GCHS boys roll over four conference foes
To understand the 2025 Western Athletic Conference boys’ wrestling schedule and final results, all one has to do is look to Garden City’s Buffaloes to figure out how lopsided the race for the team championship was.
The Buffs went 4-0 to capture their 20th outright WAC team title to go along with six other shared crowns in the 47 years of the round-robin dual match format. To put this in perspective, the other four schools have combined to win 21 titles.
This year’s duals which began in December for the Buffs, saw the champions mow down Hays (57-24), Liberal (62-9), Great Bend (61-14) and rival Dodge City (72-6). So, combine the total points earned by the four teams (53) and the Buffs won more points in every single dual.
First-year head coach Paul Lappin earned Coach of the Year honors and Buffalo senior Matt Long (40-4) was voted Boys Wrestler of the Year by winning all four of his WAC duals, winning regionals and the prestigious Rocky Welton Invitational before finishing second in the Class 6A state tournament.
Lappin, a long-time assistant and former GCHS wrestler himself, said when he assumed the head coaching duties, he wanted to inject a new sense of excellence to go along with accountability.
“Part of what we wanted to be teaching the kids is that it is not all about how they perform on the mat,” Lappin said. “We’re trying to teach them what they can do in life to make a positive impact on others.”
Hard work, attention to detail, daily work on fundamentals, and a new approach to the mental aspect of sports and life – these were the hallmarks of the 2024-2025 wrestling season for Lappin and his staff to work on with the wrestlers.
“We focused more on the fundamentals of the sport, developing new skills and enhancing what we already knew,” Lappin said. “We never focused on winning and losing. I’ve felt all along that if you put in the hard work, and let the process be the more important aspect of what you’re doing, the results will take care of themselves.”
The first-team all-WAC is splattered with Buffaloes throughout the 14-wrestler squad.
From 106 to 126 (four weights including 113 and 120), Buffs occupied those all-WAC positions. Pace Plankenhorn, a sophomore, was state runner-up in 6A as was Long at 120. Braydon Pacheco claimed a state title at 113, and Zach Long (Matt’s younger brother) took fourth at 126. Romeo Garcia nailed down the 138 division, Logan Avalon was the 144 WAC honoree as was Saben Herrera at 150 and Brayden Hill at 285. Pacheco, Matt Long, Herrera and HIll are seniors while Zach Long is a junior and Garcia joins Plankenhorn in the sophomore class.
“These are great kids on and off the mat,” Lappin said. “They’re tough. They do things the right way. Not only are they easy to coach, but they take it upon themselves to make others accountable on the team.”
For most of the season, the Buffs were ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, but came up short to Manhattan in both the regional and state tournaments, placing second.
“It was a good showing, not a great showing,” Lappin said of the team’s runner-up finish at state. “All in all, we had a very good season. We wrestled one of the toughest schedules you could imagine, and we stayed pretty healthy all year.”
To prepare his squad for the rigors of the regional and state tournaments, Lappin and his staff took the Buffs to the Pine Creek (Colo.) Invitational in Colorado Springs; the Mid-America National in Enid, Okla.; the Kansas City Stampede; the Geary, Okla. Invitational; Newton TOC; their home Rocky Welton Invitational.
“Sometimes our records (wins-losses) don’t show as well, but we know by wrestling the best we will be in a better position at the end of the season,” Lappin said.
It would be difficult to argue with that philosophy. The motto that was taken up for the season, “Raising the Standard,” certainly seems to be all the proof one needs that it worked for the Buffaloes.
MATT LONG, Garden City Buffaloes, Sr. (120/40-4)
When he was notified by Garden City High School head coach Paul Lappin that he had been voted Western Athletic Conference Boys Wrestler of the Year, Matt Long had one reaction.
“It’s a pretty big deal I think because there’s so many good wrestlers in our league,” Long said. “I put in a lot of work and it’s nice to be noticed in some sort of way for what you’ve done.”
In his final season with the Buffaloes, Long posted a sparkling 40-4 won-loss record, going 4-0 in the WAC duals, winning the prestigious home Rocky Welton Invitational and also claiming the 6A regional title.
His season didn’t conclude the way he had planned, finishing second to Derby freshman Antonio Guebara in a tough 8-5 decision in the championship match at the state tournament in Overland Park.
“It still stings because I didn’t expect that to be the outcome,” Long said several days after the state tournament concluded. “Some things happen for a reason and I’ve always believed that there are greater things to come. It (the runner-up finish) doesn’t define who I am. I’m just going to continue growing as a person. I want to become a better person and I have a great foundation set.”
Long said that taking on a leadership role with this year’s Buffalo team was something he embraced.
That role has not been lost on his head coach.
“Tough doesn’t even come close to describing Matt,” Lappin said. “He’s our leader and part of the reason we had such great success. He does everything right. Someone as talented as him deserves good things because he does it the way you want.”
“Sometimes you have to be that person to help others do the right things and hold them accountable,” Long said. “If that makes you a party-pooper, then I guess that’s how some might see me.”
Long credits his coaching staff and his teammates for continue to work hard and improve on the mat, as well as off the mat.
“The long hours of working on all the little things that go into being a success on the mat make everything worth the effort,” Long said. “I worked hard to improve my wrestling when I’m on my feet. I think I got better at taking shots, finding angles and keep the attack going and push the pace.”
Long also was one who not only practiced “Raising the Standard,” but made sure everyone else in the program was doing the same.
“I look at the definition of that and see it was what the minimum standard should be and then raise that to the next level,” Long said. “The minimum should be lower than what we want to accomplish. That becomes our standard which should be surpassed. And I think we (team) surpassed that by miles.”
Despite the long hours of practice over many years, Long says he still loves the idea of being on the mat.
“I enjoy what I get the opportunity to do every day,” Long said. “I have fun with my teammates and just try to live in the moment. One of the big things for me is to be where you feel you should be and not be stressed. You want to look to the future and take it all in and not take anything for granted.”
Long’s career with the Buffaloes began midway through his sophomore season after transferring from Holcomb the year before. In his freshman year at Holcomb, he went 22-3 and in the final half of his sophomore season with the Buffs went 17-2 and placed third at state. His final two years as 6A runner-up made him a three-time state medalist and a GCHS career of 100-12 and an overall career won-loss of 122-15.
Long knows he wants to wrestle at the collegiate level, but is undecided where that will be.
“I’ll be making some visits soon and then make the decision,” said Long.
His academic area will include studying diesel technology and to work in some area of the trade industry.
Western Athletic Conference
Boys Wrestling
2025 All-Conference – First Team
| CLASS | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Pace Plankenhorn | Garden City | SO | (34-14) |
| 113 | Braydon Pacheco | Garden City | SR | (42-6) |
| 120 | Matt Long | Garden City | SR | (40-4) |
| 126 | Zach Long | Garden City | JR | (25-17) |
| 132 | Hayden Liles | Great Bend | SO | (25-19) |
| 138 | Romeo Garcia | Garden City | SO | (26-21) |
| 144 | Logan Avalon | Garden City | SR | (35-18) |
| 150 | Saben Herrera | Garden City | SR | (34-14) |
| 157 | Blake Stein | Great Bend | SO | (21-19) |
| 165 | Jace Schartz | Great Bend | SR | (29-7) |
| 175 | Dalton Meyers | Hays | SR | (30-6) |
| 190 | Jonathan Rigler | Hays | JR | (32-10) |
| 215 | Trenton Kern | Great Bend | JR | (28-8) |
| 285 | Brayden Hill | Garden City | SR | (34-3) |
Coach of the Year: Paul Lappin, Garden City
2025 All-Conference – Second Team
| CLASS | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Cyler Luck | Hays | SO |
| 113 | Cal Schartz | Great Bend | FR |
| 120 | Julian Orrantia | Liberal | SR |
| 126 | Logan Turner | Great Bend | FR |
| 132 | Grady Lind | Hays | JR |
| 138 | Triston TomliSOn | Great Bend | JR |
| 144 | Trevin Maciel | Great Bend | JR |
| 150 | Hayden Keller | Great Bend | JR |
| 157 | Ramses Ruiz | Dodge City | SR |
| 165 | JT Hill | Garden City | FR |
| 175 | Jayden Amaro | Dodge City | SR |
| 190 | Dio Holguin | Garden City | SR |
| 215 | David Holguin | Garden City | SR |
| 285 | Tanner Geist | Hays | SO |
