COLUMBIA, Mo. - Wrestling is a funny thing: In the space of one day you can be thrilled with a sixth-place finish and heartbroken with a second-place result.
That was the scenario for the Blair Oaks Falcons in the Class 1 state tournament on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Early in the day, Chance Cumpton locked up a sixth-place finish at 285 pounds, which was an exciting occurrence. The day didn't end so hot when Frankie Falotico lost in the state championship match for the second straight year, following up last year's runner-up result at 126 with a second-place finish at 132 this time around.
"We're so proud of both of them," Blair Oaks coach Tim Karsten said.
Falotico was facing off with a familiar foe in Seneca's Jesse Rhoads. After a scoreless first period, Falotico started in the down position and got a reversal with :39 seconds left in the second. But Rhoads got a reversal of his own with :10 left to tie it heading to the final period.
Rhoads started down and eventually got a reversal with 8 seconds left, then added three near-fall points as time expired for a 7-2 win.
"Frankie just slipped and it cost him," Karsten said.
It was a disappointing result for Falotico, who had beaten Rhoads 2-1 in a district championship match a week earlier.
"I always hate wrestling these guys three or four times," Karsten said. "They really learn your moves and they're motivated more when you keep beating them. It's a tough thing to wrestle them over and over and over again."
Karsten said one thing is for sure after the finish to Falotico's junior season.
"Frankie, this is what he does," Karsten said. "(Today) he'll start working for next year and he'll be back in the finals again.
"He has the commitment, he has the drive, he has the skill, but sometimes you still come up a little short. He'll now start working on that little bit extra for next year."
Cumpton, meanwhile, started the day by losing by fall to Whitfield's Robert Hawkins in the fourth round of wrestlebacks. The junior then defaulted due to injury in the fifth-place match.
"Chance took a chance with switching his weight class (being undersized at 285) and he did an outstanding job all the way through districts and then winning his first two here at state against the bigger guys to earn his medal," Karsten said. "Obviously the bigger guys started to get to him, and he ended up with a sprained ankle and we couldn't wrestle him anymore."
In his first trip to state, Cumpton ended up on the medals stand.
"He did an outstanding job to get a medal, it was completely unexpected," Karsten said. "I'm really happy for him."
Two other area wrestlers came up short in their bids for a state title.
Also in the Class 1 portion of the event, Fatima's Caleb Schroeder ended up with a second-place finish at 138 pounds. The junior lost by fall in the first period to Seneca senior Will Roark, who capped off a 53-0 season.
In Class 2, School of the Osage senior Chris Johnson lost 6-4 to Kirksville freshman Jarret Jacques.
Johnson struck first, getting a first-period takedown, but Jacques got a reversal to tie it. Jacques got a reversal in the second to lead 4-2, but Johnson tied it in the third with a reversal. Jacques then got the deciding points on a reversal.
Also on Saturday, Fatima's Cody Huhn split a pair of matches and finished fourth at 132 pounds. He started out with a 6-4 win in overtime against Adrian's Zachary Shannon in the fourth round of wrestlebacks, then lost 2-1 to Jimmie McFall of Lawson in the third-place match.
Also in Class 1, the Versailles Tigers had four wrestlers capture medals - one fourth, one fifth and two sixths.
Adam Guinn took fourth at 160 pounds. He opened Saturday with an 11-10 win against Lathrop's Dawson Beane before falling 9-3 to Whitfield's Kurtis Hahn in the third-place match.
Dalton Schmidt of the Tigers came in fifth at 145, dropping a 4-1 decision to Centralia's Jacob Gramke in the fourth-round wrestlebacks before topping Seneca's Taylor Cook in the fifth-place match.
Kooper Wilson dropped a pair of matches and finished sixth at 113 pounds. He opened the day with a 4-2 loss against Seneca's Dawson Stephens, then fell to Centralia's Andrew Newbrough in the fifth-place match.
Also going 0-2 on the day and finishing sixth was Dylan Ballew at 182 pounds. He lost 5-3 to Polo's Gunnar Martin and then dropped a 4-3 decision to Holden's Mason Hunt.
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