At least that what Zach Schall wanted him to believe. The Warrenton junior was determined to erase two previous disappointing finishes at the state level. He was not about to let a first-round setback against Fields send him packing. "I just wanted to attack him and gas him out, because my conditioning is better," said Schall. "I wanted to beat him that way and take him down quickly." Schall beat Fields easily and followed up with a victory in the quarterfinals. He took third during Saturday's finals, bringing home his first state medal. Schall finished the season with a 36-6 record. He says he was tired of being eliminated on the first day of action. Finally, he was able to compete during all three days. "I didn't want to just sit down here, get fat and drink soda," quipped Schall. "I wanted to win a medal." The Warrenton grappler carried an intensity into his opening round bout that could not be matched. He quickly gained control of Fields, disposing of DeSoto junior by fall in just 45 seconds. Schall's competition in the 112-pound field got more complicated during quarterfinals. He trailed late in his battle with Blayne Schockley of Rolla. Schall was able to overcome the deficit, beating the 40-1 junior in a 7-5 decision. "Him beating Shockley was huge," said Coach Kevin Fowler. "He really picked it up going into the state. This should be a turning point for him." He surprised even himself by winning a match that favored his opponent on paper. But he promptly turned his focus to finishing as highly as possible. "I was shocked that I beat the Rolla kid, and I was happy that I was going to get a medal," said Schall. "I knew I had to get third. I knew I'd already medalled but I was trying to get the best possible medal." Instead of moving into the title bout, Schall gained an appreciation for the eventual state champion. Oak Park's Cody Brewer dropped him into the consolation bracket with a 17-1 technical fall. To avoid shifting into the fifth place match, Schall absolutely had to win his third round wrestleback. He managed to defeat Nate Kelly of Carthage 5-3, advancing into the third place tilt. Unfortunately, his opponent had a motive and a mission during the final match on Saturday - avoid a second loss to Schall. Although both had been bounced into the loser's bracket at different times, Shockley had battled his way through three wrestlebacks to get another shot at Schall. This time the Rolla standout made sure Schall didn't hand him a second dose of disappointment. Shockley won 5-2, claiming third place. Schall settled for fourth and says this year's showing topped that of the previous two winters. "I'm very pleased with where I got," said Schall. "I thought I stepped up these past two weeks and wrestled better than I ever have, and I got a medal for it." Fowler says Schall had it in him the entire time. He just wasn't willing to admit his strengths. "He's got tremendous skills and athletic ability," said Fowler. "But he's never given himself the credit he deserves. For him to go out and beat a former state champ, now that's turning the corner."