OVERLAND PARK — Maize is closing in on history. 

The Eagles took a commanding step toward their first Class 6A state championship Friday at the AdventHealth Sports Park, building a sizeable lead after the semifinal round of the state wrestling tournament. Maize sits atop the team standings with 188.5 points, well ahead of Washburn Rural (143) and two-time defending champion Manhattan (115). 

After winning the Class 5A title in 2023, the Eagles are now on the brink of their first crown at the state’s largest classification — and they have the firepower to finish the job. 

Maize will send seven wrestlers into Saturday night’s championship finals, half of the 14 title matches, and still has four more alive on the back side to add valuable placement points. 

Leading the charge are three defending state champions in Cooper Smith (113), Antonio Guebara (132) and Everett Joyce (190). All three remain on track for back-to-back titles. 

Smith, who won at 106 a year ago, rolled into the 113-pound final with a 15-0 technical fall over Gardner-Edgerton’s Griffyn Fisher. He will meet Washburn Rural’s Andrew Peterson in Saturday’s final. 

Guebara turned in one of the most dominant performances of the night, scoring an 18-0 technical fall over Derby’s Emilio Gauna to advance. Awaiting him is Blue Valley West’s Henry White in a marquee showdown between returning state champions. White, last year’s 126-pound champion, pinned Wichita-East’s Jordan Noble in 2:03 to set up the 132-pound clash. 

 

Joyce, the lone undefeated wrestler in Class 6A at 42-0, continued his march at 190 pounds with a 21-4 technical fall over Olathe West’s Quaid Lent. The defending champion will square off with Free State’s Zane Shaw in the finals. 

Maize’s depth was on full display throughout the semifinals. 

At 106, Zachary Siatka pinned Manhattan’s Franke Force in just 58 seconds to reach the final opposite Wichita-East’s Enrique Tellez. Tucker Verbeck (126) earned a 4-1 decision over Blue Valley’s Kai Hedgecock and will face Garden City’s Zachary Long. Vincent Rosas (138) added a 17-1 technical fall, while Talon Verbeck (144) secured a fall in 1:53 to reach the championship bout. 

Washburn Rural remains within striking distance thanks to five finalists of its own. 

Peterson (113), Ryder Harrison (120), Cooper Stivers (138), Landen Kocher-Munoz (144) and Jadyn Baum (215) all advanced, keeping the Junior Blues in the team hunt. Kocher-Munoz, a two-time state champion, delivered a 16-1 technical fall in the 144 semifinals and will meet Talon Verbeck in a pivotal head-to-head matchup that could swing significant team points. 
 

Harrison needed just 41 seconds to pin Maize’s Reese DeMoss at 120, while Stivers stuck Olathe North’s Jaxson Scott late in the third period at 138. 

Manhattan, chasing a third straight team title, will lean on its star power Saturday. 

All eyes will be on 150-pounder Caeleb Hutchinson as he attempts to become a four-time state champion. Hutchinson, who has claimed titles at 106, 120 and 132 the past three seasons, cruised to a 15-0 technical fall over Blue Valley’s Collin Meuret in the semifinals. He’ll face Gardner-Edgerton’s Roman Clouse in the final. 

 

The Indians also have Max Evans-Pryor (175) and Kadin Dibbini (215) wrestling for championships. Evans-Pryor dominated with a 19-2 technical fall, while Dibbini needed just 1:10 to secure a semifinal pin. 

Saturday’s finals also feature a high-profile heavyweight matchup between Olathe West’s Brayden Shin and Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Steven Brown, who improved to 52-3 with a 9-1 major decision in the semifinals. It will be a rematch of last week’s regional final in which Shin won in overtime.  

Wrestling resumes at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the boys finals matches will begin at 138 pounds.