Reisenbichler places second at state meet

The knee injury that cost Jarrett Reisenbichler a perfect season in the district wrestling championships came back to bite him in the state finals.

The sophomore from Jackson was pinned by Park Hill's Sean Hosford in 1 minute, 51 seconds in the Class 4 106-pound finals and finished the season with a record of 44-2.

Reisenbichler had been wrestling much of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee, and he said the knee locked up on in his quarterfinal match on Thursday.

He decisioned Marquette's Brett Stoffel 4-2 on Friday, but could not duplicate the feat in the final.

"It didn't last too long," Reisenbichler said of Saturday's match. "I really couldn't do too much. I could hardly walk."

He is scheduled to undergo surgery on his knee Monday.

"Really, it was an incredible feat to get to the finals," Jackson coach Steve Wachter said. "I'm disappointed for him. He started out the year strong, really on top of it. He just found a way to fight through (the injury) and get to the finals."

If anything, the loss will motivate Reisenbichler, who placed fourth at the state meet a year ago, even more.

"I kind of gives me more motivation to win next year," he said.

Jackson junior Tyler Rush took the long way to placing fifth at 138 pounds. He lost in Thursday's first round, then won three wrestleback matches, including two on Friday, to reach Saturday's action.

Rush fell 11-1 to Connor Flynn of Francis before defeating Todd Magoon of Waynesville 8-3 for fifth place. Magoon had defeated Rush in Thursday's first round.

"Tyler really wrestled well," Wachter said. "I thought that was probably the best he's wrestled all year."

Both Reisenbichler and Rush earned all-state recognition for their efforts.

As a team, Jackson finished with 42 points, good for a 15th-place tie with McCluer North.

* Jackson had three other wrestlers reach the third round of wrestlebacks, but all were eliminated: Jake Byrd (41-8) lost a 5-0 decision to Seckman's Luke Weiland at 120 pounds; Josh Stone (35-11) lost a 12-5 decision to Hazelwood East's Jeffery Brock at 182; and Clay Darnell (30-7) was pinned by Blue Springs' Austin Reyes at 220. Jackson's 113-pounder Kodi Byrd (39-6) was eliminated in the second round of wrestlebacks.

* Central heavyweight Chris Bryant (24-8) was pinned in his quarterfinal match Friday against Staley's Bailey Stutko. Bryant was later eliminated when he was pinned by Webb City's Tony Carranco in a second-round wrestleback. Central finished tied for 41st place in Class 3 with 4 points.

* Notre Dame's Noah Huff won two wrestleback matches -- one on Friday -- before being eliminated. Huff (38-13) lost a major decision to St. Charles West's Drew Ditter in a third-round wrestleback. Notre Dame finished tied for 38th place in Class 2 with 4 points.

Area Results

(Friday)

Class 4

Championship

Quarterfinals

106 -- Jarrett Reisenbichler (Jackson) dec. Sidney Oliver (Holt) 6-2

220 -- Travon Butler (McCluer North) pin Clay Darnell (Jackson) 1:53

Semifinals

106 -- Jarrett Reisenbichler (Jackson) dec. Brett Stoffel (Marquette) 4-2

Consolation

Second-round wrestleback

113 -- Aaron Beckmann (Timberland) dec. Kodi Byrd (Jackson) (5-0, OT)

120 -- Jake Byrd (Jackson) dec. Alan Olivas (Lee's Summit) 9-6

138 -- Tyler Rush (Jackson) maj. dec. Anthony Nichols (McCluer North) 12-4

182 -- Josh Stone (Jackson) pin Andrew Erxleben (Northwest-Cedar Hill) 2:35

220 -- Clay Darnell (Jackson) pin Christian Gillespie (Troy Buchanan) 1:48

Third-round wrestleback

120 -- Luke Weiland (Seckman) dec. Jake Byrd (Jackson) 5-0

138 -- Tyler Rush (Jackson) dec. Coulter Allen (Lee's Summit) 11-4

182 -- Jeffery Brock (Hazelwood East) dec. Josh Stone (Jackson) 12-5

220 -- Austin Reyes (Blue Springs) pin Clay Darnell (Jackson) 2:58

Class 3

Championship

Quarterfinals

HWT -- Bailey Sutko (Staley-Kansas City) pin Chris Bryant (Central) 7:30

Consolation

Second-round wrestleback

HWT -- Troy Carranco (Webb City) pin Chris Bryant (Central) 4:39

Class 2

Consolation

Second-round wrestleback

106 -- Noah Huff (Notre Dame) pin Maxwell Newbury (Lutheran South) 3:44

Third-round wrestleback

106 -- Drew Ditter (St. Charles West) maj. dec. Noah Huff (Notre Dame) 16-8

(Saturday)

Class 4

Consolation

138 -- Connor Flynn (Francis) dec. (Tyler Rush (Jackson) 11-4

Fifth place

138 -- Tyler Rush (Jackson) dec. Todd Magoon (Waynewsville) 8-3

Championship

106 -- Sean Hosford (Park Hill) pin Jarrett Reisenbichler (Jackson) 1:51