Spray, Gerdes advance to state wrestling championships for Cougars

Cougars finish 12th overall during D1-2 meet

Sandy Creek juniors Josh Spray and Jackson Gerdes will represent the Cougar wrestling team at the 2026 Nebraska State High School boys wrestling championships this week in Omaha, as both finished in the top four of their respective weight classes to advance.

Spray and Gerdes combined for 14 of Sandy Creek 45 team points in the process, as Spray claimed second place in the 190-pound weight class, while Gerdes placed fourth in the 175-pound class.

As a team, Sandy Creek placed 12th overall with their 45 team points. Winning the D1-2 District team title was Plainview, as they outscored second place Southern 160.5148.5.

SPRAY IS 2ND

For Spray, he advanced to the championship match with a pair of pinfall wins over Miles Kohmetcher of Kenesaw and over Southern’s Carsen Goes.

Spray pinned Kohmetcher in 2:19, and finished off Goes in 3:27.

In the title match, however, Bertrand’s Brayden Evans earned a 1:32 pinfall win over Spray to land the Cougar junior in second place.

Spray stands with a 31-17 record, and will open his run at the state meet with a first round match against Lukes Allen of Crawford, who owns a 35-18 record.

GERDES TAKES 4TH

For Gerdes, he opened with a pair of wins in the 175-pound class, pinning Cris Kneifl of Hartington/ Newcastle in just 50 seconds, then earned a 3:54 pinfall win over Ainsworth’s Easton McMillin.

In the third round, however, Gerdes ran into Joseph Ducker of Arcadia/Loup City, with Ducker pinning Gerdes in 2:34 to send him into the consolation bracket’s “heartbreak round.”

In the consolation semifinals, Gerdes secured a trip to Omaha with a 2:56 pinfall win over Ravenna’s Jack Kucera.

In the battle for third place, Gerdes fell Anselmo-Merna’s Jackson Christen in 39 seconds to place fourth overall.

Gerdes, standing at 31-19 on the year, will take on Sutton’s Griffin Bergen in the first round. Bergen owns a

32-3 record going into the Class D state meet.

FALLING SHORT

Four other Cougars earned wins in Elm Creek, but fell short of advancing to the state meet, including Caden Trollope, Owen Spray, Luke Soucie, and Jonas Amos.

Trollope, wrestling in the

132-pound class, was 1-2 during the tournament with his win coming by way of a

13-6 decision over Shaedyn Schreiner of Sumner-Eddyville- Miller.

Owen Spray’s lone win in three matches in the

138-pound class was a 2:44 pinfall win over Ravenna’s Mason Lewis.

Soucie, wrestling in the

215-pound class, also went

1-2 in the meet, gaining a 3:55 pinfall win over Kelby Ludeke of Southern Valley.

For Amos, in the 285-pound class, he also gained one win in three matches, earning a

50-second pinfall win over Ravenna’s Jesse Washington.

Brockett Reed (120) and Embry Frazier (126) fell short of a win in Elm Creek.

TEAM SCORES: Plainview 160.5, Southern

148.5, Twin Loup 115, Elm Creek 114.5, Ravenna

112, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 89, East Butler

75.5, Arcadia/Loup City 65.5, Bertrand 61.5, Southern Valley 58, Hartington/Newcastle 47, Sandy Creek

45, Palmer 42.5, Ainsworth 42, Anselmo-Merna 39, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 36, Kenesaw 25.5, Hastings St. Cecilia 19.5, Alma 19, Axtell 17.5, Lawrence-Nelson

6.5, Ansley-Litchfield 2.