With the Class C District 1 wrestling meet on the horizon, Central City's Bison wrestlers are poised for a pivotal moment that could propel them to the NSAA State Wrestling Championships in Omaha. Among the contenders, Dalton Lovejoy, Dylan Lovejoy, Tristan Burbach, Bryce Kunz, and Riley Lavene have their sights set not just on qualifying but on making significant strides at the state level. Tristan seeks to defend his state champion title, and Bryce aims to repeat as a state medalist.

"I was very happy with the effort of our team at State Duals," says Bison head coach Darin Garfield. "We had a tough first round draw with Broken Bow, but bounced back to win two big duals.  A top 5 finish in Class C is a true testament to the quality of team we have from top to bottom of our lineup. I feel that we are peaking at the right time.  The guys are excited for districts.  We feel that we have put in the work to see a lot of success at the District tournament.  We will be ready!"

Here's an updated breakdown for each of Central City's competitors, factoring in their ambitions and the formidable opponents they face, along with our R-N Sports projection of the top four finishers in each weight class. Take those with a grain of salt, but we thought we would give it a try.

106 lbs - Dalton Lovejoy (31-10)

• Grade: 11
• Season Summary: Dalton Lovejoy has had a strong season with a commendable record. In his weight class, key competitors include Eli Kult from Yutan (37-2) and Brock Goebel from Syracuse (37-5), signaling tough matches ahead. Lovejoy's experience and record suggest he's prepared for the challenge. We look for him to punch his ticket back to Omaha and know that if he wrestles at his best he will be tough to beat in this bracket.

• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Eli Kult (Yutan)
  2. Brock Goebel (Syracuse)
  3. Dalton Lovejoy (Central City)
  4. Peyton Welsh (Louisville)

113 lbs - Dylan Lovejoy (29-13)

Grade: 11

Season Summary: Dylan, competing in a challenging weight class, has amassed a significant number of wins. Cody Barton of Malcolm (32-3), Colter Sinn of Thayer Central (24-6) and Carter Wander of Syracuse (33-13) represent his stiffest competition. Hunter Brunkhorst (31-8) of Scotus will also be in the mix as this one appears to have five solid challengers.  Dylan's consistent performance this season shows he's ready for the district meet, but he will certainly have to be at the top of his game.

• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Cody Barton (Malcolm)
  2. Colter Sinn (Thayer Central)
  3. Dylan Lovejoy (Central City)
  4. Carter Wander (Syracuse)

• 120 lbs - Harley Senkbile (2-22)
• Grade: 10
• Season Summary: Harley has faced a tough season but the district meet offers a chance for redemption. With competitors like Kobe Micek of Scotus Central Catholic (31-12) and Owen Vondra of Elkhorn Valley (28-6), advancing will be a steep hill to climb.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Owen Vondra (Elkhorn Valley)
  2. Kobe Micek (Scotus Central Catholic)
  3. Aiden Wedekind (Louisville)
  4. Tristan Sisco (Syracuse)

• 126 lbs - Degan Elton (19-16)
• Grade: 12
• Season Summary: Degan has a balanced record this season. He'll face fierce contenders like Robbie Fisher from Crofton/Bloomfield (38-1) and Cole Spahr from Tri County (41-0), marking significant hurdles to overcome. One thing we know is that you can never count Degan out and that is why we are boldly predicting something crazy will happen and he is your surprise state qualifier.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Robbie Fisher (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  2. Cole Spahr (Tri County)
  3. Devin Nuttelman (Cross County/Osceola)
  4. Degan Elton (Central City)

• 132 lbs - Parker Zikmund (26-15)
• Grade: 10
• Season Summary: Parker has shown promise with a solid record. His primary challenges could come from Mason Nitz of Elkhorn Valley (35-4) while Carter Auten and Carson McLaughlin bring a solid season and experience to the table.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Mason Nitz (Elkhorn Valley)
  2. Carter Auten (Red Cloud/Blue Hill)
  3. Carson McLaughlin (Thayer Central)
  4. Parker Zikmund (Central City)

• 138 lbs - Kaden Lavene (14-27)
• Grade: 9
• Season Summary: Kaden, despite a challenging season, looks to make an impact at districts. He will need to navigate through opponents like Braeden Guenther of Crofton/Bloomfield (24-9) and Otto Henkel of Yutan (27-12) for a chance at state. We are yet to see the best from Lavene in his freshman campaign. With a wide-open weight class, we could see him making a deep run and hopefully proving us wrong.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Braeden Guenther (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  2. Otto Henkel (Yutan)
  3. Merreck France (Louisville)
  4. Isaac Eckert (Elkhorn Valley)

• 144 lbs - Tristan Burbach (38-0)
• Grade: 12
• Season Summary: Tristan stands out with an unbeaten record, making him a top contender. Mavrick Hagemann of Elkhorn Valley (38-2) and Niklas Sorensen of Louisville (21-6) are among his top competitors, setting the stage for intense matches.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Tristan Burbach (Central City)
  2. Mavrick Hagemann (Elkhorn Valley)
  3. Niklas Sorensen (Louisville)
  4. Max Egr (Yutan)

• 150 lbs - Isaiah Davis (19-21)
• Grade: 11
• Season Summary: Isaiah has faced a tough season but remains a fighter. He'll be up against Kaleb Kult of Yutan (38-4) and Brenden Bolling of Pierce (37-3), indicating tough battles ahead in a competitive field.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Jesse Kult (Yutan)
  2. Brenden Bolling (Pierce)
  3. Tieran Cox (Syracuse)
  4. Gavyn Houston (Tri County)

• 157 lbs - Bryce Kunz (37-3)
• Grade: 11
• Season Summary: Bryce has had an impressive season, positioning him well for the district meet. Key matchups may include Bricen Wilkie of Malcolm (36-4) and Dayton Kremer of EMF (33-7), promising thrilling contests.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Bryce Kunz (Central City)
  2. Bricen Wilkie (Malcolm)
  3. James Kansteiner (Conestoga)
  4. Dayton Kremer (EMF)

• 165 lbs - Corbin Kyes (20-20)
• Grade: 10
• Season Summary: Corbin has had a balanced season. He faces formidable foes in Wyatt Tramp of Crofton/Bloomfield (41-0) and Cy Petersen of Syracuse (43-3), highlighting the competitive nature of his weight class. It is a top-heavy weight class, but we feel it still shapes up well for Kyes to wrestler in a third-place match.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Wyatt Tramp (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  2. Cy Petersen (Syracuse)
  3. Trevis Halsey (Elkhorn Valley)
  4. Corbin Kyes (Central City)

175 lbs - Josiah Davis (12-21)

Grade: 11

Season Summary: Josiah has had a challenging season but looks to turn things around at districts. Competitors like Dylan Williams of Thayer Central (35-10) and Brock Jeannoutot of Crofton/Bloomfield (32-11) stand in his way. Davis will have to make great strides to keep his season alive.

• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Brock Jeannoutot (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  2. Dylan Williams (Thayer Central)
  3. Mason Serkiz (Conestoga)
  4. Kaiden Fritz (Pierce)

• 190 lbs - Colbyn Peters (36-6)
• Grade: 9
• Season Summary: Colbyn has had a standout freshman year. With Jake Hodson of Red Cloud/Blue Hill (37-3) and Cooper Stokebrand of Tri County (36-6) as key rivals, he's in for some tough matches. Peters will have to be ready for the biggest moment of his high school career, but he is a kid who has wrestled in big moments across the land.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Jake Hodson (Red Cloud/Blue Hill)
  2. Colbyn Peters (Central City)
  3. Cooper Stokebrand (Tri County)
  4. Nate Burd (Thayer Central)

• 215 lbs - Trey Urban (16-17)
• Grade: 10
• Season Summary: Trey has had a season of ups and downs. His main challenges will likely come from Casey Jeannoutot of Crofton/Bloomfield (35-8), Cole Vonderstasse (Thayer Central) and Cael Washburn of Tri County (35-8), making for a competitive weight class. The fourth spot in this bracket is wide open and we look for Trey to put together a solid run on the backside of the bracket.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Casey Jeannoutot (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  2. Cole Vorderstrasse (Thayer Central)
  3. Cael Washburn (Tri County)
  4. Trey Urban (Central City)

• 285 lbs - Riley Lavene (27-13)
• Grade: 11
• Season Summary: Riley has demonstrated solid performance throughout the season. He will face formidable opponents such as Hunter Holle of Syracuse (26-21) and Owen Kuchar of Crofton/Bloomfield (24-18), indicating exciting matchups ahead. Lavene holds a win over Kuchar this season and we think if he wrestles to his ability, he can win it all with smart match strategy.
• Projection for Top Four:
  1. Hunter Holle (Syracuse)
  2. Riley Lavene (Central City)
  3. Owen Kuchar (Crofton/Bloomfield)
  4. James Bonar (Thayer Central)

Tomorrow’s action at Thayer Central High School in Hebron is sure to bring with it plenty of excitement and drama. It will be a day full of triumph and heartbreak as for some a dream is realized while others watch a dream slip away. It should be a great day for the Bison as they are set up well to send 7-10 wrestlers to Omaha. Our bold prediction is that ten Bison grapplers punch their ticket, but only time will tell. Be sure to follow our social media for up to date recounts of the action and be sure to pick up next week’s newspaper for the rest of the story.