photo by: Photo courtesy Randy Streeter

Free State's boys wrestling team poses after winning Scott Bacon Classic on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Blue Valley High School in Stilwell.

Free State boys wrestling finished its fall semester by winning the Scott Bacon Classic at Blue Valley High School on Friday and Saturday.

The Firebirds accrued 386.0 points, beating the runner-up Blue Valley Southwest by 2.5 points. The win gave the Firebirds their fourth in as many years at the tournament.

Two Firebirds reached the championship match of their weight class, as Brogan Hagen won the 144-pound weight class and Zane Shaw took second in the 190-pound weight class. Hagen got his first four wins in four different ways — starting with a pin, a technical fall, a 16-6 major decision and then a medical forfeit. In the quarterfinal, Hagen won in an 8-7 decision and won the semifinal round with a pin. In the first-place match, Hagen won in a sudden victory.

Shaw continued his strong season with six wins in the tournament. After a pin in his first match, he won his next two matches with technical falls. A pin in the next round put him in the quarterfinal, which he won with an 18-9 major decision. Shaw won with a second major decision win in the semifinal, this time with a 10-1 score, but lost in the first-place match in a technical fall.

Xander Swoyer finished with a win and taking third in the 285-pound bracket, going 6-3. He won his first match with a pin in under a minute but lost his next two bouts. He bounced back with two pins, including one in 16 seconds. Swoyer lost in the quarterfinal but won with pins in the second consolation round and the consolation semifinals. In the third-place match, Swoyer won with a pin in under a minute.

Two Firebirds placed fourth in the tournament: Damian Quick and Coghlan Odom.

Quick was fourth in the 120-pound weight class, going 6-2 in the classic. He started with a pin and a 7-1 decision win. A second pin and a 15-4 major decision win sent him to the quarterfinals, which he won with a third pin. Quick lost in the semifinal by a major decision, but he bounced back with a consolation semifinal win. In the third-place match, Quick lost by a pin.

Odom went 6-1 in the 157-pound weight class to take his fourth-place finish. After a technical fall win to start, he got wins with a pin, a 4-1 decision and a second technical fall. Odom won his quarterfinal match with a 14-6 major decision, but he lost in the semifinal by a major decision. Odom bounced back to win the consolation semifinal with a 5-4 decision.

Tristen Moore placed fifth in the 132-pound weight class with seven wins. He won his first five matches with three pins and two technical falls, but Moore was pinned in the quarterfinal. Moore won his first consolation match with a technical fall but was pinned in the consolation semifinal. He finished with a win by a medical forfeit in the fifth-place match.

In the 215-pound weight class, Cameron Salb finished fifth. After a loss in the first round, Salb won his next three matches with two pins and a major decision. In the quarterfinal, Salb won with a pin but lost his next two matches. He bounced back with a win in the fifth-place match with a pin. Ben Lyles took seventh in the 175-pound bracket, after starting with two pins and a technical fall. After a loss in the fourth round, he won with a technical fall in the fifth. Lyles lost his quarterfinal and consolation round matches, but won the seventh-place bout with a pin.

Justin LaMarche placed 10th in the 165-pound weight class, going 4-3 in the tournament. He finished with three pins and a major decision win but lost in the ninth-place match in a 7-4 decision. Hudson Andrew in the 150-pound weight class and Aaron Whalen in the 138-pound weight class both finished 13th with 4-3 records. Both Andrew and Whalen lost their first three matches and won their final four. Avett Landis placed 15th in the 126-pound weight class with a 3-4 record.

The Firebirds will return to competition after the winter moratorium with a tournament at Dodge City on Jan. 9.