6A – up for grabs!

Coach Ross capped off a great coaching career last year as his Derby Panthers were the 6A State Champions. The new Head Coach Heincker will have a hard time repeating due to a very large class of seniors last year. No doubt, Coach Heincker will have the Panthers ready but it will be an uphill battle. This year’s 6A team title is really up for grabs. Manhattan is the clear front runner with the most returning team points and the most returning state qualifiers. Washburn Rural is only a state placer behind, and Mill Valley is only a state placer behind them, and Garden City is only a state placer behind them. It is all going to come down to which team brings up some good jv and freshman wrestlers, stays healthy and has a stellar weekend in late February.

If you have not seen my broadcast on the teams returning the most team points in the boys 6A classification, here is another look at the top 10.

Rank	School	Returning Points	2023 State Finish
1	Manhattan	132.5	4th Place
2	Washburn Rural	119	6th Place
3	Mill Valley	110	3rd Place
4	Garden City	99.5	2nd Place
5	Olathe East	77	11th Place
6	Olathe North	76	5th Place
7	Derby	69	1st Place
8	Junction City	65.5	7th Place
9	Gardner Edgerton	49	9th Place
10	Blue Valley West	33	18th Place

#1 Manhattan Indians – 132.5 returning state team points

Manhattan finished just 3 points out of a trophy last year with a 4th place finish. That is a tough one to swallow as a coach. I’m sure the Indian Coaching Staff went through the state tournament several times figuring out where those 3 points could of and should of came from. With that type of motivation and the fact they only had 1 graduating senior from their state team, Coach Bammes and company will start out this season as the top team in 6A. The Indians have 2 returning state champions to help lead them, and as you can see below they have plenty of other returners to that can help increase there point total.

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Caeleb Hutchinson	10	106	State Champion
Cameron Coonrod	10	113	5th Place
Taivaughnn Walsch	10	120	S.Q.
Logan Lagerman	11	126	3rd Place
Jameal Agnew	12	132	State Champion
Ben Uher	11	144	S.Q.
Isaac Sinks	12	157	5th Place
Landon Dobson	11	175	S.Q.
Raymond Gary-Hernandez	12	190	S.Q.
Clayton Frehn	12	285	3rd Place

#2 Washburn Rural Junior Blues – 119 returning state team points

After a 6th place finish last year, Coach Hogan and the Washburn Rural Junior Blues will look to get back into the trophy hunt again this year. They have a solid group of state returners to lead the team. Not only do they have a chance to trophy this year, they could push for another state title. They have 2 returning state champions in their line-up as well and they are only 13.5 points out of 1st right now and have 6 other returning state wrestlers. If those wrestlers can all improve their state performance, the Junior Blues have a chance.

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Easton Broxterman	11	113	State Champion
Landon Kocher-Munoz	10	120	State Champion
Walker Doyal	10	126	S.Q.
Cooper Stivers	10	132	6th Place
Blaine Baird	12	138	4th Place
Kristjan Marshall	11	150	4th Place
Brody Byrne	12	157	4th Place
Chase Calhoon	12	215	S.Q.

# Mill Valley Jaguars – 110 returning state team points

Mill Valley finished 3rd last year just ahead of Manhattan. Coach Lazor has done a great job continuing the strong tradition that Coach Keal built at Mill Valley. They are in a great position to trophy again this year. The Jaguars have a pair of State Champions as well as the 2 teams above. And as you can see below they have a number of wrestlers returning with state experience. Again, if they can get some more production from the qualifiers and placers they could be moving up when state rolls around.

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Jeredy Nilges	10	106	S.Q.
Jacob Reitz	10	113	S.Q.
Robert Hickman	12	120	S.Q.
Dillon Cooper	12	126	State Champion
Maddox Cassella	12	138	3rd Place
Brady Mason	12	144	3rd Place
Collin McAlister	12	150	State Champion

#4 Garden City Buffaloes – 99.5 returning state team points

Don’t sleep on the Garden City Buffaloes. As you can see below the defending State Runner-up team has 9 wrestlers that did not reach their state goal. Coach Prieto knows how to win and will have his wrestlers hungry to improve on their state experience last year. The Buffaloes are only 10.5 points out of 3rd place right now, that is just one state placer. Again, this could be a sleeper team in 6A come February, 2024.

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Braydon Pacheco	11	106	State Runner-up
Julius Medina	12	113	S.Q.
Mathew Long	11	120	3rd Place
Logan Avalon	11	126	S.Q.
Robert Corrales	11	138	S.Q.
Sergio Sanchez	11	150	S.Q.
Ethen Allen	12	157	S.Q.
Brayden Hill	11	215	4th Place
Sebastian Lopez	12	285	State Runner-up

#5 Olathe East Hawks – 77 returning state team points

Olathe East rounds out the top 5 teams in 6A. The Hawks finished in 11th place last year. With a solid team of returners including a state champion and a runner-up, this could be a breakout season for Coach Larson’s Hawks. They will need the help of those other qualifiers and placers to improve on their state finish to move up the placing and to fend off teams that are just below them.

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Cohen McGill	11	113	S.Q.
Aiden Stuart	11	120	State Runner-up
Ender Rider	11	144	6th Place
Joey Taylor	12	150	S.Q.
Michael Costello	12	190	6th Place
Brett Carroll	12	285	State Champion

#6 Olathe North Eagles – 76 returning state team points

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Jaxson Scott	10	106	S.Q.
Blake Samuelson	10	113	4th Place
Quinn Alderman	10	120	S.Q.
Taggart Murphy	10	126	S.Q.
Trevor Vasquez	12	150	3rd Place
Jacob Vasquez	12	165	State Runner-up
Vance Provost	10	175	5th Place
Braden Hales	11	285	S.Q.

#7 Derby Panthers – 69 returning state team points

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Jayden Grijalva	11	106	3rd Place
Tanner Heincker	11	113	S.Q.
Diego Gauna	12	132	S.Q.
Peyton Neptune	12	175	4th Place
Mason Hopper	12	190	5th Place
Maxwell Robinson	10	285	6th Place

#8 Junction City Blue Jays – 65.5 returning state team points

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Ezekiel Witt	12	113	State Runner-up
Jaime Villanueva	12	132	5th Place
Griffin Bohanan	12	165	3rd Place
Cooper Bogenhagen	12	190	S.Q.
Damarion Shaw	11	215	S.Q.

#9 Gardner Edgerton Blazers – 49 returning state team points

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Roman Clouse	10	106	5th Place
Kasen Smith	12	120	6th Place
Caden Smith	12	126	S.Q.
Kaden Schwendemann	11	132	S.Q.
Ty Hammers	11	175	3rd Place

#10 Blue Valley West Jaguars – 33 returning state team points

Name	This Year’s Grade	Last Year’s Weight	Last Year’s State Finish
Scott Fohlmeister	10	113	S.Q.
Henry White	10	120	4th Place
Logan Meinheit	11	132	S.Q.
Brady Watts	12	150	S.Q.
Sam Dew	12	157	S.Q.
Kenny Woods	12	165	S.Q.
Brody McMannamon	12	285	S.Q.