By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A day that could have turned out much, much worse turned out to be one of the most satisfying days of Easton Broxterman's high school wrestling career.
Broxterman, Washburn Rural's star sophomore 113-pounder, briefly lost consciousness while locked in a hold during Saturday's Class 6A regional championship match against reigning state champion of Ezekiel Witt of Junction City in a rematch of last year's 106-pound state title match.
Washburn Rural star wrestler Easton Broxterman (facing) bounced back from a scary incident to post a 15-3 major decision over Junction City's Ezekiel Witt in a rematch of a 2022 state title match. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural 113-pounder Easton Broxterman improved to 45-3 with a Class 6A regional championship Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after receiving immediate attention from Washburn Rural coach Josh Hogan, Rural athletic trainer Brad Parry and Broxterman's parents, Broxterman quickly recovered, resumed action and dominated the rest of the match, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to take a 15-3 major decision over Witt.
Hogan admitted that it was a scary situation for himself and everybody involved.
"He passed out and he was out for at least about five seconds,'' Hogan said. "It was at that point I thought, 'I probably ought to get more people down here to make sure we're making the right decisions.' But he didn't hit his head or anything.
"The first thing he said when he came to was, 'What's the score?' ''
The best news was that Broxterman pronounced himself 100 percent physically after the match.
"I'm fine,'' Broxterman said. "There's like a fog, but once it goes away I was fine.''
Ironically, Witt experienced a similar situation later in the match and had to be tended to, but like Broxterman, Witt was able to continue.
Broxterman, who improved to 45-3, said he has great respect for his Juntion City rival, now 34-2.
"I've been wrestling great all year and it's great to have someone like him to push me because I know wrestling him makes me a better wrestler and I would asume it's the same thing the other way around,'' Broxterman said. "If things are hard I'm thinking of him and what he's doing that I could be doing.
"I know he's making me a whole lot better wrestler, that's for sure.''
There's a distinct possibility that Broxterman and Witt could face off again in the 6A state meet Friday and Saturday at Park City's Hartman Arena and Broxterman said his regional victory gives him confidence going into state.
"Hopefully, I can somewhat repeat the same process, minus the whole beginning part,'' Broxterman said.
Washburn Rural freshman Landen Kocher-Munoz won a Class 6A regional championship at 120 pounds Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Following Broxterman's victory, his regular training partner, freshman Landen Kocher-Munoz, took the mat in the 120-pound final and made it two regional champs in a row for the two-time defending state-champion Junior Blues.
Kocher-Munoz took control of his match against Wichita North senior Richard Shields early on en route to an 8-2 decision.
Kocher-Munoz improved to 33-5 on the season.
"The goal is to win and I always step on the mat a winner and I always come off the mat a winner, I'll you that,'' Kocher-Munoz said. "It's on to next week and I'm pretty confident going into next week.''
Washburn Rural, which tied for sixth as a team in the 18-school regional tournament with 161 points, qualified eight wrestlers for the state meet.
Rural got third-place finishes from freshman Cooper Stivers (132), junior Blaine Baird (138), sophomore Kristjan Marshall (150) and junior Brody Byrne (157), a seventh-place finish from junior Chase Calhoon (215) and an eighth-place finish from sophomore Walker Doyal (15-15)
"After Friday night I was a bit disappointed,'' Hogan said of Rural's regional performance. "I thought we had kind of a rough day Friday. I was a little disappointed in our effort and what we did but the boys came out today and just absolutely blew the doors off for me.
"That's the best wrestling I've seen from a Washburn Rural wrestling team since I've been a coach. I haven't seen a performance put together like we did today, not even last year. We were good last year but this was heart today. I was extremely proud today.''
Topeka High qualified a pair of wrestlers for state, with junior Nick Davis finishing eighth at 157 pounds and senior Jaxon Johnson taking eighth at 165 pounds.
CLASS 6AREGIONAL BOYS WRESTLING
At Washburn Rural
Team scores
Derby 247, Garden City 240.5, Manhattan 213.5, Junction City 186, Dodge City 175, Free State 161, Washburn Rural 161, Lawrence 92, Wichita North 85, Liberal 83, Wichita West 73, Wichita South 47, Topeka High 36, Wichita Southeast 25.5, Wichita Northwest 18, Campus 14, Wichita East 12, Wichita Heights 12.
Indiviual results
106 -- 1. Caeleb Hutchinson, Manhattan; 2. Braydon Pacheco, Garden City; 3. Jayden Grijavla, Derby; 4. Lou Elsten, Lawrence; 5. Drew Streeter, Free State; 6. Damarie Martin, Wichita North; 7. Jamal Garrett, Wichita West; 8. Rylee Salcido, Dodge City.
113 -- 1. Easton Broxterman, Washburn Rural; 2. Ezekiel Witt, Junction City; 3. Nolan Bradley, Free State; 4. Cameron Coonrod, Manhattan; 5. Orlando Watley, Wichita North; 6. Luis Gonzalez-Romo, Wichita Northwest; 7. Julius Medina, Garden City; 8. Tanner Heincker, Derby.
120 -- 1. Landen Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural; 2. Richard Shields, Wichita North; 3. Julio Sanchez, Campus; 4. Natavious Matthews, Wichita Southeast; 5. Julio Sanchez, Campus; 7. Tyree English, Topeka High; 8. Lucas Sufffield, Wichita South.
126 -- 1. Braden Tatum, Derby; 2. Logan Lagerman, Manhattan; 3. Andrew Honas, Lawrence; 4. Grayson Hagen, Free State; 5. Logan Avalon, Garden City; 6. Rowan Carey, Junction City; 7. Zeke Brown, Wichita West; 8. Walker Doyal, Washburn Rural.
132 -- 1. Jameal Agnew, Manhattan; 2. Ryan Heiman, Garden City; 3. Cooper Stivers, Washburn Rural; 4. Jack Elsten, Lawrence; 5. Diego Gauna, Derby; 6. Armando Garcia, Dodge City; 7. Jaime Villanueva, Junction City; 8. Carson Bandy, Wichita West.
138 -- 1. Patrick Foxworth, Junction City; 2. Layne Sweat, Derby; 3. Blaine Baird, Washburn Rural; 4. Trevon Swearinger, Lawrence; 5. D'onte Goodman, Free State; 6. Corrales, Garden City; 7. Ramses Ruiz, Dodge City; 8. Josh Daffron, Wichita Northwest.
144 -- 1. Eric Streeter, Free State; 2. Troy Allen, Derby; 3. Kayden Blake, Junction City; 4. Alejandro Ramirez, Dodge City; 5. Tommy McClure, Liberal; 6. Dakota Smith, Garden City; 7. Ben Uher, Manhattan; 8. Evan Esparza, Wichita North.
150 -- 1. Tate Rusher, Derby; 2. Kaden Garvalena, Dodge City; 3.Kristjan Marshall, Washburn Rural; 4. Sergio Sanchez, Garden City; 5. Almin Strickland, Junction City; 6. Aidan Schwindt, Liberal; 7. Sirvauntae Williams, Wichita Southeast; 8. Jacob Bible, Wichita Southeast.
157 -- 1. Knowlyn Egan, Derby; 2. Isaac Sinks, Manhattan; 3. Brody Byrne, Washburn Rural; 4. Ethen Allen, Garden City; 5. Jayden Amaro, Dodge City; 6. Nick Davis, Topeka High; 7. Collin McQueen, Junction City; 8. Chase Plank, Wichita Heights.
165 -- 1. Colin Kleysteuber, Garden City; 2. Alan Flores, Dodge City; 3. Griffin Bohanan, Junction City; 4. Rashad West, Wichita West; 5. Julian Harvey, Liberal; 6. Noe Alvarado, Wichita North; 7.Lane Bernstorf, Derby; 8. Jaxon Johnson, Topeka High.
175 -- 1. Luke Barker, Dodge City; 2. Peyton Neptune, Derby; 3. Landon Dobson, Manhattan; 4. Logan Nabus, Junction City; 5. Chance Johnson, Wichita West; 6. Talyn Nichols, Free State; 7. Kenneth Brasher, Wichita South; 8. Jacob Cutshall, Liberal.
190 -- 1. Trystian Juarez, Liberal; 2. Alan Chairez, Garden City; 3. Mason Hopper, Derby; 4. Roman Loya, Dodge City; 5. Cooper Bogenhagen, Junction City; 6. Raymond Gary-Hernandez, Manhattan; 7. Blaine Larkin, Free State; 8. S'Ron Hill, Wichita East.
215 -- 1. Matthew Marcum, Free State; 2. Brayden Hill, Garden City; 3. Miles Wash, Derby; 4. Jaxon Vikander, Manhattan; 5. Tucker Corbin, Lawrence; 6. Damarion Shaw, Junction City; 7. Chase Calhoon, Washburn Rural; 8. Mark Rayas, Dodge City.
285 -- 1. Sebastian Lopez, Garden City; 2. Matt Godsey, Wichita South; 3. Clayton Frehn, Manhattan; 4. Nathan Agudzi-Addo, Junction City; 5. Edgar Hernandez, Dodge City; 6. Maxwell Robinson, Derby; 7. Gavin Blanchard, Free State; 8. Treyquez Dinkins, Liberal.
