BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2025 February 24, Monday)
Kendra Powers Reporting / Photography
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
editor@blairtoday.com – Facebook
The Blair High School wrestling team made its presence known at the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament last week, finishing 7th overall in Class B competition. The Bears sent eight wrestlers to the tournament, with three bringing home medals, including a state championship.
Loges Dominates for Second Title
Senior Hudson Loges capped his remarkable high school career with his second state championship, going a perfect 4-0 in the tournament. After missing his junior season due to injury, Loges returned with a vengeance, accumulating a near-perfect 51-1 record this season while cementing his place in Blair wrestling history.
“Winning the state championship feels amazing! All the hard work really paid off,” Loges said after claiming his title.
Despite appearing dominant throughout the tournament, Loges acknowledged the mental challenges of the finals. “My most challenging match was the finals because it feels like there is so much pressure on your shoulders, but I just looked past that and visualized it as just being another match.”
Entering as a favorite, Loges carried himself with the confidence of a champion. “Nothing surprised me that much. I anticipated going into this tournament and dominating the entire time!”
His preparation and dedication throughout the season proved critical to his success. “I continued to work my hardest each and every day. I will continue to perfect my craft for the future.”
The championship experience provided Loges with perspective beyond wrestling. “My biggest takeaway is to be more grateful about everything! I realized that I can start appreciating everything that is happening around me and that will help me grow as a wrestler.”
Loges has signed to continue his education and wrestling career at Augustana University in South Dakota this fall. When asked what he’s most excited about at the next level, Loges shared, “I’m excited to see what I can do at the next level. On top of that, I’m ready to build more relationships with future coaches and teammates!”
As Blair’s 9th and now 10th individual state title in school history, Loges joins an elite group as one of only three Blair wrestlers to win multiple state championships. Blair’s wrestling legacy includes Will Schany (four-time champion), Jackson Nielsen (two-time champion), Hudson Loges (two-time champion), as well as single title winners Brandon Lincoln and Charlie Powers.
Baughman Secures Second Consecutive Third-Place Finish
Junior Blaise Baughman continued his success on the state stage, earning third place in the 190-pound weight class. After finishing third at 175 pounds last year, Baughman moved up a weight class and compiled an impressive 45-4 season record, going 4-1 at the state tournament.
“I feel like I performed very well and wrestled my match every match and I did not change it for anyone,” Baughman said, reflecting on his tournament performance.
His semifinal match proved to be his biggest challenge. “Most challenging is the semifinal match against Sidney kid who was defensive the entire time,” Baughman noted. “A lesson I learned from that is maybe I should have taken my time a little more in overtime instead of force something and see where that takes me.”
Baughman credits his mental strength and determination as key factors in his success. “My mind and heart is and was better than anyone’s. I’ve worked my butt off day in and out all season for this moment and something I wouldn’t change anything for the season. I feel like losing is only going to make me better as well and stronger as a person.”
Despite his accomplishment, Baughman’s competitive fire has him already looking ahead. “Biggest takeaway is losing fricken sucks and I hate it. There is no worse feeling than being the highest seed and losing when everyone believes in you, so I will do everything I can to never experience that again.”
Tucker Claims Sixth in Heavyweight Division
Senior Cornez Tucker Jr. battled his way to a sixth-place finish in the 285-pound heavyweight division, adding another medal to Blair’s team total. In his first and final state tournament appearance, Tucker showed grit and determination, going 2-3 over the weekend to secure his place on the podium and cap his senior season with a 40-15 record.
“I think I did pretty well. There were some good moments and some things I needed to work on, but overall, I gave it my best,” Tucker said about his state tournament performance.
His match against an Ashland-Greenwood opponent proved particularly challenging. “My most challenging match was against the kid from Ashland Greenwood because there was little to no room for error. It was hard to get my moves to work, but I kept adjusting and stayed patient.”
The tournament provided some surprises for Tucker. “Some of my opponents wrestled differently than I expected, which threw me off a little. But I was also surprised by how well I handled the pressure and stayed calm in tough moments.”
Tucker felt his preparation throughout the season served him well. “My training helped a lot. I didn’t get too tired, and I felt strong. But next time, I would want to focus more on improving certain moves, especially getting off bottom faster.”
The experience emphasized the importance of technical details. “I realized that small details make a big difference. I needed to fine-tune little things like footwork and positioning to keep getting better.”
As Tucker looks ahead to his football career, he sees significant benefits from his wrestling experience. “I feel like wrestling has made me stronger, quicker, and better at staying balanced, which will help a lot in football. It’s also taught me how to stay tough and push through challenges. The footwork, hand fighting, and conditioning I’ve built will make me a better player on the field.”
Rosterman Makes Statement in First State Appearance
Junior Griffin Rosterman made a splash in his state tournament debut, going 2-2 with a significant upset victory over a first-seeded opponent. Though he didn’t place, Rosterman’s performance (36-22 season record) showed he could compete with the state’s best.
“Now that the tournament is over I’ve had time to process how well I did and the experience I’ve gained,” Rosterman said. “This was a great tournament for my confidence level heading into next year and how I start it off.”
Rosterman’s most challenging match came in the third round on the second day. “When I wrestled the Ralston kid who was very strong and you could tell he was motivated and on a mission. But after some adversity with a call not going my way I finished out the match in overtime and lost 7-4. He ended up placing 5th at the end.”
That match provided valuable lessons for the junior. “I learned in this match to take every period, every second, every move like it was my last, and that’s something I need to build off of going into next year.”
Rosterman’s upset victory made a statement to both himself and others. “I wasn’t shocked with my performance but other people seemed to be. I knew where I was placed in the bracket and I had a good shot in my mind to make things interesting, and I did by winning my first one against the first-seed, making my presence known. Towards the end, I finally realized that I was right there with all of those kids who placed in the state tournament.”
Looking ahead to his senior season, Rosterman plans to focus on fundamentals. “Next time I will focus more on the basics in practice and not so much the other moves that I don’t use as much.”
For Rosterman, the tournament provided meaningful connections beyond wrestling. “My biggest takeaway from this experience is my family being proud of me and all of the fun memories I made with my teammates and coaches, and I’m proud to call them family. In the wrestling aspect of it, I will have to grow in many ways to make myself better for next year so I can get on that podium.”
Logan Gains Confidence in First State Tournament
Sophomore Jaxon Logan (144 pounds) went 1-2 in his first state tournament, finishing the season with a 37-17 record. Despite not placing, Logan approached the competition with the same mindset he maintained all season.
“I felt like I wrestled well like I had all season. Nothing changed for me, just went out there and competed,” Logan said.
His quarterfinal match proved especially challenging but valuable. “The most challenging match was my quarterfinals match. I faced a lot of adversity in that match and even though I didn’t win, it showed me that I can hang with the best in the state.”
Logan felt well-prepared for the tournament atmosphere. “My preparation prepared me well for the tournament. I knew that I had worked hard all season and that I was ready to go.”
The experience bolstered Logan’s confidence heading into his junior season. “My biggest takeaway was knowing that I could hang with the best in the state. It just gave me a lot of confidence in myself and makes me believe in my abilities for next year.”
Loftis Earns Victory in State Debut
Junior Wyatt Loftis (165 pounds) went 1-2 in his first state tournament, including a victory over a familiar opponent. He finished the season with a 29-26 record.
“I feel proud of my performance in the tournament. I gave it my all and am proud of that,” Loftis shared.
His highlight came against a wrestler he had previously faced. “My most challenging match was against a Bennington kid. I wrestled him twice before and ended up beating him at state. I learned that anyone is beatable.”
Bellamy and Faue Round Out Blair Qualifiers
Junior Tannon Bellamy (126 pounds) went 1-2 at the state tournament, completing a season partially limited by injury with a 14-6 record. As a two-time state qualifier, Bellamy’s experience proved valuable for the team.
Junior Carson Faue (150 pounds) gained his first state tournament experience, going 0-2 and finishing his season with a 21-25 record.
Coach Warner Reflects on Team’s Performance
Head coach Erich Warner expressed pride in his team’s overall performance and effort throughout the tournament.
“Overall all of our kids wrestled great. They were competitive and gave their best effort which put them in some great positions,” Warner said.
The coach noted that Blair’s challenging regular season schedule helped prepare the wrestlers for the state tournament environment. “Our schedule is one of the most challenging in the state so the kids knew what to expect from a competition standpoint heading into the tournament. The coaches were happy with all of the wrestlers’ performances and thought we wrestled great as a team.”
Warner emphasized that the team’s primary goal was for each wrestler to give their best effort. “When you go into a tournament like this, you just hope your kids go out and give their best effort which will lead to success on the mat. All of our kids wrestled great and represented Blair positively.”
The coach believes each wrestler can be satisfied with their showing. “I think each wrestler can look back and be proud of the way they wrestled and represented themselves, Blair, and their family.”
Looking toward the future, Warner is already focused on continued development. “In the offseason we will continue to work in our system and improve in all positions of wrestling. We are excited to get to work towards next season.”
Blair Makes History in Unified Wrestling
This year marked a historic moment as the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) held unified wrestling matches for the first time, with competitions in both Class B and Class D. Blair was selected to participate in this groundbreaking event.
Blair wrestlers Caden Finken and Mac Tupa competed in the Class B unified match on Friday night before the semifinal rounds. Finken won by pin and was awarded a gold medal, while Tupa received a silver medal for his participation.
The inclusion of unified wrestling represents an important step toward making the sport more accessible and inclusive for all athletes.
With strong performances from wrestlers at all levels and multiple state qualifiers returning next season, the future of Blair wrestling looks promising as they build on this year’s seventh-place team finish.
