Season Preview: 3A Boys

Last year, Blackwell ran away with the Class 3A state title, crowning six state champions and breaking the Class 3A State Tournament scoring record by 15 points.  With three state champions returning along with two runners-up and a Fargo All-American, Blackwell is the early favorite to win this year’s title.  Salina returns a strong group with tons of State Tournament experience, plus some new additions as they will look to battle for the state championship.  Pawnee, Pawhuska, and traditional power Marlow will field strong teams and look to break into the top two.

There are five returning state champions, with three of them coming from Blackwell.  Returning state champions are Blackwell’s Garrett Short, Madden Edgar, and Grant Rowe, Marlow’s Tommy Miller, and Salina’s Konway Williamson.  Jesse Justice won two state titles for Sperry, but moved to Bixby this year. 

Marlow’s Tommy Miller is a 2X champion and 3X finalist as he looks to join his Dad as a 3X state champion.  A state title by Tommy would put them in a very elite group as only the fourth father-son combo to each win three or more state titles.  In the 105 year history of the State Tournament, Leo and Dallas Bailey, Shane and Jace Roller and Derrick and Ethan Teague are the only father-son combos to win three or more titles. Miller went a perfect 38-0 last season and enters his senior year with a 115-11 career record.

Garrett Short placed 4^th in the Class 6A State Tournament as a freshman, before rolling to the state title last year with two falls and a 13-1 major decision in the finals.  Short finished the season with a 37-3 record and enters this year with a 68-16 career record.

A memory that will last a lifetime is Madden Edgar’s shocking State finals win over 3X state champion Colt Collett from Checotah.  A takedown with just seconds left gave Edgar the massive upset and set off a victory celebration by Dad/Coach EJ Edgar that will be talked about for years to come.  Edgar, a 3^rd place medalist as a freshman, previously lost by tech fall to Collett, but wrestled the perfect match to win the title and earn the State Tournament Outstanding Wrestler Award.  Edgar finished the year with a 39-4 record and stands 67-11 heading into his junior year.

Grant Rowe has steadily worked his way up the podium, placing 3^rd as a freshman, 2^nd as a sophomore, and winning the 150 lb. title last year. Rowe moved into the finals with two first period falls and won the title with a 5-0 win over Community Christian’s Cade Maynes.  Rowe finished 33-3 last year and will join the 100 Victory Club with his first win this year as he enters his senior season with a 99-24 career record.

Konway Williamson returns as a state champion for Salina.  Williamson avenged a loss in the regional finals to Vian’s Garrit Hunt to win the state title. Williamson finished the year with a 43-13 record and enters his junior year with a 68-28 career record.  His title, gave the Williamson family their fifth straight state title with Johnny winning in 2021, Maverick winning 2022, 2023, and 2024 and Konway winning last year.

Blackwell’s Rylan Sandoval and Tonkawa’s Maddex Ewy won junior high state titles as 8^th graders and are two freshmen to keep your eye on this year.  Both were dominant all year, with Sandoval winning the 87 lb. state title with a fall in the finals in 0:53 and Ewy winning the 94 lb. state title with a 13-0 major decision. 

Returning state runners-up are Lane Walters (Salina), Kolten Terwilliger (Salina), Paxton Shultz (Bethel), Luke Prince (Vinita), Bowdy Thomason (Blackwell), Cade Maynes (Community Christian), Dakota Dahlenburg (Hinton), Kelby Ingram (Blackwell), Cale McPeek (Pawnee), Garrit Hunt (Vian) and 2024 runner-up Logan Cass (Pawhuska).

Blackwell coached by Connor Cline, is primed to repeat with a powerful line-up that includes state champions Garrett Short, Madden Edgar, Grant Rowe, state runners-up Bowdy Thomason and Kelby Ingram, 2X state qualifier Andrew Young, and state qualifier Kole Hetrick.  Blackwell is also expecting big things from junior high state champion and Fargo All-American Rylan Sandoval.  

Salina, coached by Wes Harding, returns state champion Konway Williamson, runner-up Lane Walters, 3^rd place medalists Conner Hess and Jescee Sanders, 2024 state medalist Spencer McIelland, and state qualifier Brayon Hart.  Among a group of new wrestlers for Salina, is 2X state placer and 2025 runner-up Kolten Terwilliger.  Terwilliger wrestled at Vinita last year. 

Marlow, coached by Andy Howington, returns 2X state champion Tommy Miller, state placer Clint Ladon, 2X state qualifier Justin Choate, and state qualifiers Mason Choate, Cooper Ortega, Brennen Harris, and Clete Gilbert. 

Pawnee, coached by Daniel Kendle, returns 2X state medalist and 2025 runner-up Cale McPeek, 2024 placer Deacon Britt, 2X state qualifier Nathan Goodman, and state qualifiers Ashton Andrews, Aiden Marquez, and Hunter Patterson.

Pawhuska, coached by Chris Walker, returns seven wrestlers with State Tournament experience.  Logan Cass is a 2X state placer and 2024 finalist, Corlin Cass is a 3X state qualifier with a 4^th place finish in 2024 and Vann Wildcat placed 4^th last season.  Returning state qualifiers include Cael Holcomb, Pierce Kendrick, Laike Barnhart, and Dane Jensen.  

Changes to Class 3A this year show Berryhill and Mount St. Mary’s moving up to 4A, with Heritage Hall and Lexington competing in Class 3A this year.  Carter Harris is a 2X state placer for Heritage Hall.  In addition to Jesse Justice moving to Bixby, 3X state placer Ty Thrasher, a 3X state medalist for Lincoln Christian, moved to Coweta this year.

RETURNING AND PAST STATE CHAMPIONS AND STATE PLACERS

Records from State Tournament brackets / SQ = State Qualifier / WI = Lost wrestle-in match at State