Sheppard takes silver at conference

Jaxon Sheppard paced four placers for Kingfisher at last weekend’s Western Conference Wrestling Tournament at the APB.

Sheppard was not only the lone wrestler from Kingfisher - but the entire county - to reach a championship match in the high school ranks.

A sophomore, Sheppard was the silver medalist at 132 pounds.

He got a decision (9-3 over James Lockhart of Watonga), a major decision (12-0 against Tristan Cash Cardenas of Clinton) and another decision (9-2 over Colton Mills of Newkirk) on his way to the championship.

Once there, Sheppard, a 3A state qualifier as a freshman at 126 pounds last year, was defeated 12-5 by Jace Lillie of Oklahoma Christian School.

Sheppard scored 19 of Kingfisher’s 70 points. The Jackets were 10th out of 27 total teams at the tournament, 22 of which scored points.

Lillie is a returning state qualifier at 132 pounds, where he went 2-2 in last year’s state bracket.

Ryker Long went 3-2 at 215 pounds and Jose Santoyo did the same at 285. Both KHS seniors placed fifth.

Fellow senior Mason Alig was sixth at 175 pounds.

Hennessey placed 15th with 46 points and Cashion was one spot and three points behind the Eagles.

The Wildcats had a pair of bronze medalists as Cale Browning was third at 113 pounds and Matthew Stockton, a returning state qualifier, did the same at 285.

Hennessey had a pair of placers as well as Westyn Hopkins placed fourth at 120 pounds and Kason Scruggs fourth at 132.