Free State senior Elijah Jacobs is helped off the match by his coaches after claiming the second state title in school history at the KSHSAA State Finals at Hartman Arena in Park City, February 23, 2019.

PARK CITY – After pointing up to the ceiling, Elijah Jacobs only had four words as he walked off the mat.

“Thank you so much.”

With a 10-4 decision over Blue Valley West’s Zach Schram, Jacobs swept his four state matches to win the title at 145. He becomes just the second individual state champion for the Firebirds in school history.

Jacobs scored on a takedown 1:29 into the match, then brought Schram to a near fall twice before the end of the first period to gain a 7-0 advantage. He managed to hold off Schram from scoring in the second period, than scored on a key escape after being taken down and held to a near fall.

“I was really surprised, I put him on his back that first time, he started counting and I was like ‘this is dope,'” Jacobs.

With 15 seconds to go in the match, and Schram needing a big move, Jacobs scored the final takedown to seal the state title.

“It felt awesome, it felt like I completed a goal – a very long, hard goal – since freshman year,” Jacobs said. “I feel like god, he helped me through the path that I was having trouble with. He blessed me to be able to have this opportunity and finish it on my own, him looking over me and being with me at all times.”

Free State senior Elijah Jacobs takes down a Blue Valley West wrestler at the KSHSAA State Finals at Hartman Arena in Park City, February 23, 2019.

A four year goal for Jacobs was just to make the finals, and he surpassed it for himself. Jacobs takes the crown to make him a two-time state medalist. He made it to the state finals after a loss in the semifinals last season, ultimately placing fifth.

With four state medals on the day, Free State finished eighth as a team at the state tournament with 74.5 team points. Lou Fincher took third with a pair of wins Saturday, while Devin Beers and Joey Eddis each took fifth.

Fincher became the first to place for the Firebirds with a 5-4 win over Garden City’s Erik Dominguez. Leading for most of the match, Dominguez took Fincher down with less than 10 seconds to go and Fincher was able to hold him off from a near fall.

Devin Beers of Free State celebrates a win in the consolation quarterfinals at the KSHSAA State Finals at Hartman Arena in Park City, February 23, 2019.

As junior, Fincher places at state for the first time in his career.

“We practice that all the time, keeping your conditioning up and just being smart at the end of the match,” Fincher said. “For a second I was a little frustrated, I was talking to the ref and was like I need to keep my calm, just keep wrestling and win the match.”

Sophomore Caleb Streeter fell just shy of placing at state with a third-period pin to start the day, but then a loss in the blood round, the consolation quarterfinals. Trey Shanks also competed in the state tournament for Free State, but lost both his matches on Friday.

Jewsome claims runner-up to cap spectacular season

EJ Jewsome had just one request of Dodge City’s Evan Darville, the wrestler he had beat Friday to advance to the finals in just his second year of wrestling – a true warm-up partner.

Going into the match, Jewsome had noticed on the website “Sports In Kansas” his future opponent Garden City’s Refujio Chairez had beat his squat max by 75 pounds two weeks after Jewsome hit his max of 600.

“I think that everyone should be given a fair shot,” Darville said. “He’s a real nice, real humble too. He didn’t really expect to be here and just did his best.”

LHS senior EJ Jewsome squares off with a Garden City wrestler at the KSHSAA State Finals at Hartman Arena in Park City, February 23, 2019.

Jewsome would ultimately get pinned by Chairez 1:31 into the second period to finish state runner-up. Darville, who was once ranked No. 1 in the state, went on to take third place.

“I guess I was trying to throw him, he shot on me. (I) had him on his back for a couple seconds, and he just rolled through,” Jewsome said. “He was probably the strongest wrestler I’ve wrestled all season … I don’t have any enemies on the mat, I’m still going to try and win during the match, but once it’s said and done, I don’t have any hard feelings.”

Jewsome places in his second year of wrestling to be one of two state medalists for the Lions to cap off a 32-9 season and a 39-10 clip on his career.

“EJ, for the last three weeks, has just been wrestling above and beyond what he’s capable of, just doing everything we ask of him and show him,” LHS coach Patrick Naughton said. “Even the coaches and the referees were just like ‘Where did this kid come from?” He’s been with us, just in hiding.”

Logan Farrell of LHS (right) works to take down an Olathe North wrester at the KSHSAA State Finals at Hartman Arena in Park City, February 23, 2019.

A two-time state qualifier, sophomore Logan Farrell was eliminated in the blood round with a 7-2 decision to an Olathe North wrestler, just shy of a medal.

After just missing the finals of 106 falling late in the third period of the semifinals on Friday, freshman Kevin Honas split his two matches on Saturday to solidify a fifth place finish for the Lions. Honas had fell in the semifinals with a third period pin.

“You always want to be on that winning side of that last match to kick off what you’re going to do for next year,” Naughton said. “As a freshman, he’s got a long way to go and he knows he’s got a plan.”

Jewsome has plans to both play football and wrestle at Butler Community College, just 15 minutes down the road from Park City.

STATE WRESTLING MEET

Saturday at Hartman Arena

Team scores: 1. Derby 200; 2. Manhattan 197; 3. Garden City 149.5; 4. Washburn Rural 133; 5. Haysville-Campus 125; 6. Dodge City 118.5; 7. Mill Valley 89; 8. Free State 74.5; 9. Olathe North 73; 10. Olathe South 67; 11. Blue Valley 62; 12. BV West 53; 13. Wichita-West 43; 14. Olathe Northwest 38; 15. Lawrence 37.5.

Lawrence/Free State results

106: Kevin Honas (LHS, 34-12) placed 5th and scored 12.0 team points.

Round 1 – Honas won by fall over Abel Perez (SM Northwest) 13-20 (Fall 2:29).

Quarterfinal – Honas won by decision over Liam Sutton (Mill Valley) 28-23 (Dec 6-2).

Semifinal – Damian Mendez (Dodge City) 40-7 won by fall over Honas (Fall 5:32).

Cons. Semi – Bishop Murray (Topeka-Washburn Rural) 40-1 won by fall over Honas (Fall 1:18).

5th Place Match – Honas won by major decision over Germany Washington (Wichita-West) 24-18 (MD 11-0).

113: Logan Farrell (LHS, 24-12) placed is unknown and scored no team points; Trey Shanks (FS, 18-16) place is unknown and scored no team points.

Round 1 – Tyler Johnson (Olathe South) 30-19 won by decision over Farrell. Brady Pellman (OL Northwest) 40-11 won by fall over Shanks (Fall 1:51).

Cons. Round 1 – Joe McElwee (Blue Valley West) 26-19 won by decision over Shanks (Dec 8-5). Farrell won by fall over Cole Newport (Olathe West) 6-22 (Fall 1:53).

Cons. Round 2 – Farrell won by tech fall over Jahir Contreras (Wyandotte) 17-20 (TF-1.5 4:33 (16-0)).

Cons. Round 3 – Joseph Triscornia (Olathe North) 42-16 won by decision over Farrell (Dec 7-2).

126: Lou Fincher (FS, 35-6) placed 3rd and scored 17.0 team points.

Round 1 – Fincher won by fall over Graham Miller (Blue Valley West) 18-28 (Fall 4:53).

Quarterfinal – Fincher won by decision over Carson Dulitz (Mill Valley) 30-18 (Dec 5-0).

Semifinal – Bryce Wells (Derby) 24-11 won by decision over Fincher (Dec 6-5).

Cons. Semi – Fincher won by major decision over Ben Bluel (Olathe South) 30-19 (MD 9-1).

3rd Place Match – Fincher won by decision over Erik Dominguez (Garden City) 28-18 (Dec 5-4).

132: Caleb Streeter (FS, 28-14) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

Round 1 – Streeter won by decision over Vlad Honc (OL Northwest) 23-20 (Dec 6-5).

Quarterfinal – Dallas Koelzer (Olathe South) 39-6 won by decision over Streeter (Dec 6-2).

Cons. Round 2 – Streeter won by fall over Derek Sheler (Haysville-Campus) 18-15 (Fall 4:20).

Cons. Round 3 – Gunner Murphy (Olathe North) 44-18 won by decision over Streeter (Dec 8-2).

145: Elijah Jacobs (FS, 27-4) placed 1st and scored 27.0 team points.

Round 1 – Jacobs won by fall over Nick Carlson (Olathe East) 8-12 (Fall 0:46).

Quarterfinal – Jacobs won by major decision over Kane Taddese (Olathe West) 27-10 (MD 9-1).

Semifinal – Jacobs won by decision over Jacob McLain (Leavenworth) 24-17 (Dec 3-2).

1st Place Match – Jacobs won by decision over Zach Schram (Blue Valley West) 45-4 (Dec 10-4).

170: Joey Eddis (FS, 35-7) placed 5th and scored 12.5 team points.

Round 1 – Eddis won by fall over Angel Gallardo (J.C. Harmon) 19-18 (Fall 0:49).

Quarterfinal – McCoy Stoker (Olathe North) 30-8 won by decision over Eddis (Dec 9-4).

Cons. Round 2 – Eddis won by tech fall over Zack Leskovac (Olathe South) 8-5 (TF-1.5 3:23 (19-4)).

Cons. Round 3 – Eddis won by decision over Caemen Blake (Topeka) 22-15 (Dec 5-4).

Cons. Semi – Cade Lindsey (Derby) 41-2 won by fall over Eddis (Fall 0:24).

5th Place Match – Eddis won by decision over Wes Damron (Blue Valley) 38-9 (Dec 10-4).

182: Devin Beers (34-9) placed 5th and scored 15.0 team points.

Round 1 – Beers won by fall over Nate Kenney (BV Northwest) 38-16 (Fall 0:57).

Quarterfinal – Mitchell Bartsch (Blue Valley) 35-6 won by fall over Beers (Fall 5:36).

Cons. Round 2 – Beers won by decision over Max Knard (Olathe South) 32-18 (Dec 3-2).

Cons. Round 3 – Beers won by fall over Tyler Green (Mill Valley) 27-16 (Fall 4:36).

Cons. Semi – Stephen White (Manhattan) 30-3 won by fall over Beers (Fall 0:43).

5th Place Match – Beers won by fall over Wyatt Mackley (Olathe East) 33-12 (Fall 1:16).

285: EJ Jewsome (LHS, 29-10) placed 1st and scored 26.0 team points.

Round 1 – Jewsome won by decision over Ben Freeman (Blue Valley West) 21-15 (Dec 5-1).

Quarterfinal – Jewsome won by fall over David Huckstep (Topeka-Washburn Rural) 34-10 (Fall 3:04).

Semifinal – Jewsome won by decision over Evan Darville (Dodge City) 34-3 (Dec 13-12).

1st Place Match – Refujio Chairez (Garden City) 28-9 won by fall over Jewsome (Fall 3:31).