COLUMBIA - It was down to the final :11 of regulation.
Helias junior Aleksey Salaz had just been whistled for a stalling call and the penalty point tied his match Thursday night against Josh Copher of Webb City in the Class 3 wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena. On the restart, Salaz was going to start from the top position.
"I figured just put (Copher) on his nose and get it to overtime," Helias coach Weston Keleher said.
Salaz had another idea, somehow working Copher onto his back for a win by fall as time expired.
"Aleksey is always dangerous in the top position," Keleher said.
Salaz's win at 126 pounds was one of five for the Crusaders, who went 5-0 on the opening day of the championships.
"I thought we could do this in the first round, it took some huge matches to do it," Keleher said. "It was a great showing today, the kids were treating this like it was any other tournament."
Salaz trailed 2-0 after the first period and 6-2 after two. He got a takedown in the opening seconds of the third period to make it 6-4, then worked Copher on his back for a set of nearfall points to take a 7-6 lead with a little more than a minute remaining.
Salaz then kept Copher on the mat in an attempt to run out the clock. But the stall call tied the match.
"That was a bit of a questionable call," Keleher said.
Copher sat out on the restart and Salaz was able to work him into a cradle and pick up the win by fall as time expired.
"(Salaz) fought through some adversity to get that win," Keleher said.
That was one of two tight victories for the Crusaders in the opening round.
At 160, Dustin Luebbert picked up a 6-5 win in overtime against Colt Adkins of Lebanon.
Luebbert had the lone takedown of the first period and led 2-1 before Adkins came back to tie the match at 3 with one period remaining. Adkins got an early escape to take the lead before Luebbert got a takedown with :45 left to take a 5-4 lead.
Adkins then got another escape to send the match to overtime tied at 5.
Luebbert picked up the victory when Adkins was whistled for a penalty point for an illegal move.
"Dustin battled to get that win," Keleher said.
Gavin Adams got the Crusaders off to a good start Thursday, winning 12-2 against Ettien Rodgers of Hazelwood East.
Adams gave up a takedown in the first :20, then came back to take a 3-2 lead after one period.
"He didn't look much like Gavin, I think he had some jitters," Keleher said. "But he fought through it and got the win."
Adams got a pair of nearfall points along with a reversal in the second period to lead 10-2.
Evan Winder of the Crusaders began his bid for a fourth state medal in style, winning by fall in :31 against Devin Francis of DeSoto at 132.
"He finished it quick," Keleher said. "He's in a great state of mind right now, he's going to be a bad draw for some people in this tournament."
Jackson Careaga got Helias' other victory, winning by fall in 1:56 against Brent Wielms of Warrenton.
"Jackson is a man on a mission," Keleher said.
With five Crusaders advancing to this afternoon's quarterfinals, the first round went about as well as it could for Helias.
"It means we're doing something right, me, the staff, the program," Keleher said.
The quarterfinal round begins at 1:30 p.m. today.
"We're just going to come out and try to keep it going," Keleher said.
The semifinals and third-round of wrestlebacks will follow the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. today.
The third- and fifth-place matches will be around noon Saturday, with the championship bouts set for a 4 p.m. start.