Browning locks up state bid
KHS sophomore 5th at regional, now 2-time qualifier
GANT BROWNING, shown in action earlier this season in a home dual with Guthrie, took fifth at last week’s 3A regional to qualify for this week’s state tournament. [Photo by KHS Photography/www.KHSPhotgraphy.smugmug.com]
Gant Browning is making a return trip to the state wrestling tournament.
The Kingfisher High School sophomore secured his spot Saturday when he finished fourth at 113 pounds in the Class 3A west regional at Plainview.
He’ll be the lone KHS representative at state this year.
Browning will take to the mat at Friday’s 3A state tournament at State Fair Arena.
He’ll take on Mark Webb of Vinita in a wrestle-in match.
Webb was fifth in the east regional.
The Browning-Webb winner will then move to the main 113-pound bracket and face Checotah’s Colt Collett, the champion of the east regional, in the quarterfinal round.
Browning qualified at 106 pounds in Class 4A a year ago.
This year he opened up the 3A regional with wins over Samuel McAlister of Douglass and Gage Jessen of Comanche, pinning both.
The second win put him into the semifinal where he was defeated 10-5 by Aiden Godbehere of Blackwell.
Browning then secured his state spot by pinning Landon Shell of Pawnee in 3:40, which also put him into the third-place match.
There he was pinned by Plainview’s Hudson Hobbs in the third period.
Browning scored 18 of Kingfisher’s 44 points.
The Jackets tied for 12th in the team competition along with Lexington and Oklahoma Christian School.
Marlow won the regional title with 282.5. Blackwell was the runner-up with 250 and Comanche third with 245.
Cashion took 22nd with its 17 points and Hennessey was 25th with eight points.
Rhylee Toepfer scored five team points for the Jackets before being knocked out in the second consolation round of the 126-pound bracket.
Isaac Long (152 pounds), Jairo Velarde (160), Jose Santoyo (170) and Braxton Shellstrom (285) scored four points apiece.
Shellstrom, Toepfer and Long qualified for state a year ago.
Dalen Stock scored seven of Cashion’s points.
He reached the fifth consolation round at 145 pounds and was one win shy of wrestling for a spot in the state tournament.
Westyn Hopkins scored six points for Hennessey and reached the third consolation round.
Potential inclement weather required schedule changes at this year’s state tournament.
As of press time on Tuesday, the OSSAA had announced the following schedule:
State begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with the wres-tle-in matches. First-round matches will begin at 7 p.m.
The first round of consolation matches will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Championship semifinals are at 12:30 p.m. and the consolation semifinals at 2:45 p.m.
All medal matches start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.