BOISE — Jake Lords shook his fist, hugged a teammate, then hugged another. Tyler Jaramillo rose off the mat, chest huffing and puffing, a victor of a match.
Kuna continued its scorching, season-opening trend Saturday with a Buck’s Bags tournament title, a feat capped with a 37-29 triumph against 5A Centennial in the championship dual. Junior Michael Cook posted an unbeaten tournament record for the third straight year, junior Casey Cobb was undefeated for the second straight year, and the 4A defending state champion Kavemen erased an early deficit to win the 32-team, two-day event at Capital High School.
“They put it together, and they wanted this,” said Kuna coach Pat Owens, whose team downed 5A Lewiston, 48-24 in the semifinals. “This is one of their goals. They came to get it.”
Kuna won six consecutive matches to cap the dual against Centennial.
Instrumental bonus points were achieved in four of those matches. Cobb, a defending state champion who’s ranked 4th among 106 pounders in the country by USA Wrestling Magazine national editor Dan Fickel, wrestled at the 113-pound classification. He used a half-nelson to pin Centennial’s CJ Olson in 3:30.
“We needed it,” Cobb said. “Every point counts.”
Cook, a two-time defending state champion who is ranked 11th among 126 pounders by Fickel, earned a 16-4 major decision against Centennial’s Matthew Park. 
Lords, a sophomore who finished third at last year’s 126-pound state tournament, followed posted a 16-0 technical fall against Scott Ashford in the 132-pound classification.
“Getting bonus points when we needed it was necessary,” Owens said. “They did awesome.”
The championship dual began with a matchup of nationally-ranked wrestlers. Centennial’s Hayden Tuma, a 138-pounder who’s ranked fourth in the country by Intermat and No. 1 nationally among juniors by Fickel, was shifted into the 145-pound weight classification to face Kuna’s Kurtis Loftis, an honorable-mention selection by Fickel.
Tuma, a two-time defending 5A state champion, defeated Loftis by a 15-5 major decision.
It’s the third straight year Tuma finished Buck’s Bags undefeated.
“If you’re a tough kid, I’m expecting a hard match, and I’m going to give it my all,” Tuma said. “I’m not scared to go out there and bang with anybody out there.”
Earning pins for Centennial was 98-pounder Trent Johnson and 152-pounder Jon-Jay Chavez, who is ranked ninth nationally by Fickel at 132 pounds.
Both finished Buck’s Bags undefeated along with 170-pound teammate Kris McFarlane, who accomplished the feat for the second time and capped the tournament with a pin.
It’s the second time in three days that Kuna beat Centennial (45-27, Thursday). The Patriots are missing reigning state finalists Jon Fisher and Dakota Wall, who are out of the lineup with injuries, yet coach Collin Robertson won’t use it as an excuse.
“We have good, capable wrestlers,” Roberston said. “I’m pleased with second, really wanted first and some redemption, but it’s the beginning of the season. We’ll just keep working hard and see where we end up.”
Kuna wrestlers Jacoby Peterson (106), Zack Velez (120) and Austin Silsby (220) finished undefeated.
Kavemen heavyweight JC English earned a pin, and Jaramillo closed the match win a 7-6 decision that gave Kuna its first Buck’s Bags title under Owens.
“We’ve been close before — real close before,” said Owens, whose team had a string of third-place finishes in previous years.“I’m pretty happy for them.”
Three-time defending Buck’s Bags champion Columbia finished third by downing 5A Lewiston.
Olin Vickers (170) finished undefeated for the second year. Kaleb Tackett (106), Flavio Rosales (120) and Austin Schaffer (182) also finished unbeaten.
“When you won a tournament the last three years, it’s kind of tough to not (win it),” Columbia coach Todd Cady said. “The competition this year is probably the toughest that it’s ever been.”
“There’s some bright spots in our lineup, but all in all as a team, I think we’re a ways away from where we wanna be.
“There’s a ton of room for improvement.”
Nampa 120-pound junior Mikel Perales finished undefeated for the third straight year.
Perales won all of his six matches with a first-round pin. He’s now 93-10 with 63 pins during his high school tenure at Nampa High.
The achievement is a positive sign for Perales, who went 44-1 last year but missed the postseason when he failed to make weight. It was an unfortunate turn of events for a wrestler who appeared destined to better a fourth-place state tournament finish as a 103-pound freshman.
“I think he’s turned the page,” said father and Nampa assistant coach Roy Perales. “I think he learned and grew from it.”
Johnshoy’s dominance continues
Melba 145-pound senior Jared Johnshoy, a three-time 2A state champion, finished Bucks Bag’s unbeaten for the third time.
Johnshoy, who is ranked ninth nationally in his weight class by Fickel, signed a National Letter of Intent with Boise State in November.
“We’re sold on Boise State’s coaching staff and their program,” said father and Melba coach Ron Johnshoy.
In February, Jared Johnshoy can become the 17th wrestler in IHSAA history to win four straight state titles (documentation started in 1960).
Spring Creek (Nev.) 126-pound senior Tyler Tate finished unbeaten for the fourth straight year. Mountain View’s 103-pound junior Riley Connolly was unbeaten for the third straight year.
