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Salina — Caleb Seaton lay flat on his back with his hand raised in the air signaling for an injury timeout.

Photo by Chris Wristen

Bonner Springs' Jonathan Blackwell, right, won the 135-pound state semifinal match in a 7-4 decision. He is headed to the state finals for the second straight year and will try to win his first state championship Saturday night.

Twenty seconds remained in his Class 4A state semifinal match against Chanute’s Tim Wrestler Friday night at the Bicentennial Center, and Seaton’s injured shoulder popped out of socket for about the millionth time this season.

“That’s probably the worst it’s hurt all year,” Seaton later said.

After about two minutes of time with the trainer, the match resumed. Seaton survived the first overtime, and he and Wrestler went to a tiebreaker tied at 4-4.

Seaton started in the down position for the first 30-second period and he quickly scored an escape point. Then it was his turn on top.

Wrestler fought and tussled and strained, doing everything possible to break free of Seaton’s grasp. For 30 seconds they rolled on the mat. At one point, they were almost standing on their heads as Seaton — injured shoulder and all — held on for dear life.

Finally the clock expired and it was official. Seaton had won, 5-4. He was headed to the state finals.

After placing fourth at state during each of the past three seasons, he will end with a different number this year.

“It’s gotta be one,” he said, a grin on his face.

The number one is why he delayed surgery until after the season. He has a hole in his rotator cuff, and all of the ligaments in his shoulder are stretched thin. Opponents have targeted the shoulder all season, but he said that wasn’t the case in the semifinals.

“No, he was just wrestling,” Seaton said.

He endured a season’s worth of pain with the goal of winning a state championship. Now, only Bo Newport of Prairie View stands in his way.

“Three down, one to go,” Seaton said, referencing his 14-0 major decision against Mulvane’s Caleb White in the first round, his 7-5 decision against Russell’s Chance Pitcock in the quarterfinals and his semifinal victory.

Seaton won’t be the only Bonner Springs wrestler in Saturday’s state finals. Sophomore Jonathan Blackwell will be there too.

Blackwell placed second at the 5A state tournament last year, and he will try to win a 4A state title at 135 pounds when he faces Abilene’s Courtney Strauss Saturday night.

Blackwell cruised to a 16-4 major decision against Hugoton’s Lawson Fiss in the first round and then earned a hard-fought 6-3 decision against Chanute’s Troy Clark in the quarterfinals. Although Blackwell won his semifinal match just 7-4 against Osawatomie’s Devon Dozier, Blackwell was in full control the whole way.

He knows Strauss will be a tough opponent in the finals — Strauss took out defending champion Symon Seaton of Basehor-Linwood in the quarterfinals — but Blackwell said he has one goal.

“This year I knew I had to step it up, and I’m not going to come home without the gold this year,” he said.

Seaton and Blackwell have powered the Braves into a seventh-place position in the team standings entering Saturday’s rounds. Andale is in first place with 120.5 points, St. James Academy is second with 78 and Abilene is third with 68.5. BSHS has 53 points — just five out of fifth place.

The two finalists won’t be the lone Braves trying to score points on Saturday. Four more are still alive in the consolation bracket.

Justus Seaton won his first-round match at 112 pounds before falling in the quarterfinals, as did 140-pounder Aaron Puckett and 145-pounder Mark Hobson.

Josiah Seaton lost his first-round match at 103 pounds, but he responded by earning a pin in his consolation first-round match against Jacob Christie of Wamego.

Jared Clements was the lone Brave to go 0-2 on Friday, and he was eliminated from the tournament at 171 pounds.

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