4 Raider wrestlers clinch state berths

Four Sidney wrestlers are headed to state.

Trey Arellano (106) and Derek Robb (152) each won their respective weight classes, while Kaden Vowers (113) finished third and Cody Hofrock (220) took fourth place at the B-4 District meet held Friday and Saturday at Cabela's Athletic Facility. The state tournament gets underway Thursday in Omaha.

"The tournament was very competitive. There was a lot of intensity wrestled in this gym yesterday and today. It was a lot of noise and a good atmosphere that way," Sidney coach John Ganser said. "We were looking at three to five qualifiers. We were hoping someone else would get in there as well. It's really pleasing to have two district champions, that's big, and Kaden Vowers' third place and Cody Hofrock's qualification. So I'm happy for the kids."

Arellano, a freshman, continued his stellar rookie campaign with a win in the 106 weight class at the district meet. He enters state with a 42-0 record.

"It feels amazing, being a freshman and going into state undefeated," he said.

After a first round bye, Arellano opened with a win by fall in 2:49 over Preston Smith of Gothenburg. He then topped Evan Steggs of Alliance in a 10-2 major decision in the semifinals.

"Trey just never gets rattled in a match," Ganser said. "He gets behind and wrestled his way out of it, and wrestled to the lead. He just keeps wrestling. That's what's neat about him."

In the finals, Arellano won with a 7-4 decision over George Hernandez of Scottsbluff. He trailed 3-2 when he came back for the 7-4 win.

"It's very nervous. When I went into the finals match, I was pretty nervous," Arellano said. "I got the first takedown, sealed it, but then I got tired. So I need to work harder on that before I go to state."

Arellano said winning his first district championship in his first try was an "amazing" feeling.

"It felt amazing, it felt great," he said. "Winning 7-4, and coming back from losing by two points, made me feel amazing."

Arellano (42-0) opens state by facing Jarrett Cline of Mount Michael Benedictine School. Cline is 27-15 on the year and finished fourth in District B-2.

For the second straight year, defending state champion Robb took first at the district meet.

"He's not sneaking up on anybody this year, but at the same time, Derek's got a pretty good head on his shoulders and he knows how to train and work," Ganser said. "He's got good technique, he's got some good physical attributes in terms of strength and balance and all those things. He handled it well."

Robb had a first round bye and then took out Cozad's Nathan Smock by fall in 1:20. In the semifinals, he won by fall in 38 seconds over Riley Kopf of Lexington. Robb won the finals with a win by fall in 2:28 over Jayden Miller of Gothenburg.

"It felt pretty good," Robb said. "I'm just looking to go back and repeat what I did last year, be on the top of that podium at the end of that day Saturday (at state)."

Robb, a state winner a year ago, said the key to taking district for the second consecutive year was keeping focused.

"With the target on your back, you've just got to focus and work even harder than you did last year," he said.

Robb (36-1) opens state by taking on Jean-Marie Djidjoho of Mount Michael Benedictine School. Djidjoho was 25-21 this season and finished fourth in District B-2.

Vowers, a sophomore, clinched his second straight state appearance with a third place finish at the district meet in the 113 weight class.

"It feels good to go to state again, and to get third place," Vowers said.

After a first round bye, he got a win by fall in 37 seconds over Gering's Kale Hamilton. Vowers dropped his next match, which sent him to the consolation bracket, with a 13-1 major decision defeat to eventual champion Devontae Gutierrez of Scottsbluff.

Vowers rebounded with a win by fall in 1:54 over Jesus Ramirez of Lexington to clinch a state berth. He then went on to defeat Trevor Holley of Gothenburg with a 5-2 decision to take third place.

"I still had a pretty solid bracket, but last year was pretty solid too," Vowers said. "I got seeded better this year, which made it easier. It's going to be a tough weight (class) because there's so many tough at state."

Even though he didn't place at state last year, that experience should help him this year.

"He won a match last year, lost two," Ganser said. "I'm pretty sure he's intent on medaling as high as he can. He's tough, mentally, that's the nice thing about him."

Vowers (44-5) faces Seward's Trason Snover (21-14) in the first round of the state meet. Snover finished second in District B-3.

"Last year I didn't place, so my goal is to place as high as I can," Vowers said.

Hofrock clinched a state berth in his final year of eligibility for the Raiders with his fourth place finish at district.

"It feels great to make state for my last year of wrestling," Hofrock said.

"I'm happy for him," Ganser said. "That's after paying his dues the last few years and taking his share of losses, it's nice to see it pay off."

Hofrock opened the district meet with a win by fall in 1:54 over Darin Colson of Gering, then continued his winning ways with a 2-0 win by decision over Brandon Cole of Ogallala. He dropped his next match to eventual champion Kendall Oberhelde of Adams Central by fall in 1:50.

In the consolation bracket, Hofrock topped Lande Lauder of Alliance by fall in 3:59, which also clinched his berth to the state meet.

"It was unbelievable," Hofrock said. "It was something that I'd never experienced before when I clinched my spot to state."

The senior finished the district meet with a loss by fall in 1:23 to Kaleb Taylor of McCook in the third/fourth place bout.

Hofrock (31-12) will face Wyatt Gutzmer (41-9) of Scotus Central Catholic in the first round of state. Gutzmer won the weight class in District B-3.

There were also several close calls for the Raiders at district. They lost four matches that meant the difference in advancing to state or being eliminated.

Colton Peckham lost in a 13-1 major decision to Jerryd Hernandez in the 120 weight class in the consolation semifinals, when a win would have sent him to state. KC Higer also dropped his final match in the 126 weight class consolation semifinals, falling to Jorgen Johnson of Alliance by fall in 2:09. A win there also would have clinched a state berth for Higer.

In the 182 weight class, Nathan Cuello lost in the consolation semifinals in a 4-1 decision against Eric Langan of McCook. A win would have clinched a state berth. Also in the 285 weight class, Seth McMillen was a win away from a state berth, falling in the consolation semifinals by fall to Zachary Wioskowski of Adams Central.

Sidney finished fifth as a team with 97.5 points. Adams Central won district with 191.5 points, edging three-time district champion Scottsbluff by four and a half points. Alliance finished third, while Lexington took fourth place.

The three-day state tournament gets underway Thursday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. The Raider wrestlers are in the first session, which begins at 9:30 a.m. CST.

"All four of us have come in early in the morning, we did our time, and I feel this is the group to go down there and make some noise at state," Hofrock said.