Graydee Rains’ state title leads record six GHS state medal count

Andon Allen, 5th place, 106 pounds

Ayden Wayne, 6th place, 126 pounds

Graydee Rains celebrates a semifinal victory over Lone Jack’s Justin Leath

Tom Crouse, 5th place, 160 pounds

Ross Critten, 3rd place, 120 pounds

Drayton Harris, 6th place, 170 pounds

Motivation may be found in many forms and in many places. Take, for example, the photo that has been hanging on the wall in the Gallatin High School wrestling room since the first practice in October.

Ever since Graydee Rains lost, 7-3, to Justin Leath of Lone Jack in last season’s Class 1, 220-pound third place match, he has been on a mission with the help of a photo from that match that showed Leath in celebration and a dejected Rains on his back on the mat.

Fast forward to last Friday’s Class 1, 220-pound semifinal match, Rains, 44-0, vs. Leath, 50-2, for a coveted spot in Saturday’s championship round.

The two veteran seniors battled for control with no scoring in the first period, but this time Rains was not to be denied a victory. Leath chose the bottom position to begin the second period and scored 2 points on a reversal and 2 more for a near fall. A tense “alligator roll” ended with Rains on top and scoring 4 points before winning the match by pin. Rains jumped to his feet and left a crestfallen Leath on the mat.

Rains would face long-bodied freshman Keith Miley, Whitfield, in the championship match. Rains grabbed a 5-0 lead, surrendered a reversal with 10 seconds left in the match and captured Gallatin’s fourth individual state title in the history of the program. Rains also set a new match win record for the Bulldog program of 173. His 45 victories this season were the most without a loss.

Gallatin’s record medal count also included a third place finish by Ross Critten (120), fifth place finishes by Andon Allen (106) and Tom Crouse (160) and sixth place finishes by Ayden Wayne (126) and Drayton Harris (170).

Critten’s only loss in the tournament came to 120-pound champion Logan Ferrero in the semifinal round. His 4-1 record included a 5-0 win against Seneca’s Clayton Swalley and 6-0 third place victory over Richmond’s Logan Claypole. Critten finished his junior season 41-5.

Allen lost to Knob Noster’s Sam Wilhelm on the front and back ends of the tournament but pulled out a 5-2 decision over Rock Port’s Ethan Wood for his medal. Allen’s freshman season ended at 37-7.

Crouse made it to the quarterfinal round before losing to eventual runnerup Chase Brock of Whitfield. The Bulldog junior won 3 of his last 4 matches, including a 2-0 decision over Plattsburg’s Klayton Kennedy for a medal. He finished 39-11 on the season.

Wayne finished 3-3 in the 126-pound class, including a 10-8 decision over Maysville’s Brendan Bertoncinco that put him in the medal round. Wayne’s showing also included losses of 9-2 and 2-0 to Wyatt Cooley of Father Tolton Regional Catholic. The Bulldog senior finished 33-10.

Harris’s tournament included some tough losses by decision. He won his first match, 8-0, but dropped his quarterfinal bout to Whitfield’s Zachary Russell, 6-4 in sudden victory. Harris knocked off his next opponent, 3-2, to assure himself a medal. A 5-4 ultimate tie-break loss to Lawson’s Dalton Cook, and 8-7 loss to Kyler Griep of Blair Oaks in the fifth place match, rounded out a grueling day for the GHS junior, who finished his junior season 45-4.

Rodell Sperry, who finished his freshman season 39-12, wrestled well in the 132-pound class but came up short in his medal quest. He pinned Berkeley’s Jynelle Evans in the opening round but lost a hard-fought 12-9 decision to Knob Noster’s Connor Johnston in the quarterfinals. Sperry defeated Higginsville’s Joey Livigne, 6-4, in a wrestleback but fell out of the tournament one win short of a medal when he lost, 5-4, in the final second to Lathrop’s Andrew Beane.

Senior Owen Schweizer dropped his opening match in the 152-pound class to eventual state champion Kolby Estes of Warsaw, defeated Brentwood’s Cody Hughes in the first wrestleback round but was eliminated in the next round by Lathrop’s Tyler Paul, who wound up sixth in state. Schweizer claimed a 23-8 record in his final season.

Jacob Maize also competed for the Bulldogs at state in the 145-pound weight class. The Bulldog sophomore wound up 27-21 in his second season.

With 92 points, Gallatin finished an all-time best sixth place in Class 1. Whitfield piled up 192 points, 66 better than second place Seneca, to win its fourth straight team title and sixth in the last 8 seasons.