Hays’ unbeaten Zimmerman tabbed WAC Wrestler of the Year
When Carlos Prieto assumed the reins of the Garden City High School boys’ wrestling program in the 2012-2013 season, his first goal was to get the Buffs back on the road to success at the state tournament.
The program had not experienced a state championship since 1999, and only a smattering of wrestlers captured individual state titles during that time frame. Success in the WAC had also been sparse with one outright and one shared team title in the previous seven seasons.
The path to that success would eventually lead to success in the Western Athletic Conference’s round-robin dual matches that determine the conference champion each year.
Having just completed his 12th season at the Buffaloes’ helm, Prieto watched his boys capture their eighth conference title with a 4-0 record.
The dual match wins came against Liberal (65-12), Great Bend (37-33), Hays (50-26) and rival Dodge City (56-12). The Great Bend match came down to the final two bouts at 215 and 285 pounds. The Buffs, who been short-handed due to injury and illness, trailed 33-28.
Junior David Holguin secured a 3-point decision at 215 pounds and senior Sebastian Lopez clinched the Buffs’ dramatic victory with a pin at 285 pounds.
“Great Bend had a really good team with a lot of depth,” Prieto said of the Panthers. “The big thing during the dual season is to be healthy. You need everyone to wrestle to give yourself the best chance to win. For the most part, we were healthy for most of the duals.”
Prieto, who has guided the Buffs to four Class 6A state team championships and six other top five finishes, says he always points to his team peaking at the regionals and state, so while the WAC is important, it is not the end-all.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a high-water mark, but it is a goal that just comes naturally with the schedule,” Prieto said. “Don’t get me wrong, We’re happy to win WAC. But I think we always get a better sense of how our teams will do at state when we are competing in the bigger tournaments.”
For only the second time in his dozen years, the Buffs came home from the state tournament without an individual champion. And yet, the Buffs had two runners-up, both juniors (Braydon Pacheco and Matt Long), and a third-place finish at 285 pounds in Lopez.
“In the dual matches, you have to get your hammers in there to get pins for extra points,” Prieto said. “We were fortunate this year to have them in the early weights and then at the heavier weights. We bookended many of our duals that way.”
Prieto also recognizes the historic quality of the WAC through the years, with many schools having a number of individual state champions.
“You look back and you recognize that the league is really strong,” Prieto said. “Of the matches (duals) we had this year, the Great Bend one is the one that stands out. The crowd added to the excitement of the night.”
HARLEY ZIMMERMAN, HAYS, SR.
2024 WAC BOYS’ WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Weight: 144; Record: 42-0/Class 5A State Champion
Career Record: Won 138, Lost 15
His high school career is now completed; it is easy to see the year-by-year progression of Harley Zimmerman’s improvement as a wrestler.
He just finished his senior season with a dream campaign that was capped off with a Class 5A state title and finishing with an unblemished 42-0 record in the 144-pound weight class.
His last time on the mat as a high schooler, though, was one that was filled with drama. He battled Kaden Allen of St. Thomas Aquinas through three periods before going into sudden victory overtime and recorded a takedown at 0:42 to capture the crown with a 5-3 decision.
Zimmerman had won his first state title in his junior season with a 35-2 mark after a runner-up finish at 132 pounds in 2022 as a sophomore, where he went 41-3. His freshman year at 126 pounds saw him place fourth and finish a 20-7 season.
“I think the reward comes from working hard in the practice room,” Zimmerman, who was chosen by the WAC’s coaches as the Boys’ Wrestler of the Year, said in a recent interview. “You strive to reach your goals, but you’ve got to put in the hard work or it doesn’t happen.”
Zimmerman and Allen had faced each other earlier in the season, with Zimmerman winning that match, so he went into the championship match confident that he could do it again.
“You just make a plan and go with it,” Zimmerman said. “I’d beaten him once and one of my buddies said I could do it again. You just have to have that positive mindset that you can do it.”
In the concluding match, Zimmerman broke a 0-0 score after one period by taking the down position for period number two. He recorded and escape and then a takedown to go up 3-0 heading to the third period.
With Allen selecting the same bottom position, Zimmerman was unable to keep him down and Allen got a 1-point escape. Then, for what Zimmerman said he believed was the first time he could remember, he was taken down from the neutral standing position.
“It was a little bit of a surprise,” Zimmerman said. “He’s a really good wrestler (Allen is committed to the Navy). But I also knew going into overtime that all I had to do was to wait for the right moment to make my move. His shot into Allen came quickly and just like that he won his second state title and concluded a stellar prep career.”
What awaits him in his future is still uncertain, Zimmerman says. He’s a top-notch bull rider in the rodeo ranks, and is hoping that whereever he lands, he can do both sports.
“I’ve gotten some offers, but just haven’t made up my mind,” said Zimmernan, who helps on the family farm where they have cows and grow wheat and milo. “I’ll probably study ag business of some type and come back to the farm and help the family.”
Zimmerman said he has always thought bull-riding was easier than wrestling, but both use some similar physical skills of strength and leverage. Which is safer? Zimmerman said he always thinks the bulls are more fun!
“Wrestling practice is 10 times harder than practice on the bulls,” Zimmerman said. “But I”m just hoping to find the right school that will let me do both.”
Zimmerman said he has been told by others that some of his strong attributes on the mat are his speed and quickness and ability to get a fast takedown.
“I think one of my best moves is when I’m on the bottom and can make a quick switch,” Zimmerman said. “It has taken quite a long time to refine the move, but it’s been one of my go-to moves.”
First Team All-Conference Selections
| WEIGHT | NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Braydon Pacheco | 11 | Garden City |
| 113 | Elijah McCullough | 12 | Hays |
| 120 | Matt Long | 11 | Garden City |
| 126 | Raymond Hernandez | 12 | Dodge City |
| 132 | Kaiden Hoffman | 12 | Great Bend |
| 138 | Hayden Kelly | 10 | Great Bend |
| 144 | *Harley Zimmerman | 12 | Hays |
| 150 | Cooper Liles | 12 | Great Bend |
| 157 | Jace Schartz | 11 | Great Bend |
| 165 | Alan Flores | 11 | Dodge City |
| 175 | Jonathan Rigler | 10 | Hays |
| 190 | Trenton Kern | 10 | Great Bend |
| 215 | David Holguin | 11 | Garden City |
| 285 | Sebastian Lopez | 12 | Garden City |
Second Team All-Conference Selections
| WEIGHT | NAME | YEAR | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Julian Orrantia | 11 | Liberal |
| 113 | Pace Plankenhorn | 12 | Garden City |
| 120 | Tristan Tomlinson | 10 | Great Bend |
| 126 | Zachary Long | 10 | Garden City |
| 132 | Dylan Wainscott | 12 | Dodge City |
| 138 | Ramses Ruiz | 11 | Dodge City |
| 144 | Logan Avalon | 11 | Garden City |
| 150 | Saben Herrera | 11 | Garden City |
| 157 | Corbin Luck | 12 | Hays |
| 165 | Ethan Allen | 12 | Garden City |
| 175 | Jayden Amaro | 11 | Dodge City |
| 190 | Ayden Juarez | 11 | Liberal |
| 215 | Matthew Johnson | 12 | Great Bend |
| 285 | Will Linenberger | 12 | Hays |
