Wildcats win December Duals at Prairie View

The Louisburg High School wrestling team finished with a 5-0 record at the December Duals on Friday at Prairie View High School. The Wildcats also had three wrestlers make the all-tournament team. 

 

LA CYGNE – In its first tournament of the season, the Louisburg High School wrestling team had some regrets after they dropped a pair of duals.

The Wildcats thought they let a couple get away as they hoped to bring home a first place trophy from Fort Scott.

Louisburg didn’t make the same mistake this time around.

The Wildcats traveled to the December Duals at Prairie View High School on Friday and left with a first-place honor as they finished the night with a 5-0 record against Burlington, Prairie View, Baldwin, Independence and Royal Valley.

“I think the guys are starting to figure out what I mean when I say ‘bonus points’ in duals,” Louisburg coach Bobby Boviard said. “In dual competition, winning a match is good, but the type of win matters. Against Blue Valley Southwest in the first week, we both won 7 matches, but they had more pins, which gave them more team points. This past week, we were going for more pins, more back points. The guys are starting to figure out their roles on the team and how they can contribute not just for their own personal wins, but also for the overall team victory.

“Overall, we made forward progress on our season Friday night. I think our wrestling and conditioning both improved from the first meet to this one.”

Although the Wildcats ended the night in first place, it took a while to actually determine a winner. Louisburg and Burlington squared off in the final dual of the night and both were undefeated.

It turned out to be an even matchup as the two teams finished in a 39-all tie. Tournament officials had to go all the way down to the eighth criteria to break the tie, which was the team that got the most first scores in the matches.

“We got the first points in seven matches, while they got the first points in five matches,” Bovaird said. “The key points came from Hunter Bindi and Kyle Allen. They lost their matches, but with them getting the first takedowns, we got what we needed to win.”

Along with team success, the Wildcats also earned individual honors.

Junior Austin Moore (195 pounds), freshman Cade Holtzen (113) and junior Hunter Bindi (120) were each named to the all-tournament team following their performance. Moore and Holtzen each finished with a 5-0 record with four and three pins, respectively. Bindi was 4-1 with three pins and his lone loss was a 9-4 decision to Burlington’s Evan Totty – a state-ranked wrestler at 120.

“Cade had a great night,” Bovaird said. “He looked pretty solid against his opponents, using crisp techniques. Austin just looked dominant and I can’t wait to see what he can do this season. Hunter lost a tough match against Burlington, but it was much closer than the score suggested. It’s early in the season, so he’s still figuring out some things.”

Thad Hendrix (106), Kyle Allen (126), Tucker Batten (145) and Blue Caplinger (160) each ended the night with a 4-1 record.

The Wildcats were able to experience their success without senior captain Ryan Adams, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the state at 145 pounds, and had to sit out with an illness.

It didn’t seem to matter, especially early, as the Wildcats opened the dual tournament with a 50-28 win over Independence, followed by a 54-30 victory against Royal Valley.

Louisburg had its first close dual of the night against Baldwin as the Wildcats squeaked out a 36-35 win. The difference turned out to be an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Bulldogs the cost them a point during the 145-pound match.

The Wildcats also had several wrestlers come through with big victories, but none bigger than Caplinger’s win at 160. Caplinger defeated Baldwin’s Scott Harmon, the No. 6-ranked wrestler, with a 4-2 overtime victory to give the Wildcats an important three points.

“We had an awkward matchup with Baldwin with Ryan out with the flu, so we had to forfeit that weight,” Bovaird said. “That was six points for them uncontested. Blue won a huge overtime decision against his Baldwin opponent, which was a game-changing win for us. It’s unfortunate that it came down to Baldwin losing a team point, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Wrestling is a sport that required self-discipline regardless of what your opponent is doing.”

Louisburg used that momentum to get a 45-31 win over Prairie View before its showdown with Burlington.

Burlington was open at 106 pounds and Holtzen extended Louisburg’s lead with a pin in the second round. The Wildcats lost the next three matches, before Dalton Hilt won a big 5-4 decision at 138 pounds.

Burlington was open against at 152 pounds, and Bovaird made the decision to move up his some middle weights up a class to give the Wildcats a better matchup. It seemed to pay off as Caplinger (170), Garrett Caldwell (195) and Moore (220) each got a win.

“Burlington has been an increasingly tough opponent, and I’m pretty proud that we not only hung with them, but we held on to win the dual based on criteria,” Bovaird said. “I made a gamble right before the dual started by moving our lineup around. I had Ben Wiedenmann step in at 160 and bumped Caplinger, (Jacob) Cowell, Caldwell and Moore up a weight class to give us some stronger match-ups. I just liked how those match-ups looked on paper.

“I talked it over with my assistant coaches, and we went for it. It almost paid off outright — Cowell, who naturally weighs in the low 160s, was winning 16-6 against his opponent at 182 before he got tired and then pinned in the last minute.”

The Wildcats will look to take some of that momentum into their final competition before the holiday break. Louisburg will travel to Tonganoxie on Saturday for the Randy Starcher Invitational.

December Duals Results

Louisburg 50, Independence 28

106 – Gabe Eades (Independence) over Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) Maj 9-1

113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Zak Al-Bureni (Independence) Fall 5:14

120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Dominique Mendoza (Independence) Fall 0:44

126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Israel Rodriquez (Independence) Fall 3:13

132 – Gabriel Bonham (Louisburg) over Ian Pralle (Independence) MFF

138 – James Lingenfelter (Independence) over Dalton Hilt (Louisburg) Fall 3:15

145 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Ian Lawson (Independence) Maj 10-0

152 – Ryan Bruce (Independence) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Heith Mendoza (Independence) Maj 14-3

170 – Cole Swearingen (Independence) over Jacob Cowell (Louisburg) Fall 1:03

182 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Whitney Rutland (Independence) Fall 0:39

195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Cooper Short (Independence) Fall 0:55

220 – Grant Thiessen (Independence) over Sam Kratochvil (Louisburg) Fall 0:53

285 – Hunter Day (Louisburg) over Jacob Burd (Independence) Fall 1:10

Louisburg 54, Royal Valley 30

106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Dalton Ware (Royal Valley) Fall 0:41

126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

132 – Gabriel Bonham (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

138 – Brett House (Royal Valley) over Dalton Hilt (Louisburg) Fall 2:23

145 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

152 – Karsen Smith (Royal Valley) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 1:12

160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

170 – Bryce Garrison (Royal Valley) over Jacob Cowell (Louisburg) Fall 2:40

182 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

220 – Nate Buchtel (Royal Valley) over Sam Kratochvil (Louisburg) Fall 1:17

285 – Brian Shane (Royal Valley) over Hunter Day (Louisburg) Fall 1:04

Louisburg 36, Baldwin 35

106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Logan Anderson (Baldwin) Fall 1:43

113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Benton Flory (Baldwin) Fall 1:34

120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Lane Anderson (Baldwin) Fall 0:24

126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Josh Broyles (Baldwin) Dec 10-6

132 – TJ Hopper (Baldwin) over Gabriel Bonham (Louisburg) Dec 6-0

138 – Cayden Blake (Baldwin) over Dalton Hilt (Louisburg) Dec 3-1

145 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Declan Smith (Baldwin) Fall 4:15

152 – Will Harvey (Baldwin) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

160 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Scott Harman (Baldwin) SV-1 4-2

170 – Cael Harris (Baldwin) over Jacob Cowell (Louisburg) Fall 1:57

182 – Cy Hockey (Baldwin) over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) Fall 1:25

195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Toby Thomas (Baldwin) Fall 0:54

220 – Quinn Nichols (Baldwin) over Sam Kratochvil (Louisburg) Fall 1:19

285 – Garrett Borth (Baldwin) over Hunter Day (Louisburg) Fall 3:01

Baldwin’s team score was adjusted by -1.000 for unsportsmanlike

Louisburg 45, Prairie View 31

106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

120 – Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

126 – Kyle Allen (Louisburg) over Brayden Dame (Prairie View) Dec 4-3

132 – James Newport (Prairie View) over Gabriel Bonham (Louisburg) Dec 9-8

138 – Dalton Hilt (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

145 – Tucker Batten (Louisburg) over Nathan Akes (Prairie View) Fall 3:45

152 – Colton Rice (Prairie View) over Jacob Briley (Louisburg) Fall 0:20

160 – Gavin Cullor (Prairie View) over Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) Maj 10-2

170 – Hunter Boone (Prairie View) over Jacob Cowell (Louisburg) Fall 1:15

182 – Joey Ewalt (Prairie View) over Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) Fall 1:35

195 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Sam Chambers (Prairie View) Fall 0:34

220 – Sam Kratochvil (Louisburg) over Noah Nordgren (Prairie View) Fall 2:45

285 – Wyaitt Cox-Halliburton (Prairie View) over Hunter Day (Louisburg) Fall 1:51

Louisburg 39, Burlington 39

106 – Thad Hendrix (Louisburg) over John Cook (Burlington) Forf

113 – Cade Holtzen (Louisburg) over Johnathan Williams (Burlington) Fall 2:47

120 – Evan Totty (Burlington) over Hunter Bindi (Louisburg) Dec 9-4

126 – TT Totty (Burlington) over Kyle Allen (Louisburg) Fall 2:19

132 – Ethan Totty (Burlington) over Gabriel Bonham (Louisburg) Fall 2:56

138 – Dalton Hilt (Louisburg) over Collin Birk (Burlington) Dec 5-4

145 – Cael Johnson (Burlington) over Tucker Batten (Louisburg) Fall 2:25

152 – Jacob Briley (Louisburg) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

160 – Brett Bober (Burlington) over Ben Wiedenmann (Louisburg) Fall 2:47

170 – Blue Caplinger (Louisburg) over Dawson Mast (Burlington) Fall 2:00

182 – Malcolm Elberson (Burlington) over Jacob Cowell (Louisburg) Fall 5:17

195 – Garrett Caldwell (Louisburg) over Preston Langley (Burlington) Fall 0:13

220 – Austin Moore (Louisburg) over Devin Wonser (Burlington) Fall 0:23

285 – T.J. Lang (Burlington) over Hunter Day (Louisburg) Fall 0:54

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