Buffaloes quest for fifth straight title falls short (Audio)

Wichita, KS-They said it could never be done again. Not since the days of Rocky Welton had Garden City wrestling been so prominent. Then came a fourth straight title in 2016, and the dreams of the Buffaloes becoming the first program in Kansas history to win five straight crowns began.

“Those highs are so great,” assistant coach Paul Lappin said prior to his team making their star-studded arrival at Hartman Arena.

But despite qualifying 12 wrestlers for the big show, the Buffaloes quest for history came up just short.

Garden City placed third at the 2017 6A state wrestling tournament as Manhattan captured its first title since 2012. Olathe North finished second.

“The sun will rise tomorrow,” Buffaloes Coach Carlos Prieto said. “It’s disappointing, but we’ve accomplished so much.”

The Buffaloes fought valiantly, but costly losses in the consolation round ultimately derailed any chance of a 5-peat. In the end however, Garden City produced three individual state champs.

Jacob Holt became the second freshman in recent memory to win a state championship, knocking off Kobe Grijalva from Derby in a come-from-behind effort in the 113-lb division. Jesse Nunez won his second straight title beating Ayrus Jones from Junction City, and Zeke Herrera, the prominent multi-sport athlete, who almost gave up the sport three years ago, survived a grueling match at 195 to beat Haysville-Campus’s Zach Bowen for the crown.

“I was going to give it up, but I spoke with my family and they talked me out of it,” Herrera said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Then, in the match of the night, Benny Hernandez fell an eyelash shy of claiming his first championship at 285 lbs. The senior, who failed to qualify two years ago, and who recently signed a national letter of intent to wrestle at Cloud County next year, lost a heartbreaker to Wichita Northwest’s Joseph Gilbertson, who won it in an ultimate tiebreaker.

“Benny wrestled his butt off,” Prieto said. “He has nothing to be ashamed of. I think he was still trying to get us the team title. But in the end, he was outstanding.”

Hernandez tied that final match with seconds remaining in third period by breaking free from Gilbertson’s grasp. But Gilbertson maneuvered away from Hernandez to grab the point he needed to claim one of the more dramatic finishes of the tournament.

Zeke Herrera

Jesse Nunez

Jacob Holt

Results

6A – 106 – Silas Pineda (30-12) placed 6th and scored 11.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Silas Pineda (Garden City) 30-12 won by fall over Kye Humphrey (Gardner Edgerton) 9-26 (Fall 0:18)
    Quarterfinal – Silas Pineda (Garden City) 30-12 won by fall over Ethan Hill (Derby) 14-11 (Fall 4:36)
    Semifinal – Keegan Slyter (Olathe North) 40-2 won by decision over Silas Pineda (Garden City) 30-12 (Dec 15-9)
    Cons. Semi – Kai Rhea (Haysville-Campus) 44-8 won in sudden victory – 1 over Silas Pineda (Garden City) 30-12 (SV-1 7-5)
    5th Place Match – Tate Sauder (Manhattan) 30-19 won by fall over Silas Pineda (Garden City) 30-12 (Fall 0:57)

6A – 113 – Jacob Holt (36-13) placed 1st and scored 28.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Jacob Holt (Garden City) 36-13 won by fall over Aidan Randall (SM North) 22-16 (Fall 4:42)
    Quarterfinal – Jacob Holt (Garden City) 36-13 won by fall over Derek Journey (Haysville-Campus) 13-19 (Fall 0:28)
    Semifinal – Jacob Holt (Garden City) 36-13 won by decision over Charles Brockmann (SM Northwest) 40-3 (Dec 5-3)
    1st Place Match – Jacob Holt (Garden City) 36-13 won by fall over Kobe Grijalva (Derby) 34-9 (Fall 5:06)

6A – 120 – Andres Sanchez (29-18) place is unknown and scored 5.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Andres Sanchez (Garden City) 29-18 won by decision over Gunner Murphy (Olathe North) 23-20 (Dec 7-5)
    Quarterfinal – Boo Dryden (Haysville-Campus) 45-2 won by fall over Andres Sanchez (Garden City) 29-18 (Fall 3:55)
    Cons. Round 2 – Andres Sanchez (Garden City) 29-18 won by fall over Bennett King (Lawrence-Free State) 26-12 (Fall 2:48)
    Cons. Round 3 – Drake Taysom (Gardner Edgerton) 20-8 won by fall over Andres Sanchez (Garden City) 29-18 (Fall 4:50)

6A – 126 – Kaj Perez (39-13) place is unknown and scored 5.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Kaj Perez (Garden City) 39-13 won by major decision over Isaias Olson (SM South) 24-10 (MD 12-0)
    Quarterfinal – Gunnar Murray (Topeka-Washburn Rural) 34-4 won by decision over Kaj Perez (Garden City) 39-13 (Dec 3-0)
    Cons. Round 2 – Kaj Perez (Garden City) 39-13 won by major decision over Devon Griego (Dodge City) 20-18 (MD 10-2)
    Cons. Round 3 – Devin Onwugbufor (Wichita-Northwest) 21-1 won by decision over Kaj Perez (Garden City) 39-13 (Dec 5-4)

6A – 138 – Wyatt (forfeit) McElroy (30-17) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Gavin Brown (Olathe South) 26-16 won by forfeit over Wyatt (forfeit) McElroy (Garden City) 30-17 (For.)
    Cons. Round 1 – Jared (Forfeit) Hailey (BV North) 22-17 and Wyatt (forfeit) McElroy (Garden City) 30-17 (DFF)

6A – 145 – Curtis Near (31-15) place is unknown and scored 2.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Curtis Near (Garden City) 31-15 won by decision over DeVonte Smith (SM Northwest) 38-13 (Dec 10-5)
    Quarterfinal – Tylor Garcia (Dodge City) 39-6 won by decision over Curtis Near (Garden City) 31-15 (Dec 8-3)
    Cons. Round 2 – Stanley Holder (Lawrence High) 18-9 won by decision over Curtis Near (Garden City) 31-15 (Dec 4-3)

6A – 160 – Quinton LaPointe (14-7) place is unknown and scored 7.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Quinton LaPointe (Garden City) 14-7 won by fall over Drew Anderson (BV West) 21-28 (Fall 3:02)
    Quarterfinal – Terrell Garraway (Olathe North) 37-7 won by fall over Quinton LaPointe (Garden City) 14-7 (Fall 5:37)
    Cons. Round 2 – Quinton LaPointe (Garden City) 14-7 won by fall over Joey Eddis (Lawrence-Free State) 22-17 (Fall 0:49)
    Cons. Round 3 – Conner Greig (Gardner Edgerton) 32-12 won in sudden victory – 1 over Quinton LaPointe (Garden City) 14-7 (SV-1 6-4)

6A – 170 – Rico Cherico (27-14) placed 4th and scored 16.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 won by decision over Trevor Adam (Olathe NW) 23-17 (Dec 5-3)
    Quarterfinal – Nick Jouret (Olathe South) 42-3 won by fall over Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 (Fall 3:08)
    Cons. Round 2 – Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 won by fall over Garrett Parks (BV Northwest) 25-16 (Fall 4:18)
    Cons. Round 3 – Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 won by fall over William Schmidt (SM East) 30-16 (Fall 1:28)
    Cons. Semi – Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 won by decision over Aaron Davis (BV West) 37-17 (Dec 3-2)
    3rd Place Match – Gavin Carter (Topeka-Washburn Rural) 31-7 won by decision over Rico Cherico (Garden City) 27-14 (Dec 4-1)

6A – 182 – Jesse Nunez (39-8) placed 1st and scored 23.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Jesse Nunez (Garden City) 39-8 won by tech fall over Cody Marlette (Olathe NW) 15-8 (TF-1.5 4:00 (17-1))
    Quarterfinal – Jesse Nunez (Garden City) 39-8 won by decision over Garret Tierney (BV Northwest) 29-4 (Dec 6-3)
    Semifinal – Jesse Nunez (Garden City) 39-8 won by decision over Dylan Servis (Dodge City) 39-9 (Dec 7-2)
    1st Place Match – Jesse Nunez (Garden City) 39-8 won by decision over Aryus Jones (Junction City) 32-4 (Dec 8-7)

6A – 195 – Zeke Herrera (39-5) placed 1st and scored 28.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Zeke Herrera (Garden City) 39-5 won by fall over Enrique Cabrera (Olathe South) 15-26 (Fall 0:51)
    Quarterfinal – Zeke Herrera (Garden City) 39-5 won by fall over Dylan Chesterman (Hutchinson) 20-10 (Fall 3:46)
    Semifinal – Zeke Herrera (Garden City) 39-5 won by fall over Jackson Flowers (Gardner Edgerton) 33-17 (Fall 3:43)
    1st Place Match – Zeke Herrera (Garden City) 39-5 won by decision over Zach Bowen (Haysville-Campus) 38-8 (Dec 7-6)

6A – 220 – Lorenzo Ruiz Hernandez (23-19) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Josh Cruz (BV Northwest) 39-8 won by fall over Lorenzo Ruiz Hernandez (Garden City) 23-19 (Fall 2:44)
    Cons. Round 1 – Baker Lister (Blue Valley) 32-9 won by fall over Lorenzo Ruiz Hernandez (Garden City) 23-19 (Fall 4:20)

6A – 285 – Benny Hernandez (36-5) placed 2nd and scored 22.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 – Benny Hernandez (Garden City) 36-5 won by fall over Nathan Harrell (Olathe North) 15-20 (Fall 1:32)
    Quarterfinal – Benny Hernandez (Garden City) 36-5 won by fall over Derrick Taylor (BV Northwest) 38-15 (Fall 2:14)
    Semifinal – Benny Hernandez (Garden City) 36-5 won by decision over Luis Rodrequez (Wichita-Southeast) 22-19 (Dec 4-2)
    1st Place Match – Joseph Gilbertson (Wichita-Northwest) 35-3 won in the ultimate tie breaker over Benny Hernandez (Garden City) 36-5 (UTB 3-2)

Team Scores

6A1. Manhattan 170.02. Haysville-Campus 148.53. Garden City 147.54. Olathe North 142.55. Derby 130.06. Dodge City 103.07. Topeka-Washburn Rural 88.08. Wichita-South 87.59. Olathe South 69.09. Wichita-Northwest 69.011. Junction City 67.012. Gardner Edgerton 59.013. BV Northwest 56.014. Olathe NW 53.015. Lawrence-Free State 50.016. Hutchinson 45.517. Lawrence High 41.018. Blue Valley 36.519. Wichita-West 31.020. SM Northwest 23.021. SM East 19.022. KC Wyandotte 18.023. Wichita-Southeast 17.524. BV West 16.025. Wichita-East 13.026. SM South 12.527. BV North 5.027. SM West 5.029. SM North 4.029. Topeka 4.031. Olathe East 2.0