The Platte County boys’ wrestling team poses with the first-place plaque after winning the Lydia’s Lights at Blue Springs South High School on Jan. 26.
BLUE SPRINGS SOUTH – The 2024 Lydia’s Lights, also known as the Blue Springs South Boys’ Wrestling Tournament, had a dramatic finish with Platte County being crowned as champions on Jan. 27.
With 11 teams partaking, Platte County outlasted Hickman by 5.5 points – taking the first-place finish with 357.5 points. Park Hill South also competed, earning fifth place with 197 points, edging past sixth-place Francis Howell North’s 196.5 points and Lee’s Summit North’s 193.5 points.
Platte County had five wrestlers make it to the first-place match with Caden Hulett (120) and Jaxon Shute (106) being the only winners of that bunch. After this tournament, Hulett moved to 26-9 on the season and Shute moved to 30-3.
Hulett started off strong, with two of his three wins by fall being 1:01 or faster. The senior won on a 5-3 decision over Hogan Benter from Hickman and had a 54-second pin against Luke Nally from Lee’s Summit in the championship.
Shute opened up the tournament with a tech fall over Cale Martin (Blue Springs South), followed by back-to-back pins that included Colt Hallquist (Park Hill South). He pulled out a 3-1 decision win over Francis Howell North’s Wyatt Dannegger to advance to the championship where he pinned Pleasant Hill’s Victor Schmalz in 3:25.
Gabe Wittel (113), Jake Fernandez (215) and Quinn Lightle (285) lost in the championship matches as the trio walked away with second-place finishes. Jack Johnson is now 20-11 in the 144-weight class and Evan MacCuish is 24-12 in the 150-weight class as the duo earned third place.
Park Hill South 138-pounder Landen McDowell pinned his first four opponents en route to winning his weight class. He defeated Taryn Nichols (Hickman) on an 8-4 decision and had a tech fall against Valentin Ledezma (Francis Howell North), making his record 25-3 on the year.
Ethan Saft was the only other Panther to make it to the championship in his respective weight class. That’s where the 190-pound wrestler lost by a 3-1 sudden victory to Lee’s Summit North’s Noah White.
Magnus Hoenshell is sitting at 24-9 on the season after taking third place in the 132-weight class. He won five of his seven matches at Lydia’s Lights.