Settling for second place the previous two years, Fatima Comet junior wrestler Lucas Laux hoped this year that the third time would be the charm.

Denied a state championship by Whitfield’s Logan Ferrero, Laux earned another shot at the Warrior junior Saturday night during the 90th Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Wrestling Championships.

Scoring a reversal with :10 left in the match, Laux held on to win Fatima’s second state wrestling championship in school history in a 4-3 decision.

“We we’re looking initially to go down, get an escape to tie the match and send it to overtime,” Fatima head wrestling coach Kurt Strope said. “We ended up getting the reversal and then it went to just hang on.”
Laux joins Ryan Strope (2013) as the only Comets to win a state title on the mats.

“Ryan won his state title in my first year as coach of the Comets,” Strope said.

Trailing 3-0 midway through the second period, Laux got a takedown to trim Ferrero’s lead to 3-2 going into the third period.

“Whenever I got that takedown I knew I was only down one and I had the choice (going into the third period), Laux said. “I knew I had to go down to get the escape and at least force overtime. When I got the reversal, I knew it was perfect because he didn’t have time to come back.”

Laux’s road to a state title began Thursday morning in first-round action against Lawson sophomore Elijah Lafleur.

Scoring a quick takedown and two back points, Laux went on to win the match by fall at 1:12 securing a second day of state-tournament wrestling on Friday.

Looking to cement his spot on the medal stand, Laux matched up against Marceline freshman Ryder Gooch.

Getting a takedown :13 into the match, Laux added another takedown late in the first period for a 4-1 lead after two minutes of wrestling.

Starting the second period on bottom, Laux quickly scored a reversal and three back points before going on to win the match by fall at 3:36 securing no worse than a sixth-place finish.

Then standing between Laux and a third shot at a state title Friday night was Richmond senior Mason Hutchings.

Taking a 4-1 lead after one period on a pair of takedowns, Laux went on to advance to his third state championship bout, winning an 8-2 decision, capping it with a second-period reversal and a third-period takedown.

“Lucas wrestled like it was business as usual throughout the tournament,” Strope said.