By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Technically, Seaman senior wrestling standout Jaxson Thomas is not a true 285-pounder.
But there's a lot of foes that Thomas has outclassed in a 45-5 season that would probably disagree with that.
Seaman senior Jaxson Thomas gets in a position for a pin in a 285-pound Class 5A semifinal Friday at Hartman Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And now, despite giving up nearly 60 pounds in some matches, Thomas is one win away from being the best in the state after advancing to Saturday's Class 5A championship match with three straight pins Friday at Hartman Arena.
Thomas competed at 195 pounds as junior, winning a Centennial League title and advancing to the state tournament, but went to Viking coach Tony Pena with the idea of jumping not just one but two divisions this winter.
"He said, 'Coach I want to play football in college so I don't want to cut weight this year,' '' Pena said. "I said, 'OK, then we need to get big.' We've been constantly feeding him and just trying to get him up there.''
That project has only been partially successful, with Thomas getting bigger, but not coming close to the 285 limit.
"On a good day when he weighs in, he's 227,'' Pena said.
But Thomas has proven time and time again that he can hold his own, and then some, in the state's biggest weight class.
On Friday Thomas was out to prove that point yet another time, posting pins in 45 seconds, 1 minute, 47 seconds and 1:34 over Arkansas City senior Derek Honeycutt in the semifinals.
"I wanted to get it done, not just to get off the mat but to prove a point, that I'm supposed to be here and that I deserve my spot up there,'' Thomas said.
Thomas admits that he's even surprised himself in what he's been able to accomplish this season.
"I thought I was just going to kind of float through senior year, not necessarily not achieve anything, but I didn't think I would achieve as much as I did,'' he said. "A lot of people were telling me when I said I was going to switch, 'Oh, you're going to barely win these matches,' that I wouldn't be able to force myself on these bigger dudes.
"I think I've proved a point that I can handle the bigger weight and that being undersized is not a problem.''
Both Pena and Thomas point to Thomas' superior quickness as a major factor in his success.
"It has been his best tool,'' Pena said.
"With the quickness, I have just enough strength to not get thrown around as much,'' Thomas said. "I think that kind of messes with them that I'm quicker than them and they can't necessarily just pick me up and toss me over. Maybe some of the freaks, but not everyday matches.''
Thomas will face a tough task in Saturday's championship match, taking on 43-1 Blue Valley Southwest senior Torin Forsyth, who beat Thomas in last week's regional final.
But Thomas looks forward to the challenge.
"I just want to wrestle how I wrestle, find the inner peace, clear the mind and go out there and have some fun,'' Thomas said.
• Shawnee Heights senior Sean Wunder advanced to the 5A semifinals at 215 pounds, but was pinned by Maize junior Ayden Flores at the 1:46 mark of the opening period.
Wunder, now 41-4 on the season, can still place as high as third place.
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