There’s a desolate tunnel tucked away in the underground levels of the Mizzou Arena that saw its share of tears over the weekend during the MSHSAA Championships.An usher working the area decided to name it “Heartbreak Hallway,” after seeing dozens of disappointed wrestlers retreat to the solemn confines after losing.Unfortunately for the Warrenton wrestling program, most of its state qualifiers got a first-hand look at those walls as they dealt with the agony of an early exit from the tournament.The Warriors took six competitors to the state’s pinnacle event but only one returned home with hardware, as junior Dan Filipek finished second in Class 3 at 152 pounds.“All day Saturday we sat around, because we didn’t have guys wrestling for medals, and that’s not what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Coach Kevin Fowler.The remaining five combined for just four wins, all seeing their medal hopes come to an end by Friday afternoon.“I was pleased to a point, but we have to start changing our mentality,” said Fowler. “Qualifying and coming down to go winless or only win one match isn’t the standard we want. It appeared promising early for a pair of juniors, as Dominic Kennedy and Jacob Manion each won their first-round matches.Kennedy quickly pinned Warrensburg’s Sean Parr in the 106-pound opener, and Manion took down state-ranked Adam Muelebach of Platte County with an 8-5 decision.“I had wrestled that kid before,” said Manion. “He pinned me, but I was winning at the time, so I knew I could beat him.”But both would lose their quarterfinal matches, falling back into the wrestlebacks, where Kennedy claimed another win and Manion faced double elimination.“I wanted to prove something to myself this year that I didn’t do last year,” said Kennedy. “I wanted to show everyone that I have improved and that wrestling is a good thing.”For Kennedy, it was an improvement over last year’s appearane, during which he came up winless.“I feel like I did pretty good in my matches but obviously not good enough,” said Kennedy. “There’s still stuff I need to work on, so I’m hoping to make it back and at least medal next year.”Manion was making his debut at state, coming in confident after a solid season of tournament finishes.“After I won that first match I got a little over confident,” said Manion. “In my next two matches, I let my focus get away from me.”Three others in the mix lost their first-round matches on Thursday, immediately falling into the wrestlebacks.Senior Christian Yates was pinned by Harrisonville’s Jericho Harris in just 50 seconds and was unable to recover, losing his next match as well at 120 pounds. It was a frustrating conclusion for a competitor who returned to state for a second year with a different team, having attended Zumwalt South last season.“Every year is different, so last year’s experience didn’t really help me,” said Yates. “My first (opponent) was good, and he got me down for my second match.”“It was fun and disappointing at the same time, because I didn’t make it as far as I wanted to,” said Yates.Seth Brierly faced a similar fate in the 126-pound bracket, as the senior was pinned during the first period of his opening bout against Willard’s Nikolas Chavez. “During my first match I was really nervous, becaues I didn’t know how to deal with the atmosphere,” said Brierly. “My second match I was less nervous, but I couldn’t get my mind wrapped around it.”He would fall by a 9-2 decision during wrestlebacks, seeing his first-ever trip to state end abruptly.“I was a little teary-eyed, because I was thinking about all the moments I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t have wrestling,” said Brierly. “I’m thankful to have made it here after missing out by one match the past two years.”James Biship, who also lost his first-round match, was able to recover for a victory during wrestlebacks. The junior opened with an 11-2 loss by decision to Markel Moore of Carthage, before pinning Windsor’s Dirk Tucker in 2:27 to remain alive. “I just wasn’t ready,” said Biship. “I came in like last year and was overwhelmed by the people and the atmosphere.”His run at the state tournament would end in the next round. “I’m thinking about the next 363 days,” said Biship. “That’s how much time I’ve got to get ready to come back and ultimately achieve my goal.”BISHIP ESCAPESDerrick Forsythe photo.