By Chris Parker & Zach Mason
Buffalo’s Ethan Smith won a state title at 113 pounds in the last moments of the match.
He had to repeat that feat in the Class 1 132-pound semifinal against Seneca’s Max Roark. The two had faced off earlier in the season with Smith besting the former state champion and three-time state placer.
Roark came out strong with a takedown 90 seconds into the match to take a 2-0 lead on the defending champion Smith.
“I got taken down early, It didn’t start how I wanted it to. But I was able to come back from behind,” Smith said.
Smith was able to score a reversal with 20 seconds left in the first period to go to the second period tied at 2-2.
The two traded escapes over the next two periods to force an overtime where Smith once again found himself with his back against the wall.
It was a familiar situation for the junior.
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“I wrestled a lot of close matches last year, so I’m comfortable with that situation. If it’s a close match, I feel like I can win it 99 percent of the time,” Smith said.
Smith scored a takedown with 22 seconds left in the match to beat Roark and advance to the Class 1 132-pound championship.
There was little time for celebration as Smith looked ahead to the business at hand on Saturday.
“I’m already focused on my next match,” Smith said. “I’m ready to go out there and win another title.”
Smith will face Whitfield senior Jeffrey Ditter (43-6) for the Class 1 132-pound title.
Teammates Floyd Miller and Colten Kenady also made it to the semifinals. Miller lost in sudden victory at 170 pounds while Kenday came up on the short end of a 13-4 major decision.
Seneca sends three to finals
Seneca will be sending three wrestlers to tomorrow’s final round.
Levi Connelly got things going at 106 pounds with a pin just 86 seconds into his match against Marceline’s Cooper Fisher. Connelly was a state runner-up at 106 pounds a year ago. He will face Whitfield’s Logan Ferrero (42-9) in the title match.
Dayton Fields and Kale Schrader also advanced to title matches with dominant performances as well.
Fields, who has finished third twice, picked up an 11-2 major decision over Blair Oaks’ Kyler Griep to advance to his first state final. He will have his work cut out for him in the 152-pound title match against undefeated three-time defending champion Brock Mauller from Father Tolton Catholic.
Schrader missed out on placing last year, which was something that has fueled him this season.
“It left a fire burning in my gut,” Schrader said. “I hated not placing last year, It pushed me to get to this point.”
The sophomore wrestled with an obvious fire in the 195-pound semifinal as he beat Centralia’s Trevor Bodine 11-1.
“I was all attacking because defensive wrestling will just get you beat. I was just aggressive but smart,” Schrader said.
He will get a chance for redemption in the final against Knob Noster’s Kodie Bellury. Bellury beat Schrader 4-3 in the district championship last week.
Seneca had two other wrestlers make the semifinals in Dalton Hembree at 138 pounds and Cole Hatfield at 160 pounds.
Hembree, a two-time defending champion, saw his quest for four state titles end with a 6-4 loss in the tiebreaker to Clayton Stallo from Marceline. Hatfield ran up against three-time defending state champion and nationally ranked Jarret Jacques in his semifinal and lost 6-2.
Warsaw’s Estes makes second final
Kolby Estes found himself down early, but pulled off a comeback in the 145-pound semifinal to beat Lafayette County’s Trenton Rankin 10-7 and advance to the title match. It will be his second consecutive trip to the championship round.
He will face Lawson’s Tyler Ross (49-3).
Teammate Dallas Larsen fell in his 126-pound semifinal 6-0 to Whitfield’s three-time defending state champion Michael McAteer.
