Michael Smith
Another year, another time Liberty is steamrolling to another state championship.
The Blue Jays came into the Class 4 Missouri State High School Boys Wrestling Championships with four consecutive titles and they are well on their way to a fifth.
They are currently in first place with 81 points, but Lafayette Wildwood is close behind with 74.5 points in second place. Staley is third with 59.5 points and Columbia Hickman is in fourth with 57.5 points.
Liberty has six wrestlers in the semifinals including Trenton Bindel, Isaiah Hung, Peyton Westpfahl, Hunter Taylor, Devon Harrison and Gavin Linsman.
The Class 4 wrestlers competed all the way through two rounds of wrestle backs and into the semifinals in the winner’s bracket. Hannibal has six wrestlers in the semifinals, while Carl Junction has five.
Below is a breakdown of the semifinals matchups and how each wrestler made it there:
106: Lafayette Wildwood freshman Riley Sumner, ranked No. 4, advanced to the semifinals after he took down Lebanon freshman Kaleb Brach in the quarterfinals. He will have a tough semifinals matchup with Fort Osage sophomore Kaison Schreier, ranked No. 1. He pinned Republic freshman Corbin Massey in 1:26 to advance.
Northwest sophomore Eli Porter will face Park Hill sophomore Mason Brayfield in the other semifinal bout. Porter took down Francis Howell North freshman Wyatt Dennegger in the quarterfinals. Brayfield, ranked No. 3, defeated Carthage junior Tanner Putt 7-0 to advance.
113: Lafayette Wildwood sophomore Calum Brown, ranked No. 6, made it to the semifinals after he pinned Liberty sophomore Cade Dunn in the quarterfinals. He will see Neosho freshman Anthony Stotts in the second round, who won by injury forfeit against Staley junior Parker Leverknight.
On the other side of the bracket, two-time state champion Hank Benter of Columbia Hickman will take on Park Hill junior Erik Egstad. Benter pinned Jackson sophomore Grady Rice to make the semifinals and Egstad, ranked No. 2, pinned Republic senior Phillip George in the second period to go to the semis.
120: Parkway South freshman Camron Duffield, ranked No. 3, will get a chance to make it to the finals when he competed against Grain Valley sophomore Zac Bleess. Duffield pinned Oak Park senior Jake Falder in 25 seconds and Bleess, ranked No. 2, edged Columbia Hickman freshman Hogan Benter 5-3 to make it.
On the other side of the bracket, Lafayette Wildwood freshman Caleb Frankenberger will have to take on two-time state champion Hunter Taylor of Liberty. Frankenberger won by fall in 2:53 against Raymore-Peculiar sophomore Kamdon VonHolten. Taylor pinned Ft. Zumwalt North Nathaniel Provost in 3:52 to inch closer to a third state championship.
126: Lafayette Wildwood senior Dylan Roth will take on Lee’s Summit North senior Charlie Dykes in the semifinals. Roth won 9-0 over Neosho freshman Kelton Shaffer in the quarterfinals. Dykes, ranked No. 2, pinned Columbia Battle freshman Jax Adams in 1:55 to advance.
In the other semifinal, Staley junior Zayne Reynolds will face Liberty junior Devon Harrison. Reynolds, ranked No. 2, pinned Hickman sophomore Andrew Wiesner in 1:02, while No. 1-ranked Harrison won by fall in 1:52 against Ozark junior Keaton Hurst.
132: Seckman senior Draegen Orine will have a chance at a state championship Saturday, but will have to get past Lee’s Summit senior Cooper Nally. Orine, ranked No. 1, took an 11-4 decision over Liberty freshman Roman Stewart. Nally, ranked No. 5, took down Hickman….
