It was business as usual for Santa Fe Trail High wrestling coach Regan Erickson this season.

The Chargers won their sixth straight Kaw Valley League title, earned the Class 4A regional crown over perennial power Fort Scott and qualified nine wrestlers for state — the most in his six years as head coach.

“That’s the most for quite a while,” Erickson said. “Years ago, someone told me we had 10 qualify, but that’s the most we’ve had since I’ve been here. We usually qualify about five or six.”

Which was reason enough to name Erickson as the Journal-World’s area wrestling coach of the year.

Of the nine state qualifiers, five were All-Area selections: Sophomores Max Connelly, Travis Eden, Chad Schmale and Justin Wiscombe and freshman Lorenzo Mundy.

Of course, when a program has success like that, Erickson can’t help but think SFT could have done better than 14th at state.

“Some people told me I shouldn’t feel like that,” he said. “We lost some really close matches. I’ve been thinking about it, and we could have had 70 points.”

Erickson need not worry –that’s just the way things go at state.

One wrestler — 125-pound senior Charlie Fulton, a regional runner-up — couldn’t wrestle at state because of an injury. Connelly, regional champ at 135, was edged in two close matches and finished two matches out of the medals; the lone returning state medalist, the 152-pound Wiscombe, was knocked out in three matches, losing 2-0 and 2-1 decisions.

The lighterweights, From left: Santa Fe Trail coach Regan Erickson; James Hartshorn, Tonganoxie; Travis Eden, Santa Fe Trail; Chad Schmale, Santa Fe Trail; Max Connelly, Santa Fe Trail; Chris Caruthers, Wellsville; Kyle Patton, Wellsville; and Lorenzo Mundy, Santa Fe Trail.

Tough?

That hardly describes it.

Still, Eden (third at 145 pounds) and Schmale (fourth at 140) won medals for the Chargers, who should be loaded next year. Six of the nine state qualifiers are underclassmen.

“We’ve got a really good crew returning,” Erickson said. “And there are three or four other kids that knocking on the door.”

Baldwin junior Kyle Flory was the J-W’s only state champ, but he was far from the only outstanding wrestler.

Three wrestlers — Eudora senior Mike Paxton, Mill Valley senior Eric Pingleton and DeSoto freshman Neil Erisman — were undefeated heading into the state finals, and finished as runner-ups.

The heavierweights, From left: Shane Grant, Eudora; Mike Paxton, Eudora; Eric Pingleton, Mill Valley; Kyle Flory, Baldwin; Derek Lang, Baldwin; Justin Wiscombe, Santa Fe Trail; and Neil Erisman, DeSoto.

Eight of the 14 wrestlers are underclassmen too, meaning these photos might not change much next season.

— The All-Area wrestling team was chosen by prep sports writer Mike Miller, with considerations given to state record, regional and league finishes and season record.