Raider wrestlers take aim at state

While the four Sidney Red Raiders’ qualifiers for the 2015 NSAA State Wrestling Championships have already completed a season of high achievement, there is still more they hope to accomplish.

The 2015 state tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday with 896 qualifiers from around the Nebraska. The tournament will run through Saturday at the Century Link Center in Omaha. The action in Class B will be whistled into action at 3:30 p.m. MST on Thursday and 11:30 on Friday. Should any of the Raiders reach the consolation semifinals on Saturday, they will be guaranteed a medal. The consolation finals start at 8:30 a.m. with the finals slated for 2 p.m. MST.

Accompanying senior Michael Muggli, who is making his fourth appearance at state, are three Raiders’ freshmen. Derek Robb is the District B-4 champion and blew through his season with a record of 41-0 at 138 pounds. Muggli was the runner-up at 145 and had another outstanding campaign with a match record of 39-5.

Representing Sidney at 113 pounds is Colton Peckham (26-14) who finished third at districts. The fourth member of the group is Kaden Vowers, another bronze medalist at the district B-4 event at Chadron last week. Vowers (34-8) earned his way at 106 pounds.

Among the many challenges the Sidney four will have to face is having to meet wrestlers less known to them than might be the case during the regular season.

“They’re new to us but we’re new to them also,” said Raiders’ head coach John Ganser. “The important thing for us is to be ready to wrestle when the whistle blows. Even our freshmen have enough experience to know how to be ready when the time comes.”

While the Sidney coaches will look over the brackets and scout potential future opponents, the first round will likely present the biggest mystery.

Vowers debuts at state against Jacob Kubicka, the runner-up at the District B-3 tournament. Kubicka, from Adams Central High School, compiled a record of 31-14 this season. Vowers made it to state by beating George Hernandez of Scottsbluff in the heartbreak round. Before last week, Vowers had never beaten Hernandez before.

Colton Peckham first takes to the mat against Riley Berg of West Point-Berner. Berg (19-1) lost his only match of the season in the finals at B-1 districts to Corbin Meink (38-2) of Omaha Skutt Catholic. It took Peckham just 3:16 to get through his heartbreak round when he pinned Geraldo Caldera of Lexington.

As Robb takes his undefeated record to Omaha, the waters are naturally the deepest he will encounter all season. Robb is the only one in the 138-pound class at state with an undeteated record. In the first round he will meet Levi Heilig of Boys Town who finished fourth at B1 districts. Heilig has compiled a 15-12 record on the season.

Should Robb complete his season undefeated, he will be the the first Red Raider to do so since Tony Geiger accomplished the trick at 135 pounds in 1990. Jeremie Eckley finished 36-0 as a state champion at 112 in 1987. Eckley was a three-time state champion and Geiger a two-time champ.

Muggli begins his fourth state tournament against District B2’s Kole Gray (26-16) of Plattsmouth. Gray, a sophomore, was third in District B2.

Muggli is hoping the fourth time will be the charm in pursuit of a state medal. He couldn’t have come any closer at the 2014 championships when he lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Ashland-Greenwood’s Cory Washburn in triple overtime. Despite being the aggressor throughout the match, Washburn earned an escape point in the sixth period to score the sudden victory.

“The main thing we want to see is as many kids wrestling on Saturday as possible,” Ganser said. “We also want to wrestle for the scoreboard. We’d like to see Sidney posted up on the team scoreboard. That will be a tall order with only four wrestlers but that would be fun for all of us.”

Should any of the Sidney four get through and win a state championship, it will be the first time a Red Raiders’ wrestler has claimed a state crown since Nolan Jenkins in 1999. Jenkins won the title at 125 pounds.