Flynn, Wood lead Lansing High wrestlers to Senior Night triumphs
By STEPHEN BUBALO, Times Assistant Sports Editor

LANSING — Lansing High School senior wrestlers Nick Flynn and Dennis Wood made their final home duals — against Bonner Springs and Tonganoxie — memorable ones. Senior Night was especially special for Wood who saw his first action of the season Thursday night, and to say he was eager might have been an understatement.

“I was super excited,” said Wood, who expects to wrestle at the KVL tournament and beyond as long as he stays healthy. “I couldn’t sleep last night. ... It was like ‘yes, finally.’ Just more or less excitement.”

Flynn and Wood combined to go 4-0 on the night with all four wins by pinfall as the Lions dominated the duals with a 61-9 win over Bonner Springs and a 48-30 win against Tonganoxie.


Lansing lost just seven matches on the night and three of those were by forfeit.

“Oh yeah I’m extremely pleased with the effort,” Lions coach Ron Averill said. “We knew coming in that all the teams in the area have been dealing with the flu, a lot of sickness during the week. I feel like all the teams had some great athletes that were able to step up and compete when they’re not 100 percent.

“ ... The most encouraging thing was the attitude of the guys all the way through. They just really stepped up and competed.”



Spencer Blew (125 pounds), Dillon Scanlon (130 and 135), Tyler Terron (140), Tyler Baughman (145), Grant Hinckley (171), and Tyler Strouhal (215) all went 2-0 for the Lions. Brian Snodgrass (189) finished 1-1.

While the entire Lansing team competed well, the focus was on the two wrestlers honored between duals.

Flynn and Wood have each had impressive careers as Lions.



Flynn is a three-time state qualifier, including a runner-up finish last season and a 33-3 record this season as he looks to avenge his loss last year.

“Yeah it’s always good just to come out here — knowing it’s your last dual — to get a win, especially for the team,” Flynn said. “ ... I had a good Senior Night.”

Wood is a two-time state qualifier and wrestled his way to a runner-up finish in 2006-07 as well. He’ll have his work cut our for him this year as he tries to get back in to wrestling shape after missing the entire season to this point with a back injury, but he was glad he got to take the mat on Senior Night and didn’t make Flynn go at it alone.



“We only got two seniors and it’s no fun if there’s only one,” Wood said. “I was just praying that the doctors would release me.”

Having seen Flynn and Wood throughout their careers, Averill knows how instrumental they have been to the program. Each has worked hard and are exceptional leaders.

“We have a couple of awesome team leaders in those two,” Averill said. “Nick, just day in, day out — on the mat, off the mat — has always been a team leader. Dennis Wood felt like he wasn’t going to be able to lead the team like he wanted to when he wasn’t able to compete. Yet, he’s been able to step up and he’s been a tremendous impact on this team even though he hadn’t competed until tonight.



“ ... It goes more than wins and losses. Like I said, it’s that every day attitude, that every day example that they set. Both of them have been awesome to coach and awesome for the other kids to have in the practice room. It’s going to be a big loss.”

But both seniors still have some unfinished business to think about, as do the rest of the Lansing wrestlers. All that is left for them is the KVL tournament, regionals and then the state tournament.

It’s safe to say the next couple of weeks of practice are going to be important, and Flynn is already prepared to get his young teammates ready.



“No one really realizes how short it really is until it’s actually there,” Flynn said. “I think it’s just one of those things that comes with experience. We just got to know you got to step it up the last couple of weeks because it’s here and gone. I try to focus on getting all the underclassmen pumped up because it’ll be here by tomorrow pretty much.”

Averill said his team needs to start looking ahead and keeping their eye on the ultimate prize.

“I think I see them getting fired up and looking forward to the opportunity, especially come regionals and state time,” he said. “That’s what I’ve tried to focus on them all year long, you need to be happy with today’s win, but you can’t be satisfied. You need to be looking on past this to regionals and state.”



The Lions will get their chance to show if they’re ready on Feb. 9 at the KVL tournament, hosted by Lansing.

Wood returns, Lions sweep home duals



Lansing High senior Dennis Wood puts the finishing touches on a pin of Tonganoxie's Kevin Hamm. Enlarge photo — Photo by Chris Wristen


By Chris Wristen
February 1, 2008


It was hard to tell which Lansing High wrestler had the best night Thursday during the Lions’ Senior Night double-dual against Bonner Springs and Tonganoxie.

There were the eight Lions who posted 2-0 records during Lansing’s 61-9 victory over Bonner Springs and 48-30 beating of Tonganoxie.

There was junior Brian Snodgrass’ second-period pin of Bonner’s Colin Stirling that had the home crowd roaring with approval.

There was freshman Tyler Terron’s riveting come-from-behind victory over Tonganoxie’s Travis Adcox, a wrestler who has been state-ranked at 140 pounds in Class 4A for much of the year.

And then there was senior Dennis Wood, who made his season debut after missing the first two months of the season with a back injury. Wood, a state runner-up at 103 pounds last year, won both of his matches at 119 pounds by pin. He needed just 35 seconds to stick Bonner’s Brooks Ballou, and he pinned Tonganoxie’s Kevin Hamm is 57 seconds.

Wood was happy with the wins, but more than anything he was just happy to be back.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” he said. “I was just like, ‘Oh, I finally get to wrestle!’”

Wood’s fellow senior, Nick Flynn, also went 2-0 on senior night. The No. 3-ranked wrestler in Class 5A at 152 pounds, Flynn actually competed at 160 pounds on Thursday and won with a pair of pins.



Lansing High senior Nick Flynn finishes off a pin during one of his two victories Thursday night. - Photo by Chris Wristen


Others who went 2-0 for LHS were freshman Spencer Blew (125 pounds), freshman Dillon Scanlon (135), Terron (140), freshman Tyler Baughman (145), junior Grant Hinckley (171) and junior Tyler Strouhal (215).

Snodgrass (189) and freshman Zach Hammer (285) both went 1-1, as did freshman Cory Andrews (152 and 160). Freshman Brett Brown went 1-0 with a victory by forfeit against Tonganoxie.

The dual sweep was impressive for LHS considering it competed shorthanded. Regular 135-pounder Wes Appleget missed the duals with a foot injury and the flu. Freshman 171-pounder Nathan Wessel also was sick with the flu, as were half of the Lions who competed.


Lansing High freshman Tyler Terron tumbles with Tonganoxie's Travis Adcox. Terron won the match 10-7.


Adding to the magnitude of the Lions’ performance was the fact that Tonganoxie has finished ahead of LHS in the team standings at almost every tournament this season. Both teams had athletes battling illness, but Lansing coach Ron Averill said he was proud of the way his wrestlers stepped up.

“Neither team was coming in at 100 percent, however both teams had guys that stepped up and competed awesome regardless of how they felt or what they felt like they could do,” he said. “That’s the nature of what we do. I tell these guys, ‘You’re the common-day gladiators.’ We work ourselves to death in the practice room to go out and seek competition, to go one-on-one, man-on-man. And if you’re going to do that, you have to be willing to step out there regardless of if it feels good or if you can go 100 percent, because regardless, when you step out on the mat you’re the best one for us.

“We were able to take advantage of that and take advantage of these guys’ attitudes.”

Lansing will take the day off Friday to give its wrestlers time to rest and recover, and then be back in the practice room Monday to begin preparation for the Kaw Valley League Tournament. The league meet will take place Saturday, Feb. 9, at LHS. Lansing is the defending KVL champion.

It was a super night recognizing the contirubitons of Dennis and Nick for all their hard work and leadership. What has been most exciting about the Lansing squad this year is watching 7 starting freshman continue to get better each week. This group of kids is arguably one of the most impressive freshman class in the school's history. I am looking to many more exciting years of Lansing wrestling!

Mike Flynn

congrats to Tyler Baughman and all the lansing kids.


JARED JOHNSON
Tyler baughmans little brother
and punching bag