Manhattan wrestles championship away from Emporia
By Rick Peterson
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, February 10, 2008
Like most coaches do, Manhattan coach Bob Gonzales sat down a few days ago and tried to figure out how Saturday's Centennial League wrestling tournament would turn out.
He miscalculated by about 20 points — a good thing for his Indians.
"I had us getting second and Emporia winning by 15 points," Gonzales said after Manhattan edged Emporia 198-192 1/2 for the league championship at Topeka West.
"There was no way I thought we'd come in here today, minus three starters, and put 10 kids in the finals."
Five of those 10 earned league titles — Jeff Vesta at 103 pounds, Tucker Adams at 140, Steve Miler at 145, Jed Sicard at 152 and Eric Rowlands at 215 — as Manhattan edged the defending champion Spartans.
"It's just a testament to the kids' hard work and their belief that we could do it," Gonzales said. "I wasn't going to concede (the championship), but I knew on paper that we would have to wrestle flawlessly, and we would have to hope that some of the other schools would beat some Emporia kids, and they did."
Emporia put seven wrestlers in the finals and five earned league titles — Jarad Dakin at 112 pounds, Justin Rose at 119, Sal Tovar at 125, Chase Sanchez at 130 and Mark Kolmer at 189.
Shawnee Heights finished fourth as a team, the highest-placing city school, but Highland Park had a city-high three champions, going a perfect 3-0 in the finals.
"Highland Park wrestled unbelievably," said Gonzales, former Heights coach. "I've never seen Highland Park, in all my years, wrestle that well in the league tournament.
"They wrestled a great tournament."
The Scots got wins from Stefan Andrews at 135 pounds, Donnie Lockhart at 160 and Nick Moore at 171, with all three wrestlers pulling out close decisions.
Andrews won 3-1, Lockhart rallied from a 6-2 deficit to win 7-6, and Moore won 9-7 in overtime.
"I told them that this meet right here would be harder than the regional — if they placed here that would get them ready for next week at regionals," said Highland Park coach Freddy Maisberger.
"The guys have stepped it up a little bit the last two weeks and stepped it up at practice, and I'm hoping we're peaking at the right time."
Heights had the city's fourth league champion, senior heavyweight Atticus Disney, who is the city's lone undefeated wrestler. Disney won his first Centennial League title after winning back-to-back state titles the past two years for Andover Central.
Heights also got a runner-up finish from 140-pounder Cole Rickabaugh.
Washburn Rural had three second-place finishers — Dalton Stanley at 152 pounds, Keigan Stanley at 160 and Gage Deere at 189 pounds.
All seven city schools will be involved in regional competition next week, including a Class 5A regional at Seaman which will include Highland Park, Heights and West.
TEAM SCORES
1. Manhattan 198
2. Emporia 192.5
3. Junction City 131
4. Shawnee Heights 117.5
5. Washburn Rural 91.5
6. Highland Park 83
7. Seaman 49
8. Topeka High 49
9. Topeka West 29
10. Hayden 8
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
103 — Vesta, Man, dec. Ruiz, JC, 1-0;
112 — Dakin, Emp, dec. Norris, Man, 8-1;
119 — Rose, Emp, dec. Frazier, Man, 8-1;
125 — Tovar, Emp, dec. Wagner, Man, 6-4;
130 — Sanchez, Emp, dec. Henderson, Man, 6-5;
135 — Andrews, HP, dec. Dikin, Emp, 3-1;
140 — Adams, Man, dec. Rickabaugh, SH, 6-0;
145 — Miller, Man, winner by 17-2 tech fall over Charland, JC;
152 — Sicard, Man, maj. dec. Stanley, WR, 12-3;
160 — Lockhart, HP, dec. Stanley, WR, 7-6;
171 — Moore, HP, dec. West, Man, 9-7;
189 — Kolmer, Emp, pinned Deere, WR, 3:57;
215 — Rowlands, Man, dec. Acosta, JC, 7-2;
285 — Disney, SH, dec. Rodriguez, Emp, 14-8.
CONSOLATION FINALS
103 — Garrett, SH, dec. Kmiec, SH, 7-2;
112 — Dawn, TH, dec. Martinez, SH, 3-2 (OT);
119 — Maldonado, JC, dec. Harr, TH, 2-0;
125 — Hilderman, SH, pinned Diestelkamp, JC, 0:29;
130 — Kozlowski, JC. maj. dec. Dougan, WR, 12-1;
135 — Newberry, SH, pinned Gueary, TW, 2:43;
140 — Peak, Emp, dec. Miller, JC, 4-3;
145 — Lee, Emp, maj. dec. Pusch, HP, 12-2;
152 — Royal, JC, dec. Gaskill, Emp, 3-2;
160 — Conaway, Sea, dec. Childs, JC, 4-2;
171 — Williams,TH, dec. Mason, SH, 6-2;
189 — Knudson, JC, dec. Ceazer, SH, 12-10;
215 — Pryor, WR, pinned Bass, Emp, 4:43;
285 — Lee, Sea, dec. Durkes, TH, 3-0.
