Three finish second at Bonner Springs

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

BONNER SPRINGS -- Three members of Fort Scott High School's wrestling team finished in second place in their weight classes here Saturday at Bonner Springs' Dick Burns Mat Classic.

Jerad Heckman took second in the 126-pound weight class while Jake Durossette was second at 145 and John Hughes was the runner-up at 170. Also, Cole Stewart and Chance Crawford finished fifth in their weight classes while Chris Stell took sixth at 132.

Heckman, ranked fifth in Class 4A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, pinned Noah Hezberg in the first round and took a 4-0 decision over Julio Perez of Lee's Summit North (Mo.) in the semifinal. In the championship match, Thomas Lisher of Baldwin, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, pinned Heckman.

Durossette, who is ranked No. 2 by the KWCA, pinned Nate Thompson of Class 6A Shawnee Mission Northwest and Josh Summers of Basehor-Linwood on his way to the final. There, Keegan McCormick of Lee's Summit North won by an 8-5 decision. McCormick is ranked No. 5 in Class 4 by the Missouri Wrestling Coaches Association.

Hughes won his first three matches in a bracket with more wrestlers. He pinned Bunther Wehrman of Baldwin, claimed a win by injury default over Conner Maynard of Paola and took a 6-3 decision over Nick Schroeder of Bellevue East (Neb.). In the finals, No. 2-ranked (Class 4A) Tyler Harris of Atchison won by a 5-3 score.

Stewart, wrestling at 120 pounds, won his first match by pinning Basehor-Linwood's Spencer Ogden. Matt Hills of Bellevue East won a major decision, 9-0, in the next round. Collin Wallar took a 12-0 decision in the final match.

Crawford took consecutive pins over Kaulil Foster of Topeka-Highland Park in his first two matches at 220. Then Johnathan Carter of Bonner Springs pinned Crawford before Crawford came back to beat Dominic Foster of Basehor-Linwood, 1-0.

Stell won his first match at 160 via pin over Vernon White of Bishop Miege. Justin Phillips of Basehor-Linwood pinned Stell in the next round and Trevor Rine of Shawnee Mission Northwest took a 12-5 decision. In the last match of the day, Trenten Christensen of Lee's Summit North won by pinfall.

Jesse Hodge also wrestled for the Tigers but did not place at 160. He pinned Shawnee Mission West's Alex Quinn in the first round. Ryan Conrad of Lee's Summit North and Jonny Porter of Bishop Miege both won by pin.

The Tigers took seventh out of 13 teams in the tournament.

Fort Scott will compete at the Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Classic Friday and Saturday.