By Fred Kroner
For the sixth consecutive year, a wrestler from the Oakwood/Salt Fork program competed in a Class 1A state championship match.
After three wins by decision to reach the finals on Saturday (Feb 17) at the UI State Farm Center, senior Bryson Capansky placed second at 157 pounds.
In his first-round bout, Capansky won 10-7 in a match that was tied, 6-6, until he scored a takedown with 20 seconds remaining.
In the quarterfinals, Capansky broke a 3-3 deadline with a third-period escape and made it stand up in a 4-3 win against an opponent he had split two matches with during the regular season.
In the semifinals, he recorded a 9-6 victory.
“He minimized his mistakes and kept finding ways to win,” Comet coach John Glosser said. “A couple weeks before regionals, he wasn’t wrestling his best and needed to figure it out.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how he responded.’’
He fell behind, 11-1, in the title match and was pinned in 3:23.
The Oakwood/Salt Fork streak of state finalists started in 2019.
The list of the other recent athletes who wrestled for a state title:
2019, Mason Ajster was second at 160 pounds;
2020, Gage Reed was first at 113 pounds;
2021, (COVID tournament and was sponsored by the IWCOA and not the IHSA), Joe Lashuay was first at 160 pounds;
2022, Joe Lashuay was second at 160 pounds;
2023, Reef Pacot was second at 145 pounds.
Capansky has a 43-7 overall record. He was one of seven Comets who qualified for state and one of three who returned home as medalists.
“It was a roller-coaster week, but you can’t really be disappointed when all three seniors come out with medals,” Glosser said.
The Comets’ other placers were Grant Brewer (150 pounds) and Dalton Brown (175 pounds). They each captured sixth in Class 1A.
Brewer started out with narrow 4-3 and 6-5 decisions to reach the semifinals before suffering losses in his final three state bouts. He has a 41-6 overall record.
Brown went 3-3 at state, including pins in 1:38 and 5:20. His other win was by a 4-3 score.
In his state-opener, Brown dropped an 8-5 decision and had to work his way through wrestlebacks in order to earn a medal.
“To lose your first match can be heartbreaking and it takes a mentally tough kid who believes in himself (to come back),” Glosser said. “He was a leader for the entire weekend. Failure is not an option for him at times.”
Brewer was an unlikely success story after sitting out his entire junior year while recovering from back surgery.
“When he broke his back two years ago, sports was not an option,” Glosser said. “We told him, ‘It’s a blessing you are wrestling.’
“Nothing was going to stop him. He lived at the gym and proved he’s a pretty special kid.”
Brewer has a 41-6 record. Brown’s overall record is 44-8.
Two other Comets won matches at state.
Junior Brayden Edwards was 1-2 at 113 pounds. His win was by pin in 32 seconds.
Junior Pedro Rangel was also 1-2 at 132 pounds. His win was by a 7-0 decision. Rangel has a team-best 45-7 season record.
Edwards’ record is 34-15.
“They both kept progressing every day and I feel like we will be talking about them next season,” Glosser said. ‘’They’re motivated and they just have to stay hungry.’’
The team’s other state qualifiers were freshmen, Steven Uden (113 pounds) and Jamison Chambliss (190 pounds). Uden has a 31-18 record and Chambliss is 24-7.
Oakwood/Salt Fork (28-2) will return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 20) in the dual-meet team sectional finals at Benton against Roxana. The winner will qualify for state, which will be held on Feb. 23-24 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
The Comets were ranked third in the state’s final Class 1A state poll. Roxana was ranked fifth.
“It’s a fun draw and our kids are up for the challenge,” Glosser said. “They are enjoying the ride and are ready to go.
“This is a pretty tight-knit family atmosphere.”
