COLUMBUS — Iola High’s Tavon Blazek entered Friday’s 4A Regional wrestling tournament with plenty of motivation.
Not only was the junior trying to earn his way to Kansas high school wrestling’s final weekend for the first time in his career, but he was wrestling in memory of his grandfather.
“My grandpa was always beside me basically holding my hand,” Blazek said. “He supported me the most because my dad was never there. He would always help me through my sports with football, basketball. That’s my father, my true father. Without him, I don’t know where I’d be at.”
The 182-pounder lost his grandfather just a couple weeks before this tournament and it was safe to say that he was on Blazek’s mind throughout the event.
“Going into the (semifinal) match, I wasn’t 100 percent sure I was going to win and dominate, because my head wasn’t in the match,” Blazek said.
Blazek used his emotion as fuel and pushed the pace whenever he had the chance. His first two matches against Paola’s Jeff Schartz and Coffeyville-Field Kindley’s Ryan Tracy ended with pins.
“The last two weeks, I haven’t really felt like wrestling, but the thing that kept me motivated was my teammates, my coaches and my training partner,” Blazek said. “I came to the matches today knowing that today was going to be the hardest day but it was for him. It was to honor him because he is not here anymore.”
The came his semifinal match, a win here and his ticket to the state championship next weekend in Salina would be punched.
Blazek did not disappoint as he quickly jumped into the lead over Burlington’s Tyson Breshears with a takedown and back-points. Blazek cruised to his first-ever state berth with a 10-5 decision.
Blazek will face Jesse Henry of Prairie View for the title this afternoon.
“My goal is to place first and fight and make sure (my grandfather knows I was number one for the first time with him watching over me,” Blazek said.
For Blazek’s teammate Andrew Garber, the goals were obvious heading into the tournament. Just repeat what happened last year.
Last season, Garber earned his first-ever state berth and this season the senior wasn’t going to settle for any less than a repeat performance.
After an opening round bye, the 195-pounder majored Chanute’s Dalton Lamb with a convincing, workmanlike 11-2 victory.
The semifinal matched him up with a familiar foe. For the fourth time this season Garber wrestled D.J. Kessler of Independence. Garber had won the previous three meetings.
Kessler was able to keep the match close and force an overtime session, but that was right where the Mustang senior wanted his rival.
