A Warrior first: Depler places at state wrestling tournament
Sixth-place finish gives Depler a medal
Sports reporter
Marion High School junior wrestler Adam Depler won his first two matches Friday at the state wrestling tournament in Hays, assuring him a medal match.
Despite losses in the next three rounds, Depler took home the sixth-place medal in the 189-lb. weight class, becoming the first MHS wrestler ever to do so.
It was bittersweet for Depler and his coaches Chad Adkins and Sean Spoonts, because after Depler recorded pins in his first two matches, he was in a great position to wrestle in the championship match.
"We were really happy with just placing," Adkins said. "But like him we knew he should have been up higher on the podium. What it does is prove to him he can do it."
Even Depler himself was disappointed, but still was happy to come away with a medal.
"I was excited," he said. "But I thought it was going to be a lot tougher to medal."
To Depler's credit it was tough. And according to Adkins he responded to the tough competition as well as he could have.
His first match was against Burlington's Kyle Manwaring and his 30-4 record. Depler didn't seem intimidated and came from behind early to force overtime. Just 56 seconds into the extra session, Depler sent Marnwaring to his back and pinned him to move on to the second round.
As Depler noted, everyone at state is top caliber and his opponents were no exceptions.
Up next was Osborne's Dustin Spears, who was 25-2. Once again Depler trailed, but he caught Spears slipping at the right moment and sent him to his back as well with a pin in 3 minutes 52 seconds.
His semifinal match-up pitted him against eventual runner-up Justin Hall of Stockton. At just 14-9 Hall didn't boast a great record, but his resume so far was good. He upset two higher seeds, before wrestling Depler.
Unfortunately for Marion, Hall didn't stop there, defeating Depler 6-3 and sending him to the loser's bracket.
There Depler would lose his next two matches, including a rematch with Spears for fifth place.
Despite not accomplishing the ultimate goal, Depler represented his school well, and went down in the record books as the first Warrior wrestler to place in the top at the state meet.
The good thing for Depler and his coaches is he will be back on the mat again for his senior year next winter.
"It was real exciting," Depler said. "It gives me another challenge for next year."
Depler finished the season at 24-12, and first on the team with 17 pins.
