GWAL wrestling gets serious early

After Wichita Northwest picked up a rare (only the second team in 108 duals) win over Bishop Carroll last week, the dual this Thursday between Northwest, and the only other team to beat Carroll recently, Wichita Heights, is quickly shaping up to be a classic.

Last year, the season built into a frenzied battle between Heights and Carroll in the last dual of the year. But this year, it seems Christmas is coming early.

Both schools are 2-0 in GWAL duals to start the year and have a ton of talent.

For Northwest, the biggest firepower comes at 215 and 285 pounds. Senior and two-time defending 215-pound 6A state champion Kyle Caylor is an intimidating figure for anyone on the mat. Teammate, classmate, and last year’s 6A runner-up at 285 pounds Trey Page can flat out score points. In Northwest’s dual against Carroll, Page won his match by technical fall by a score of 20-4, in a notoriously low-scoring weight class.

Caylor and Page are not a bad one-two punch to have anchoring a line-up. But the Grizzlies are also developing some young talent at the lower weights. Sophomores Reggie Cooper and Antonio Terrell also came away from the Carroll dual with some impressive scores. The 119-pound Cooper won an 11-4 decision and the 130-pound Terrell dominated in a 10-1 decision.

If Northwest is to beat Heights, it will be up to the lower weights to hang in there against some tough competition.

Heights strength comes in the lower and middle weights, starting with 125-pound Daniel DeShazer. Last year, DeShazer came within an overtime loss in the finals of becoming a two-time state champion as a sophomore. As impressive as it is to take a state finals match into overtime, consider that DeShazer did it with a shoulder he separated (twice) in the match.

Armed with a duck-under almost too quick to see, let alone defend against, DeShazer is one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the state. His dream of matching brother Tristan’s mark of four state championships is over, and he is not happy about it. After losing in the finals last year, DeShazer will wrestle every match in the next two years with a chip on his shoulder, looking for redemption. If that isn’t a scary thought for anyone entering the circle against him, it should be.

Unfortunately for everybody who will face Heights, Daniel is not the only DeShazer on the team. Sophomore cousin Uylesses DeShazer is representing the name well at 135 pounds this year. 135 pounds is a big jump for Uylesses, who was the 112-pound runner-up last year, but DeShazer is a technically sound wrestler who can put team points on the board for Heights.

At 112 pounds, look out for Jeremy Waller, who pinned Jajuan Riley in 23 seconds in the Falcons’ last dual against South. Matt Reed may find himself in a big match for Heights at 171 pounds. With only the 189-pound match coming before Caylor and Page take the mat.

Thursday’s dual will give us an early look at some of the best wrestlers the GWAL has to offer. And a league title could be on the line only three duals into the season.