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The Trenton Bulldogs delivered a strong showing at the Class 1 District 3 Wrestling Tournament Friday and Saturday, qualifying five wrestlers for the state tournament and finishing fourth in the team standings among 16 schools.

Competing in one of the toughest Class 1 districts in the state, Trenton advanced Ayden Ortega (106), Jacob White (120), Cooper Houser (126), Jackson Bethards (190) and Peyton Baker (285) to the state meet in Columbia.

Freshman Ayden Ortega opened his postseason with authority at 106 pounds, pinning his Tipton opponent in just 36 seconds in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal setback, Ortega rebounded with a major decision and a fall to secure third place and his first trip to state.

“I was so proud of the way Ayden wrestled and am excited to see what he can do at the state tournament,” Coach Bacon said. “He is one of the best in the state and I think Ayden will prove that this week.”

Returning state champion Jacob White continued his strong season at 120 pounds. White advanced with a quarterfinal fall and a semifinal major decision before dropping a hard-fought 14-10 decision in the championship match to finish second and earn another state berth.

“Jacob is one of the most driven wrestlers I’ve coached and I know he will use that loss for fuel in Columbia,” Bacon said.

At 126 pounds, senior Cooper Houser put together an impressive run to the finals. Houser recorded a first-round fall, a quarterfinal technical fall and a semifinal decision before narrowly falling 8-7 in the title match. Last year’s sixth-place state finisher will look to climb higher on the podium in Columbia while continuing to lead the Bulldogs as team captain.

“Cooper continues to prove why he is one of the best wrestlers in the state,” Bacon said, “He is our only senior in the varsity lineup and continues to be an outstanding leader and team captain.”

Junior Jackson Bethards provided one of the tournament’s biggest moments at 190 pounds. Entering unseeded, Bethards earned a first-round fall and then upset the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss, he secured his state berth with a clutch 4-2 decision in the bubble match, finishing fourth overall.

“As a coach, there is no better feeling than to see a kid who has worked so hard for years finally achieve the goal he had set,” Bacon said.

Heavyweight Peyton Baker followed a similar path at 285 pounds. After dropping his opening match to the top seed, Baker battled through the backside bracket with four consecutive pins to claim third place. His final pin also delivered the team points Trenton needed to edge Brookfield for fourth place in the team standings.

“There is nothing better than seeing a kid that doesn’t care about being unseeded go out and prove people wrong,”Bacon said.

In addition to the state qualifiers, several Bulldogs contributed key team points in deep weight classes. Freshmen Marcus White (113), Jax Simpson (132), Bryar Foster (138) and Fisher Young (150) each gained valuable postseason experience.

“These young men are the reason the future of our program looks bright and I’m so proud of each one of them,” Bacon said.

Sophomore Gabe Makovec competed at 157 pounds, while juniors Henry Lasley (165) and Barrett Clark (215) made strong runs, with Clark advancing to the bubble match.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way these young men represented the black and gold and upheld a long tradition of tough Trenton wrestlers,” Bacon said.

With five qualifiers advancing and a young core gaining experience, the Bulldogs now turn their attention to the Class 1 State Wrestling Championships in Columbia.