BUFFALO — Entering the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 2, District 3 Boys Wrestling Tournament over the weekend at Buffalo High School, Dustin Howard’s Owensville Dutchmen had 11 wrestlers looking for top-four finishes in their respective weight classes booking them passage to the upcoming MSHSAA Wrestling Championships beginning today (Wednesday) at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

By the time the final hand was raised late Saturday afternoon, three orange and black wrestlers punched their tickets to state wrestling in senior Steven Buddemeyer, freshman Bo Buddemeyer and senior Cael Walker.

“These guys have worked so hard all season and have earned their trips to state coming out of a tough part of the state,” Howard said. “All of our guys wrestled hard and as nice as it would’ve been to see them all qualify for state, they gave everything they had and that is all you can ask for at this point in the season.”

Drawing a bye to the quarterfinals at 138 pounds, senior Steven Buddemeyer pinned Monett’s Chris Spears in 1:27 advancing to the semifinals and a bout with Reeds Spring’s Kadyn Allerton.

Holding on to win a 4-2 decision, the elder Buddemeyer secured his third trip to Columbia and state wrestling.

Awaiting Buddemeyer in the district championship match was Seneca’s Eli Manley.

Losing by technical fall in the title bout, Buddemeyer settled for second place at 138 pounds.

Shortly after he punched his ticket to state, his younger brother Bo had to go through the consolation side of the bracket to secure his spot in Columbia at 144 pounds.

Losing to eventual district champion Brant Laughlin (Seneca) by fall in :30 during semifinal action, Bo now had Monett’s Tanner Swinford standing between him and another week of wrestling with his older brother.

Winning a 10-3 decision, Buddemeyer clinched his spot at state and went for third place at 144 pounds against Logan-Rogersville’s Philip Gann.

Pinning the Wildcat in 4:32 during quarterfinal action on day one, Buddemeyer duplicated the feat on day two with a win by fall in 1:44 securing third place at 144 pounds.

With seven reasons for motivation, Walker entered the consolation semifinals at 190 pounds against St. James senior Zane Achterberg with a state berth on the line.

Having lost to his Tiger opponent in seven previous meetings, Walker shocked not only Buffalo High School but the entire state pinning Achterberg in :31 sending Owensville’s contingency of fans and wrestlers into celebration mode.

“I have no words to describe how proud I am of Cael (Walker),” Howard said. “He just flat out went out there and got after it against one of the best wrestlers in the state and now he’ll get to end his OHS wrestling career as a state qualifier.”

Oddly enough, Walker’s road to Columbia opened in first-round action against Achterberg in which he was pinned in :53 by the Tiger senior.

Drawing a bye to the second round of the consolation bracket, Walker scored wins by fall over Logan-Rogersville’s Keziah Queen (:36) and Osage’s Levi Hart (3:29) to earn his aforementioned rematch with Achterberg.

After punching his ticket to state, Walker settled for fourth place at 190 pounds after a loss by fall in the third-place match to Monett’s Logan Cole (1:48).

“It still has not sunk in that I just beat a kid that beat me seven times before,” Walker said. “I can’t believe I’m going to end my OHS wrestling career as a state qualifier.”

Junior Liam Rasmussen nearly made it four state qualifiers from OHS at 150 pounds.

Pinning Reeds Spring’s Draven Davis in 2:43 during first-round action at 150 pounds, Rasmussen advanced to the quarterfinals and a bout with Hollister’s Cole Escobar.

Losing an 8-4 decision, Rasmussen was sent to the second round of the consolation bracket and a showdown with Nevada’s Lane Rogers.

Pinning his Tiger opponent in 3:25, Rasmussen moved one win closer to state in the third round of the consolation bracket against Clinton’s Kaydon Dunnington.

Winning that match by fall in :45, Buffalo’s Dylan Gonzalez was all that was standing between Rasmussen and a trip to Mizzou Arena.

Ending up on the wrong side of a 12-4 major decision, Rasmussen’s junior season of Dutchmen wrestling ended at 35-11.

Escobar went on to place third at 150 pounds while Gonzalez placed fourth.

Suiting up for OHS at 126 pounds, Cayson Faulkner opened his tournament against Reeds Spring’s Aidan Mcatee.

Pinned in 2:20, Faulkner drew a bye to the second round of the consolation bracket and a match against Nevada’s Kayden Shepard.

Losing by fall in :50, Faulkner’s season ended with a record of 15-25.

At 132 pounds, Diego Lansford started his district tournament for the Dutchmen against Monett’s Kade Adams.

Losing by technical fall, Lansford stayed alive with a win by fall in 3:32 over Logan-Rogersville’s Dennis Shinkarevich.

Facing Osage’s Nic Groll in the second round of wrestle backs, Lansford’s season ended at 19-34 after a loss by fall to his Indian opponent in 2:32.

Peyton Pohlmann drew a bye to the quarterfinals at 157 pounds and a bout with Nevada’s Brayden Morgan.

Pinned in 3:24, Pohlmann found himself in the second round of the consolation bracket and a bout with Logan-Rogersville’s Jack Hauer.

Winning his match by fall in 2:20 over Hauer, Pohlmann next took on Cassville’s Tyler Hodge in the third round of wrestle backs.

Losing by fall in 1:58, Pohlmann’s season ended at 23-15 to two eventual state qualifiers.

Morgan placed third while Hodge settled for fourth place at 157 pounds.

Senior Zach Barch looked to end his OHS wrestling career with a state berth at 165 pounds.

Losing by technical fall in the first round to Clinton’s Fisher Pack, Barch drew a bye to the second round of the consolation bracket opposite Buffalo’s Lucas Fletcher.

Pinned by his Bison foe in 2:02, Barch’s senior season ended at 21-28 while Fletcher went on to place fourth in the district at 165 pounds.

Will Coppedge was next on the mats in orange and black at 175 pounds.

Drawing a bye to the quarterfinals, Coppedge was matched up against Clinton’s Payton Goth.

Pinned by his Cardinal opponent in :27, Coppedge was sent to second round of the consolation bracket and a match against Buffalo’s Peyton Smith.

Winning that match by fall in :22 over his Bison opponent, Coppedge then took on Nevada’s Andrew Cornelius in the third round of wrestle backs.

Losing by fall in 2:43, Coppedge ended his freshman season of Dutchmen wrestling with an overall record of 21-25.

Logan Kiesling had a tough draw right out of the gate at 215 pounds for OHS.

Matched up against top-seeded DJ Glidwell from Nevada, Kiesling ended up losing by technical fall to the eventual district champion.

Drawing a bye to the second round of wrestle backs, Kiesling kept his bid for state alive by winning a 3-1 decision over Seneca’s Aiden Crane.

Facing Eldon’s Oliver Burrows in the third round of the consolation bracket, Kiesling saw his season end with a record of 18-29 following a loss by fall in :58 against his Mustang opponent.

Rounding out Owensville’s contingency of district wrestlers was Rylee Schuchardt at 285 pounds.

Drawing Seneca’s Taylor Barwick in the first round, Schuchardt ended up being pinned in 3:04 by the eventual district champion.

Looking to stay alive now in the first round of the consolation side of the bracket, Schuchardt faced off against Buffalo’s Zane Phelan.

Pinning his Bison opponent in :32, Schuchardt advanced to the second round of wrestle backs and a showdown with Logan-Rogersville’s Carson Stinett.

Unable to match his offense, Schuchardt’s season ended at 10-11 after a loss by technical fall to his Wildcat foe.