Jays' Backues will earn state medal at 220

Will Kuster of Jefferson City flips David Brookes of Staley during their 145-pound match Friday in the Class 4 state championships at Mizzou Arena.
Will Kuster of Jefferson City flips David Brookes of Staley during their 145-pound match Friday in the Class 4 state championships at Mizzou Arena.

COLUMBIA - Brandon Backues of Jefferson City will earn a medal after advancing Friday night at the Class 4 state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena.

Backues, a junior, advanced to today's medal round by going 2-0 in his matches Friday at 220 pounds.

Backues defeated Jared Neel of Staley by fall in 2:14 in his second-round wrestleback match before winning 3-0 against Marco Perla of Marquette in the third round.

Backues (38-6) will compete in the fourth round of wrestlebacks, which begin at 9:30 a.m today. He will then wrestle for third- or fifth-place in a round scheduled to begin at noon.

He will be the lone Jay to medal in the state championships as five other Jefferson City wrestlers were eliminated Friday.

At 113, Garrett Butel went 1-2 in his matches Friday.

Butel fell 5-0 to James Honfield of Lindbergh in the quarterfinals before defeating Wyatt Snyder 5-2 in the second round of wrestlebacks. Butel then lost 13-1 to Eric Lovelace of Francis Howell in the third round of wrestlebacks.

Butel, 2-2 at state, ends his senior season at 32-12.

At 132, Clayton Hurley lost by fall to Sam Schultz of Chaminade in the second round of wrestlebacks. Hurley, a freshman, was 1-2 at state and 28-16 for the season.

At 145, Will Kuster was 1-2 on Friday. He lost his quarterfinal match 5-3 to David Brooks of Staley before beating Joshua Simmons of Franis Howell North by technical fall in the second round of wrestlebacks.

Kuster then lost by fall to Garner Homan of Jackson in the third round of wrestlebacks Friday night.

Kuster, a junior, was 2-2 at state and 36-8 on the season.

At 152, Sam Rackers went 1-1 on Friday. He defeated Triston Jones of Lee's Summit North 3-2 in the second round of wrestlebacks before falling 6-4 to Michael Cassidy of Waynesville in the next round.

Rackers, a junior, was 2-2 at state. He finished with a record of 36-11.

At 160, Will Berendzen lost two matches Friday. He lost by fall to undefeated Cory Peterson of DeSmet in the quarterfinals, then fell 10-4 to Josh Newton of Fort Osage in the wrestlebacks.

Berendzen was 1-2 at state and ends his freshman season with a record of 30-7.

Jefferson City is 19th in the team standings with 27.5 points C.B.C. leads going into the final day with 132, followed by Park Hill (124.5), Liberty (119.5) and Staley (116).