Westside walked into one of the toughest district brackets in the state knowing it would take their best effort of the season just to survive. When it was over, the Warriors had placed fifth out of eight teams and qualified six wrestlers for the state tournament, a result that was not just hard earned, but also reflective of how much the team grew over the course of the winter.
The six state qualifiers are Mason Bruber, Gable Jernigan, Jaden Von Knorring, Chase Myers, Graham Hoffart, and Justin Parish. For a team that battled injuries, lineup shifts, and one of the deepest districts in Nebraska, advancing six to state was no small accomplishment.
Head coach Michael Jernigan admitted that if you had told him at the beginning of the year that Westside would send that many to state, he might not have believed it.
“At the beginning of the season, if you would have said, ‘Coach, you have six state qualifiers with a potential of eight in your lineup right now,’ I would have been like, you’re crazy,” Jernigan said. “But with the tradition that we have here at Westside, with getting better through the year, by midseason we felt really good about how things were shaping together.”
Districts tested that belief immediately. The Warriors were placed in what many considered the toughest district in the state, featuring strong schools like Kearney, Grand Island, Omaha Bryan, and Norfolk. Westside entered as the fifth-seeded team and ultimately finished fifth, but the placement did not truly capture how competitive they were throughout the tournament.
“It was tough,” Jernigan said. “It was tough, but it was good to see all the things that we’ve preached the entire year. Just keep getting better. No one asks you how you did at York. Just keep getting better, and we got tremendously better.”
Several Westside wrestlers fought through the backside of the bracket to secure state placements, showing the resilience the coaching staff has emphasized since November.
“There was not one wrestler out of the qualifiers or non-qualifiers that I was disappointed in,” Jernigan said. “All of them walked off the mat with their heads high.”
For senior Chase Myers, districts felt like the result of months of steady growth. A three-time state qualifier entering the weekend, Myers once again found a way to punch his ticket. He said the district atmosphere forced everyone to elevate.
“You could feel how tough it was,” Myers said. “Every match felt like a state match. Nobody was giving anything away. You had to earn every position.”
Myers said finishing fifth as a team does not define how dangerous Westside can be this weekend.
“We don’t look at fifth and think that’s who we are,” Myers said. “We look at the six guys going to state and think we’ve got six chances to make some noise.”
Among those chances are seniors Myers and Gable Jernigan, whose experience could be crucial under the bright lights of the CHI Health Center. The Warriors also bring underclassmen Mason Bruber, Jaden Von Knorring, Graham Hoffart, and heavyweight Justin Parish, giving the program valuable returning experience for next season.
Jernigan said that balance between seniors and younger qualifiers is significant for the long-term health of the program.
“It’s very special with Chase and Gable being seniors,”Jernigan said. “It’s awesome that we have some underclassmen. Now we do have some returners for next year coming back who will be in our number one lineup. That’s absolutely huge.”
As the focus shifts from districts to the state tournament, Jernigan insists the approach does not change. Practices become shorter, but the intensity remains the same.
“We don’t change a thing,”Jernigan said. “We just shorten those times and keep the intensity up. If you walk out of here and think practice wasn’t hard, that’s your fault.”
Instead of adding new techniques, the coaches has emphasized maintaining, recovery, and confidence. Wrestlers spend more time drilling their best attacks and counters, focusing on game plans rather than experimenting. The coaching staff also leans heavily on sports science, prioritizing sleep, recovery sessions, and minimizing nagging injuries that can derail a state run.
“At the end of the year, you don’t need to push hard,” Jernigan said. “That’s how injuries happen. They’re already in shape. There’s no new move we’re going to show them two days before state.”
Westside has also welcomed former wrestlers and high-level training partners back into the room in recent weeks, giving the qualifiers fresh bodies and different looks. That added competition has helped sharpen the group without overworking them.
Now comes the hardest stage of the season.
“State wrestling tournament is hard,” Jernigan said. “It’s hard for the guy that’s been there four times. It’s hard for the returning state champ. It only takes one match to alter the entire tournament.”
That reality is not lost on Myers, who knows every round becomes progressively tougher.
“Every match only gets harder,” Myers said. “You win one and you celebrate for about five minutes, then you realize the next guy might be even better.”
For Westside, the goal is not simply to show up. It is to compete in a way that reflects the growth of the season. Jernigan said medals are meaningful, but they are not the only measure of success.
“I want them, when they walk off the mat, to be proud of what they did,”Jernigan said. “If they medal, that’s the physical reward. But it’s the pride and character that matter.”
Myers echoed that mindset while still making it clear he is chasing more.
“I didn’t come this far to just qualify again,” Myers said. “I want to be on that podium. But no matter what happens, I’m going to wrestle the way I trained all year.”
Six Warriors now stand among the top sixteen wrestlers in their respective weight classes in Nebraska. Just that is an accomplishment by itself. What they do with the opportunity this weekend will determine whether the season ends with satisfaction or something even longer lasting.
Either way, Westside arrives at state battle tested, improved, and ready for the toughest matches of the year.
