KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Trey Crawford encountered a familiar feeling in the Kansas City Stampede finals — an unfortunate precursor to a disappointing finish.
Park Hill’s senior leader made the championship round in one of the region’s largest and most competitive tournaments for the third straight year. He also ended up second for a third time after a 7-1 loss by decision to Garrison Dendy of Baylor (Tennessee) in the 138-pound title bout on Saturday, Dec. 21 at HyVee Arena.
“It’s always disappointing to lose, but at the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world, not what matters. I’m still going to wake up tomorrow and feel the same as if I won,” said Crawford, second at 132 as a junior and second at 113 as a sophomore. “It’s really getting back in the (practice) room and getting back to attacking. I think that’s the biggest thing these last three years — just confidence not all there in the finals, just kind of lock up, tighten up.”
ROSS MARTIN/Special to the Citizen
Park Hill’s Trey Crawford, right, reached the finals of the 138-pound division at the Kansas City Stampede on Saturday, Dec. 21 at HyVee Arena.
Crawford and junior Grayston DiBlasi (152) made the finals for Park Hill, and the Trojans placed ninth as a team with 357 points on the strength of five medalists despite only having nine in the lineup. Noticeably, junior Ethen Miller and sophomore Kal Miller — both returning state medalists — were out due to injury.
Platte County placed 40th overall with just one medalist (sophomore Eli Rocha) and only one other qualifier for the Gold Bracket (junior Jesse Schillinger) in the 49-team tournament. The Pirates did have seven more in the Silver Bracket and turned in some positive showing while continuing to deal with injuries, absences and late arrivals to the lineup.
“The biggest thing here is to learn and correct things as we go down the line,” Platte County coach Reggie Burress said. “By the time we get to districts, you have to be ready.”
Park Hill continued to show the strength of its lower weights but couldn’t fully overcome the absence of the Miller brothers and other questions marks past the 152 weight class.
Crawford again put up some of his best showings in this tournament just as he did as a sophomore before missing the second half of the season and last year when he reached the finals in the best season of his career to this point. He won a championship-caliber 138 semifinal with a dominant 7-3 win over Ryder Ramsey of Tuttle (Oklahoma) in a rematch of the 2018 final he lost at 132.
From the start, Crawford was the aggressor, and he finished with all three of the match’s takedowns.
“That was really where I opened up and wrestled. That just shows what I can do, what I’m capable of,” said Crawford, who fell behind on a takedown that ended with him on his back in the final against Dendy. “It’s a nice win to have, but at the end of the day, I still have to work on some things.”
DiBlasi made a surprise run to the finals while wrestling up a weight at 152. He was the No. 13 seed in the Gold bracket and needed a 7-6 decision over Gabe Johnson of Choctaw (Oklahoma) just to get out of the first round.
From there, DiBlasi won a 6-3 decision over Gunnar Bradley of Monett in the quarterfinals and a 2-1 decision over Josh James of Garden City (Kansas) to become the second Stampede finalist from his family, joining 2014 champion at 170 Colston DiBlasi — now wrestling Division I at George Mason. The DiBlasis have had one brother in the Stampede tournament nearly every year since the tournament’s inception in 2007.
“I surprised myself,” said Grayston DiBlasi, who lost his finals match 8-1 to DeArmond of Tuttle. “It’s all family with me, and I love being with my brothers and they definitely give me motivation — especially Weston.”
Park Hill sophomore Cael Keck reached the semifinals at 106 before losing his final two matches to place fourth, while sophomore Kody Ketchum came in fifth during his first Stampede appearance. He missed last season due to injury but has shined in the early part of 2019 with his lone loss of the tournament an 8-6 decision for eventual runner-up Tucker Owens of Mustang (Oklahoma) in the quarterfinals.
Ketchum won his first consolation match 1-0 over Kearney sophomore and returning state champion Eli Ashcroft before winning 1-0 over Kael Pappan of Arkansas City (Kansas) to reach the fifth-place match. A third one-point decision — this one over Cole Brooks of Collinsville (Oklahoma) completed his run through the backside
Chris Bizzle, a junior, also reached the quarterfinals for Park Hill at 220 before losing 2-0 to eventual third-place finisher Keith Miley of Whitfield. Bizzle then won his consolation semifinals to get into the medal rounds and came in eighth.
Park Hill continues to remake its lineup after graduating two-time state champion Devin Winston and a host of other contributors from last year’s third-place team in the Class 4 Missouri State Wrestling Championships. The Trojans also had senior and three-time state medalist Ashton Sharp — fresh off his season debut — place 13th at 195, while sophomore Ryker Smith, a state qualifier last year, placed 12th at 113.
Even minus the Millers, Park Hill showed why it could be a potential threat to Liberty’s state title hopes even after the Blue Jays took home the Stampede team title, and Staley placed sixth.
“There’s a lot of people talking, and we’re just here to wrestle,” Crawford said. “You can’t say Stampede is the state tournament. It’s none of that. I think once we get that full lineup and once we start hitting tournaments like Winnetonka and districts and stuff like that, then you’re going to see the real Park Hill. I think we’re going to surprise some people; we’re looking to surprise some people.”
Platte County’s inexperienced lineup faced a second straight tough tournament field ahead of an upcoming trip to the Cheesehead Invitational after the New Year. Rocha again starred for the youthful Pirates who have shuffled the lineup after a group of expected contributors did not return to the team.
ROSS MARTIN/Special to the Citizen
Platte County’s Gabe Davis, right, attempts to throw an opponent during the Kansas City Stampede on Saturday, Dec. 21 at HyVee Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
Rocha made the Gold Bracket at Stampede for a second straight year but again lost in the quarterfinals. After placing 11th as a freshman at 120, he battled back in the 132 consolation bracket to reach the fifth-place match at 132 where he faced a potential rematch with Shaun Muse of Choctaw (Oklahoma).
Earlier in the day, Rocha handily beat Muse in a 15-6 major decision but suffered a minor injury to his shoulder in the process. Rocha lost 13-3 to eventual third-place finisher Carter Young of Stillwater (Oklahoma) before winning a pair in consolation to make the fifth-place match before medically forfeiting rather than risk additional injury.
“I feel like this year I knew what to expect,” Rocha said. “Last year, I was brand new at it, didn’t know what was coming, but this year, I was ready for it.”
In addition to Rocha, Schillinger — a transfer from Class 2 Osage — went 3-1 to finish second in Pool G and qualify for the 16-man Gold Bracket. He lost by fall in his next match to eventual champion Cade Lautt of St. James Academy (Kansas) but with help from a bye, he eventually reached the 11th-place match and one by medical forfeit.
Burress expects Schillinger to remain at 220 with sophomore Lansing (Kansas) transfer Calvin Sholey at 285. Sholey was unavailable for Stampede but will be part of a promising duo for the Pirates at the top of their lineup
“Jesse, who obviously wrestled at Osage last year, he’s trying to figure stuff out and correct stuff technique-wise,” Burress said. “He’s adapted. Calvin, he’s the same way, learning our system.”
Platte County also received strong showings in the Silver Bracket, including a ninth-place finish for junior returning state qualifier Grant Stathopoulos at 113. Others to place in the consolation top 16 included senior Trey Phan (16th, 126), senior Gabe Davis (12th, 138), sophomore Ben McDaniel (13th, 160), Drake Lacina (eighth, 170), senior Gabe Harmon (11th, 182) and senior Jonathan Owen (10th, 195).
Burress found reasons for optimism across the board as Platte County’s mostly inexperienced lineup navigates the early grind of tough tournaments.
“All the young guys, the inexperienced guys, the more they can get into tournaments and win matches and see what they need to work on the more it’s going to help us toward districts,” he said. “Grant’s coming along really well. Trey Phan is back out. He’s been gone a couple of years but shows flashes of what he can be. (Hunter) Burge getting his first action of the year in tough situations. He’s gotta correct some stuff
“Davis making strides every match. (Jared) Parsons getting back in shape. Ben McDaniel, not the same kid he was last year when he was like a robot.”
Bertram leads three medalists for Platte County girls
Platte County’s girls program produced three medalists in the second year of the KC Stampede — up one from a year ago.
Sarina Bertram continued her swift development and made the third-place match at 166, winning a 9-4 decision over Liberty North’s Kate Shriver for the team’s best finish. Bertram reached the quarterfinals and lost by fall to eventual champion Ava Miller of Truman. Elizabeth Humburg placed fifth at 125 for Platte County with a forfeit in her last match, while Haley Burge came in seventh at 103.
All three winning their final match was a big stride for Platte County, which has six in the lineup in the program’s second year.
Park Hill South’s Maddie Kubicki won the 135 bracket with a pin in the finals. She needed just 39 seconds to stick Plattsburg’s Page Fuller in the championship bout. The second medalist for the Panthers was returning state qualifier Finley Bickford (fifth at 142).
Park Hill also had three medalists with Ciara Miller finishing ahead of Bickford in fourth at 142. Eve Heryln was fourth at 135 for the Trojans.