After a day full of wrestling, Manhattan High headed to knock down more pins with cosmic bowling to celebrate being Centennial League champions for the fourth year in a row.

“It was an amazing experience,” freshman Easton Taylor said. “Not just winning the individual title but the team title.”

Manhattan had nine wrestlers go into the finals, thus including Taylor; juniors Tate Sauder and Daron Island-Jones; freshman Blaisen Bammes; and seniors Bubba Wilson, Christian Schlepp, Robert Houston, Stephen White and Jake Mitchell. Eight of those came home with first place individually.

Going into the finals, Manhattan was trailing at second place behind Washburn Rural 212.5-214. While they had nine finalists, Washburn had ten which meant there were six head to head matches against the Topeka team. Taylor (113) won with a technical fall, Sauder (120) won with a fall, Bammes (132) beat his match up with a fall, White (182) won by sudden victory, Houston (195) fell by tie breaker and Schlepp (220) won by fall, all against WRHS. Mitchell (138) won over Seaman by fall, Island-Jones (152) beat his Junction City opponent by decision, Wilson (160) won by fall over Seaman. With a lot of fight the boys came out on top to secure their win, 256-235.

“It was awesome because they were all excited,” Taylor said. “Then we just kept winning and the score got out of reach and we pulled away.”

The whole team dominated the mats all day long at Washburn High. Freshman Janzten Borge (106) got fourth, junior Daron Island-Jones (145) received third, senior Quincy Saddler (170) won third and sophomore Damion llalio (285) placed third.

As well as being on top as a team and individually, there were other awards received. After beating the state champion from last year, White got league newcomer and league outstanding wrestler.

For the senior class this was a special day also. They have never lost league in their four years and don’t show signs of letting up on the competition.

“[Our goal is] to dominate state,” Wilson said. “And not only win but to blow everyone out of the water, not even make it close.”