Prep wrestling: Shadle Park’s Brayden Burgener ready to put old injuries in the past ahead of district tournament

Brayden Burgener has mixed feelings about tournaments after the way the past few months have gone.

On one hand, the Shadle Park senior has picked up commanding victories at the Deer Park Invitational in December and the Pacific Northwest Classic last month.

But there were also bracket-busting injuries at Tri-State and M2 Mallet that forced the 190-pound standout to call it quits before the trophies could be handed out.

“I think anyone would agree with me on this, but no one likes losing – no matter how it happens,” Burgener said. “At the end of the day, when I go to practice the next week I use it as motivation and determination to get even better than I was the previous week.”

The injuries – a concussion scare at M2 and a tweak of an old knee injury at Tri-State that has hampered him the past two postseasons – have only made Burgener more mentally and physically tough .

So as Burgener and the rest of his Highlanders teammates prepare for the District 6 3A boys tournament Friday and Saturday in Hermiston (Oregon), he hopes his string of bad luck has run its course for the season.

Especially with the new changes the WIAA have implemented to the wrestling postseason schedule, removing the regional round and expanding the number of wrestlers advancing to Mat Classic.

“We have got to lock in and get it done,” Shadle coach Dew Rogers said. “I think with our guys, we’re just gonna just keep doing what we’ve been doing all year. I think we’re at a point now where we’re tweaking things here. We’re sharpening some tools, but there’s no reason to change something that’s not broken.”

Outside of Burgener’s untimely injuries, it has been a season to remember for one of the Highlanders’ leaders on and off the mat. Burgener went 8-1 in Greater Spokane League duals, with six victories coming by pin. He also had an impressive first-period pin of Mead’s Logan Ullah in the Deer Park Invitational semifinals and topped Deer Park’s Evan Henry – who is ranked third in 2A – for the Pacific Northwest Classic title.

His only noninjury losses this season have been to Central Valley’s Bayden Beard, who is a returning state medalist, and Post Falls standout Seth Martin, who is a defending Idaho 5A State champion.

“It’s been good to get some of those wins and I’ve learned from the losses,” Burgener said. “But even if I do beat a kid two or three times, it’s about learning what I can do even better to beat whoever is next.”

Surviving and advancing will be key for the 3A wrestlers trying to make it into the Mat Classic field. Host Hermiston is the top-ranked 3A team, according to Washington Wrestling Report, and GSL representatives University, Mt. Spokane and Cheney should send plenty of wrestlers to Tacoma.

But Burgener is far from Shadle Park’s only hope.

Despite their 2-7 record in GSL duals this season, Rogers believes the Highlanders have the top-end talent to compete in several weight classes at districts and state. Tyrese Guzman took third at Mat Classic last year and is ranked first at 157 pounds this season. Shadle also returns state placers Joseph Stahl and Lucas Horner and 2023 state participant Corbin Juarez.

“All of these guys are top five in the state in their weight classes in my mind,” Rogers said. “I started coaching here as an assistant their freshman year, so I got to see them right when they got into high school and everything was just very fundamental and they were just at the very beginning.

“And now to see where they’re at and see how far they’ve come, knowing that the work they put in this year I believe they’re among the top kinds in the state regardless of outcome and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The top six placers at Hermiston High School will make the 3A boys bracket at Mat Classic. The top four finishers from the 4A boys tournament at Pasco High School will advance. On the girls side Saturday at Hanford High School in Richland, the top four 4A finishers and the top six 3A girls will advance to the Tacoma Dome. The State 4A and 3A tournaments for boys and girls will take place Feb. 20-21 at the Tacoma Dome.

Burgener hopes to not only book his ticket back to Mat Classic, but find himself on the top of the podium when it’s all said and done.

“I’ve been working so hard to reach that top step and I know this is my last chance,” Burgener said. “My sophomore and junior year, I wrestled on a torn knee and couldn’t wrestle to the level I wanted to. That kind of beat me up and sent me down a rocky road that I didn’t really like. This year, it’s just whole another year for me and I’m ready to show what I can do.”

Tickets for each day of the 3A boys district tournament will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and vets and are available for purchase at the door. Finals for each tournament are slated to start at 3 p.m.