VALLEY CENTER ? Free State High and Lawrence High have the exact same team score after the first day of Kansas 6A state wrestling at the Kansas Coliseum, but Free State has something LHS doesn’t – a wrestler in a state championship match.

Koty Russell went through the 112-pound bracket to set up a match with Wichita Heights’ Chase Nelson today for the 6A state title, and put FSHS in a 16th-place tie with LHS with 28.5 points.

But Lawrence wasn’t far from having one of its own athletes in a championship match. Kyle McTaggart fell in the semifinals of the 215-pound weight class to Britt Carter of Maize in an 8-7 decision.

“I was thinking I was going to win the state championship,” McTaggart said. “I was like, there’s nobody stopping me. And then I just went stupid in the end. But as soon as I got into the second round, I told myself that I’m getting into the semis and I’m going to place.

“My goal at the end of the year was to just place (at state), but when I made it to the semifinals against a kid that I’ve beaten before, I was pumped, and I was really wanting the state championship,” McTaggart said. “I had a big lead and blew it within the last half-minute, so it’s tough. But life goes on.”

McTaggart will still attempt a third-place finish today, needing to win two more matches. The first will be against one of the four remaining wrestlers in his part of the bracket vying for the spot against McTaggart.

“That would be huge to my coach and to just me in general, because I wasn’t expected to place,” McTaggart said. “But coming back and taking third would be big. Only losing once at state my senior year, that’s a good way to end it. It would be huge for the team, too. It would be a good boost.”

The Lions have six wrestlers besides McTaggart battling in the tournament, and Russell has two remaining teammates attempting to place as well.

Lawrence High’s Brandon Goodwin (103 pounds), Blake Greenfield (130), Brian Cain (135) and Cody Weber (160) must win four matches in their brackets to finish third at best. LHS’ Chris Coons would possibly face off with Alex Hardman of FSHS if each can win three matches to make it to the third-place match of the 125-pound bracket, while Lawrence’s Zach Hertzel and Free State’s Mark Sommers could do the same thing in the 140-pound class.

The 112-pound bracket in the Class 5A was nice to Mill Valley’s Tyler Williamson, also. Williamson advanced to the championship match against Jordan Keller from Wichita Carroll, which is the top school in points in 5A. Williamson’s teammate, Robby McClung, fell victim to a 5-2 decision to Carroll’s Mitch Arnold in the 140-pound class to prevent a trip to the championship match. Instead, he’ll have to wait to see whom he’ll face to at least come away with a third-place finish.

Jordan Miller of Ottawa pulled through a few close matches to reach the title bout with Great Bend’s Brett Bahe in the 130-pound division.

Mill Valley currently is situated 12th in the Class 5A team totals and has another five remaining wrestlers in the consolation bracket, while Ottawa, which sits in a tie with Topeka Seaman at 19th, has Josh Dodd (152 pounds) and Sam Blecha (285) still wrestling for a potential third-place finish.