Coming into the 2026 Nebraska State High School wrestling championships, the Sandy Creek duo of Josh Spray and Jackson Gerdes had claimed a district runner-up finish for Spray and a fourthplace district medal for Gerdes, but both fell short of earning state meet hardware.
SPRAYWINS 2 OF 4 MATCHES Spray’s run in the 190-pound weight class started off with a big 3:04 pinfall win over Crawford’s Lukes Allen.
Allen claimed the early lead with a three-point takedown, but by the end of the first period, Spray led 6-3 behind an escape, a takedown, and a two-point nearfall.
Spray then built up an 11-3 lead before pinning Allen at the 3:04 mark of the match to advance to the quarterfinals, where Spray ran into top-seeded Elijah Fjell of Shelby-Rising City.
Fjell worked his way to a 14-2 lead over Spray before a takedown ended the match with a 3:42 technical fall win for Fjell, sending the Cougar junior to the consolation bracket.
Spray, after trailing 4-2 midway through the third period against Hunter Svehla of EMF, came to life with a penalty point, combined with a three-point takedown and a four-point nearfall, Spray gained a 10-4 win to advance to the third round of the consolation bracket, where a win would earn Spray state hardware.
Unfortunately for Spray, his weekend was cut short, as Wauneta-Palisade’s Kreyton Wiese recorded a 4:06 tech fall win over Spray, ending the Cougar junior’s season with a 33-19 record.
GERDES GOES 1-2
Gerdes’ weekend in the 175-pound weight class began with an extremely difficult challenger in Sutton’s Griffin Bergen.
Sandy Creek junior Josh Spray takes on Crawford’s Lukes Allen in the first round of the 190-pound weight class, a match won by Spray with a 3:04 pin. Spray just missed a trip to the medal round, falling one match short of medal contention in Omaha. COURTESY PHOTO BY JEROMY VAUBLE | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
Bergen earned a 15-second pin over the Sandy Creek junior to send Gerdes into the consolation bracket, while Bergen went on to claim the 175-pound state title Saturday night in Omaha.
In the consolation first round, Gerdes made quick work of Mullen’s Cooper Walker, claiming a 19-second pinfall win to advance to the second round consolation round.
A high scoring dual between Gerdes and Anselmo-Merna’s Jackson Christen would produce a 17-10 win for Christen to oust Gerdes from the tournament, as the Cougar junior ended his season with a 32-21 record.
TEAM SCORES: 1. Plainview 100, 2. Burwell 95.5, 3. Aquinas Catholic 77.5, 3. Shelby-Rising City 77.5, 5. Elm Creek 77, 6. Amherst 70.5, 7. Loomis 66, 8. Southern 60.5, 9. Hitchcock County 53, 9. Mullen 53, 11. Neligh-Oakdale 51, 12. Central Valley 49, 13. Twin River 46, 14. Sutton 39. Other area teams: 48. Sandy Creek 8, 63. EMF 1.
Sandy Creek junior Josh Spray battles it out with EMF wrestler Hunter Svehla in a consolation round match Friday, Feb. 20. Spray one the match 10-4. COURTESY PHOTO BY JEROMY VAUBLE | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
