 13821-3 (13)
Jacob Durossette, 145 6-0 (2)
John Hughes, 16019-4 (9)
Cody Bunn, 1708-9 (1)
John Metcalf, 19523-1 (9)
B.J. Wilson, 22018-6 (8)
Brendan Blackburn, 28516-7 (7)