Spoofhounds finish fourth as Quad State host
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Ryan Owens gets a rare scoring opportunity in the 220-pound championship versus Plattsburg’s Bradley Gibson. He lost by 5-1 decision, but was the only Spoofhound to battle into the finals.
Maryville hosted the unique Quad State Invitational on Saturday, accommodating 10 other schools in the all-day tournament. Maryville’s second home meet also marked its senior night, honoring Matt Twaddle, Ryan Owens, and Tierry Wilmes.
Of the 13 total teams – Millard South (Neb.) and Lathrop both had junior varsity in addition to varsity teams – the Spoofhounds finished fourth with 79.5 points.
Millard South, Nebraska’s sole representative in the tournament, dominated the mat on the afternoon, finishing with 290 points. Lathrop was runner-up with 139, and Bedford-Lenox was third with 109.5.
Maryville coach Connor Kellerstrass said that his team is finding its rhythm at the right time.
“I thought for the most part, we showed good resiliency,” the Cameron alumnus said. “The semifinals was a rough round for us, but overall I was pleased with how we bounced back.
“There was a lot more fight this week in general, it’s exciting getting down to the nitty-gritty toward the end of the season. We want to be wrestling our best in February, and right now we’re getting better every time we step on the mat. We’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Five Spoofhounds finished on the podium on Saturday, though only one won his semifinal match. Jackson Sanders (28-11) finished third in the 160-pound weight class, Matt Twaddle (30-7) third at 170, Mark Zahnd (13-14) fourth at 182, and Jacob Search (18-18) third at 195. Owens was the Spoofhounds’ only finalist at 220, falling to Plattsburg’s Bradley Gibson by 5-1 decision in the championship.
After using an aggressive offensive game to jump out to a 4-0 lead, Gibson fended off Owens in the late second period and throughout the third. Owens said that he knew what to expect from Gibson, although he was disappointed that he couldn’t get the job done.
“I faced him once last year, he’s quick on his feet,” Owens said. “He doesn’t do a lot of moves, but he’s great with the ones he does. He had inside control the whole match, it made it hard for me to do anything offensively.
“It helps that I got second, because I haven’t wrestled a whole lot this year due to injuries. It’s fun to have all your family and friends able to come watch you, it gives you momentum.”
After Owens 2-1 performance, his season record moves to 14-9. Kellerstrass said that Owens’ game is in surefire late-season form, he simply has to find more ways to score points.
In addition to Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa were both represented in Saturday’s classic. Bishop Miege came east from the Sunflower State, and Mount Ayr, Bedford-Lenox, and Clarinda Academy all rolled in from the north.
Millard South coach Doug Denson said that the meet provided a special opportunity for his kids to get out of the Omaha area and wrestle some unfamiliar faces. His team was undefeated and state champion in its class last season.
“This experience really helps our kids, it sharpens them up,” Denson said. “We like it because we were invited a long time ago, so we like to be our state’s representative. It’s nice for our kids to see a more intimate, smaller-school environment. Our kids like to come here. In the city of Omaha, you could wrestle the same guys every week, it’s too much redundancy. You see different styles here.”
Maryville wrestles again Thursday in Lawson at 5:30 p.m. against both the host and Maysville. It will be the Spoofhounds’ final competition before Districts.
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Jacob Search looks to lock it in versus Vincent Sanchez of Bishop Miege (Kan.). Search went on to place third in the 195-pound weight class.
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Matt Twaddle grabs the wrist of Bishop Miege’s (Kan.) Brett Bailes in the consolation semifinal. Twaddle went on to place third.
