Saturday night was a fairytale ending for 11 seniors and even more so for now three-time state champion Mason Wallace.

“The moment is indescribable,” Wallace said. “All of the work you put in pays off. We came together as a team and lived our dreams, we made them come true as a team.”

Manhattan High wrestling achieved their ultimate goal, scoring 170 points to win state, their first since 2012. Out of the 11 qualified wrestlers, nine placed for the Indians, gifting them crucial points to come on top. Wallace and junior Jalin Harper captured their individual state titles in order to finalize the Indians’ name as state champion.  

“We all knew that we needed bonus points wherever we could get them,” Harper said. “We made it our goal to get them.”

In his last tournament representing Manhattan, Wallace brought home gold for himself at 145-pound division, and more importantly lead his team to a state title.     

“There was no strategy,” Wallace said. “We just won the big matches where it counted most. We rose to the occasion.”

Harper, who won state at 152-pound division, came out on top after finishing both second and third in previous years.

“My finals match did not go how I intended,” Harper said. “But in the end a win is a win so I am happy.”

Sophomore 132-pounder Bubba Wilson and senior 160-pounder Zephry Killham both placed second.  Seniors Eldon Picou (285), Joe Braun (126) and Devin Norris (138) finished third, fourth and fifth respectively in their weight classes.

“Many of us came up from kids wrestling together since we were 4-5 years old and our dream was to win the state title,” Norris said. “Last year we were so close but didn’t quite get it and this really focused us to push ourselves even further. Accomplishing this dream felt amazing, seeing all our hard work these four years finally pay off.”

Sophomore 106-pounder Tate Sauder finished fourth. Finishing off the Indians effort came junior 126-pounder Abraham Sanchez, who undefeated through the first two matches on his bracket, separated his shoulder which resulted in a sixth place finish.  

“I lost in the semis but I was up 2-0 on a kid I should have beat,” Sanchez said. “After that I got hurt and had to injury default.”

A sweeter goodbye could not be desired for the seniors leaving the program, and for those, like Norris, who have participated and wrestled with the same group since childhood, the goodbye includes special moments.  

“My favorite memory of the tournament was my last match,” Norris said. “I was going for fifth and sixth place. I was losing the entire match but I finally managed to tie it up and take it into overtime. And in my mind I kept telling myself this is your last high school match you have to win. And in overtime I took my opponent down and won”  

The Indians, though their season is over, won’t forget their experience nor their team.  

“We have been wrestling since we were four years old and to finally win a state championship the last year,” Wallace said. “We went out with a bang.”