The disappointment was overwhelming this time around.Sure, Dan Filipek had set a new school record for single-season wins, and he will inevitably crush the career mark too.But those achievements seemed irrelevant after a 2-1 loss in the Class 3 152-pound state championship match on Saturday derailed his pursuit toward a perfect season.“I would have traded all of those other wins for this one,” lamented the Warrenton junior, who ended 53-1.For a second straight season, he had finished second.“I beat myself mentally before I ever stepped onto the mat,” said Filipek.Physically, he battled Oak Park’s Hunter Shelton (30-1) until the second tiebreaker but was never able to establish control of the match.“We didn’t get our offense going like we needed to,” said Warrenton Coach Kevin Fowler. “If we score a couple takedowns early, we’re in good shape. But we were probably in neutral position five-and-a-half minutes of the match. If you let a guy hang around like that, anybody can win.”“I felt like as long as I kept my offense going I could win the match and bust it open to take the lead,” said Filipek. “But I never got to my offense.”The match was deadlocked at 1-1 after three periods, as both competitors waited for the other to become the aggressor.“He tied up, and I was letting him stop my shots,” explained Filipek. “It slowed me down and allowed him to work defense.”Escapes were his only source of points during a match where the opponent dictated the tone.“It’s a tough loss, because I don’t feel like he performed like he’s capable of performing,” said Fowler. “It’s always difficult to face a loss, but even more so when you don’t feel like your kid wrestled as hard as he could have.”Filipek reached the title bout by winning three previous matches at the MSHSAA Championships. Filipek pinned his first-round opponent, Austin Marler of Windsor, in just 30 seconds on Thursday.“I came out confident in that match, knowing that I was the better competitor and ready to take care of business,” said Filipek.His quarterfinal meeting proved to be more challenging on Friday, as Filipek needed overtime to defeat Seth Logan of Carthage 3-1 in sudden victory.“That match was a little iffy, but I was able to pull it together and advance,” said Filipek. “By the time you get to that match, everybody is going to be tough.”Later that day he again appeared dominant, beating Neosho’s Isaac Townsend 9-3 during semifinal action.Unlike during last year’s championships, when Filipek entered as a darkhorse still forming his own identity, he was the target this time. “I felt like I came out more ready to go for those matches than I did in the title match,” said Filipek. “I psyched myself out, and it kind of ruined by gameplan going into it.”After losing to Platte County’s Johnny Blankenship during last year’s 145-pound title match, Filipek began putting in the work to return to the title match.His progress was evident this year, as he improved his win total significantly over last year’s 46-6 mark.“I just have to take this loss, learn from it and figure out my mental game,” said Filipek.To the youngest of three wrestling-obsessed siblings, all of those previous wins were merely practice for the ultimate stage. Dan topped his older brother’s 50-win mark from 2013, but J.J. still holds the more coveted prize, having won the 182-pound title.Perhaps the only consolation for Filipek on Saturday was knowing he has one more shot at the goal that has twice evaded him.“I’ve got to work harder toward the state title,” said Filipek. “I’m still hungry for it.”FILIPEK FINISHES SECOND AGAINDerrick Forsythe photo.