by Colin Pfeiffer (@CP308)

D3 District at Amherst High School

Amherst will look to extend their title run to 8 straight. The top ranked Broncos are the clear favorite to win the district, but the number of wrestlers they will be able to qualify remains the only question. Much like Plainview and Burwell, Amherst will need to rely on a couple guys to sneak through the district to remain at the top of Class D. Teams looking to push Amherst will come from the likes of Pender, East Butler, and Franklin but depth will be the main issue for those teams. Highlight weights at this district will be 138, 145, and 220 as they have guys capable of staying home or reaching the podium in Omaha.

106:
#4 Shields will look to extended a very good freshman campaign in a rather tough district. He owns a head to head win over Rae of Elwood and has the schedule that has prepared him for matches against Mrsny and Ratkovec. Mrsny and Ratkovec will make for a great semis finals match. I could see either guy winning that match.

Projected Qualifiers:

1. Isaiah Shields Amherst (24-4)
2. Kaiden Mrsny Pender (31-8)
3. Breckin Ratkovec East Butler (25-6)
4. Kent Rae Elwood (11-6)

Other Contender:
Ethan McArthur Cambridge (14-14)

113:
#4 Aguirre is far and away the favorite to win the district. Wood has two head to head wins over Tenbensel. Tenbensel and Herrick have split matches this year with Tenbensel winning the latest by major decision.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Salvador Aguirre Amherst (33-4)
2. Ben Wood Central Valley (19-16)
3. John TenBensel Cambridge (22-12)
4. Bryan Herrick Eustis Farnam (21-13)

Other Contender:
Wade Wright East Butler (17-16)

120:
#4 Cumpston has head to head over Goosic and Ibach. Kapperman has head to head over Goosic. Ibach and Goosic have a common on Bovee. Its tough to tell what Ibach will do in this district, as he has had limited action this season due to injury and illness.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Breidyn Cumpston Amherst (18-10)
2. Tyler Kappeman Arapahoe (28-6)
3. Drew Gossic Franklin (29-7)
4. Josh Ibach Central Valley (7-2)

Other Contenders:
Bryson Bovee Pender (28-5)

126:
This weight is pretty wide open after Casey. Casey has put together a nice season and has a couple big wins late, one of them Coming over #3 Guerrero last week. Gerken is the next best bet to finish in second based on the season he has had to this point. Racicky has a head to head win over Pokorny.

Projected Qualifiers:

1. Keegan Casey Thayer Central (27-4)
2. Adrian Gerken Eustis Farnam (22-7)
3. Blake Racicky Ansley Litchfield (18-14)
4. Tigger Pokorny Central Valley (29-13)

Other Contenders:
Morgan Shields Amherst (6-8)
Owen Grube Franklin (16-16)
Korbin Hardenbrook Pender (23-12)

132:
This weight is the most wide open of the district. Schmidt Randolph projects as the district champion based on having to head to head over Zeleski. After that the final two spots are wide open.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Alex Schimit Randolph (31-10)
2. Dylan Zeleski Overton (20-9)
3. Damian Stewart Thayer Central (20-18)
4. Isaiah Yount Eustis Farnam (17-18)

Other Contenders:
Cole Stokebrand Amherst (11-25)
Enrique Martinez (32-18)

138:
2x State Champion #2 Lewis is the favorite at this weight. #4 Spatz and #6 Florell only have a common opponent in which they both lost too. Spatz wrestled that opponent closer so I go with him in second. Florell has a head to head win over Bloomquist. Florell has defeated Bogle and Mckeon in their only head to head battles and has a common opponent win over Bogle. McKeon has a Head to Head over Bogle.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Brody Lewis Franklin (32-0)
2. Ryley Spatz East Butler (32-8)
3. Sam Florell Amherst (30-14)
4. Brandon Bloomquist Randolph (33-11)

Other Contenders:
Ben Bogle Elwood (23-9)
Luke McKeon Elm Creek (23-14)

145:
#3 Bohac is the projected district champion based on a head to head over Nichols and a common on Baasch. Nichols is the projected runner up as he has put together a very good season and has beat Baasch head to head twice. The 2x state medalist Baasch looks to come in the third spot in this district, but will need to fend off Scott, Clouse and Oliver to qualify. This is a weight where two guys good enough to medal in Omaha will stay home because of how stacked this weight is across the state.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Dalton Bohac East Butler (34-6)
2. Riley Nichols Elm Creek (40-2)
3. Trace Baasch Amherst (31-7)
4. Noah Scott Randolh (22-8)

Other Contenders:
Brady Oliver (30-11)
Raul Clouse (21-8)

152:
Devon Walker won a state title a year ago in Omaha. I currently haven’t ranked him because for a while there were many questions that surrounded his health and status on the team. He has the tools to win this district fully when he is fully healthy and ready to go. Leland Bowder is another wrestler sitting out of the rankings right now as he just moved down to 152 in recent weeks, but has put together a spectacular season. Bowder gets the spot in second based off the fact he beat #2 Baptista head to head shortly after making the move to 152. Baptista takes the number three spot over Banzhaf because Baptista has a common opponent win over him.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Devon Walker Elm Creek (9-0)
2. Leland Bowder Pender (35-5)
3. Edwen Baptista Friend (17-6)
4. Konner Banzhaf Cambridge (33-4)

Other Contenders:
Tyson McCurdy Alma (22-18)
Colten Ratkovec East Butler (28-15)

160:
#1 Loberg is the favorite to win the district and has put together a great season. He has missed the last couple weeks due to an injury, but should be able to wrestle through it and win the district. After spending most of the season at 170, #4 Walker made to move to 160 and hasn’t missed a beat. He’s my pick to finish second behind Loberg. I feel the spot for third is truly a coin flip between Egge and Epstien but I am confident they will both qualify. Felix could come into play for one of those final two slots after having a good year. I list Vollmer and Moore as contenders because if they wrestle they could qualify. Vollmer has been in and out of the line-ups with and injury and Moore hasn’t wrestled since week two.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Drew Loberg Randolph (25-0)
2. Preston Walker Elm Creek (38-6)
3. Cole Egge Amherst (22-11)
4. Elliot Epstein Thayer Central (27-10)

Other Contenders:
Joesph Felix Alma (22-17)
Tony Vollmer Overton (9-6)
Keighton Moore Friend (9-6)

170:
#1 Kalen Klingelhofer is the favorite to win the district. The 3x state medalist has had a great season with is only loss coming on a last second reversal to the #1 170 in class B. Pearson gets the spot in second as he has split with Shimmin, and has a common on Hesse. Hesse gets the third slot based on strength of schedule. Shimmin get the final spot as he has head to head win over Haussermann.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Kalen Klingelhoefer Amherst (33-1)
2. Matt Pearson Cambridge (28-9)
3. Layne Hesse Pender (32-7)
4. Dalton Shimmin Arapahoe (21-5)

Other Contenders:
Chase Haussermann Franklin (8-5)
Ryan Koch Thayer Central (22-16)

182:
There is a huge lack of depth at this weight. It’s really the top three guys and then everyone else. Racicky has had a really good year up to this point, and has a common opponent win over Kenning. Kenning gets the second spot as he has a narrow head to head win over Felix. The tough spot for me is picking who will finish fourth. I pick Moreno but he has a deceiving record as 8 of his wins have come by forfeit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone from the back end of 170 bump up and try and qualify.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Seth Racicky Ansley/Litchfield (22-2)
2. Detric Kenning Thayer Central (27-14)
3. Jesus Felix III Alma (22-13)
4. Juan Moreno Pender (18-18)

195:
#1 Bogard Projects as the district champion as he has beat #2 Christancey head to head. Christancey gets the second spot over Rezac based on the matches that Christancey has had against the same opponents. Rezac has the strength of schedule to position him in front of Doyle.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Dane Bogard Amherst (29-4)
2. Trent Christancey Franklin (26-4)
3. Brandon Rezac East Butler (26-9)
4. Trace Doyle Cambridge (27-6)

Other Contender:
Jacob Durflinger Meridian (24-16)

220:
#6 Gardner projects as the district champion over Harris based on common results. Harris projects as the runner up over Ambriz based on the fact that Ambriz projects as the fourth seed in the district and will get matched up against Gardner in the district semifinal. Ambriz goes over Brown because Ambriz has wrestled two close matches against D#2 Muench of Sutherland. Thompson will contend for the fourth spot in the district has he has put together a nice season up to this point.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Robert Gardner Arapahoe (34-6)
2. Hank Harris Thayer Central (32-7)
3. Jose Ambriz Ansely/Litchfield (16-6)
4. Schuyler Brown Ovetron (22-5)

Other Contender:
Jesse Thompson Pender (28-10)

285:
#3 Peterson projects as the district champion as he has common opponent wins over both Wadleigh and Schultz. Wadleigh projects as the runner up because he has head to head and common opponent wins over Schultz and Davenport. Rath gets the third slot as he has head to head over Saunsoci. Saunsoci get the fourth slot as he has a common opponent wins over Davenport and Schultz.

Projected Qualifiers:
1. Jacob Peterson Amherst (22-11)
2. Noah Wadleigh Arapahoe (14-7)
3. Dalton Rath Randolph (16-11)
4. Quintin Saunsoci Pender (13-18)

Other Contenders:
Drake Davenport Overton (17-16)
Tyler Schultz Cambridge (20-13)