Carson's Jarod Butler battles Wooster's Christian Hanley in a 160-pound match this season at Douglas High.
Senior Jarod Butler wanted to finish his high school wrestling career with a bang, and he accomplished that last weekend when he qualified for his first state wrestling tournament.
Butler was one of six CHS qualifiers for state. Brandon Basa (113 pounds), Kyle Rudy (132), Abel Carter (195), Sheldon Miller (heavyweight) and Nathan Mersino (138) also made it.
Butler, who finished third in the 160-pound class at last weekend’s 4A regionals, faces Bishop Gorman’s Dylan Auschwitz in an out-bracket match Friday at 1 p.m. at Spanish Springs High School.
“Oh yeah (it has sunk in),” Butler said after Monday’s workout. “I just want to go out there and have fun. I don’t have any real expectations. We’ll just see where it goes.
“Oh yeah, I’ll have nerves. It’s good to have that. It goes away after the first match. There is a lot of pressure.”
Butler, who failed in his two previous regional tournaments, felt he was a lot more dedicated and consistent this year.
“Part of it was experience,” Butler said. “I didn’t start wrestling until eighth grade, and a lot of these kids started when they were way younger.
“I feel like I didn’t wrestle as well as I could have (the last two years). I took it a lot more seriously this year.”
Carson coach Keith Shaffer said Butler’s success was a pleasant surprise because of a recent illness.
“I don’t think he gets too nervous,” Shaffer said. “He has good counters, and he’s a good grappler on the mat.”
Miller opens with Kaimana Phillips of Green Valley, who finished second in the Sunset League meet. A win puts him in the semis against the winner of the Anthony Valenti (22-7)-Charles Mapes match.
Basa, meanwhile, goes against Weston Presser of Shadow Ridge, who was second in the Sunset tournament.
Basa admitted he doesn’t worry about who he wrestles.
“An old coach told me that you have to beat them all (to win),” Basa said. “I’m excited. I’m going to go in there and take it one match at a time.”
Basa said he’s spending the week fine-tuning his technique.
Mersino, according to Shaffer, needs to attempt more shots; be more aggressive.
Mersino faces Kaden Renshaw of Durango in his opening match.
Shaffer said Carter, who opens with Arbor View’s J.J. Tuinei, needs to work on defending the under hook move.
Shaffer said he wants Carter to be a little more aggressive offensively this weekend.
Rudy finished third last weekend.