Highland Park wrestler Bennett Ham did what he has done at every tournament this season Saturday the UIL Texas Wrestling State Championships at the Berry Center in Cypress.
He reached the championship match.
Unfortunately for HP’s most-decorated wrestler in 2026, a dream season ended in disappointment as the senior had to settle for silver following a loss in the finals at 165 pounds to Leander’s Mauricio Bryant, 8-5.
Still, it was another impressive performance for Ham, who finished with a 33-6 record this season and 106 career wins.
Ham’s run to the finals helped fuel a ninth-place finish overall in Class 5A for the Scots.
HP finished with 48.5 points as a team, while Melissa ran away for the team title, posting 153 points to finish well in front of second-place Azle (78) and third-place Cedar Park (71.5) and Mission Sharyland (71.5).
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Also reaching the podium for the Scots was sophomore Holden Jacobs, who racked up a 4-1 record en route to third at 157 pounds, including pinning Melissa’s Ray Ndanzia with just eight seconds remaining to secure the bronze medal with a 7-5 decision. It was the third consecutive tournament Jacobs defeated Ndanzia in the postseason.
For the year, Jacobs paced the Scots in winning percentage with a record of 44-5.
Also on the mat for HP were sophomore Jax Hanson (138 pounds), sophomore Bey Friedrich (106), and sophomore Graham Rodgers (190).
Hanson also made a run at the podium before coming up just shy.
HP’s team-leader in wins this season at 47-10, Hanson went 2-2 in Cypress, but was ultimately eliminated by Canyon Randall’s Landen Ballesteros.
Friedrich, meanwhile, earned one win before elimination and posted a record of 34-12 for the season, while Rodgers also picked up a win to cap a strong finish to what was an injury-plagued campaign.
With a quartet of sophomore state competitors and a host of others slated to return next year, HP is already looking forward to continued state success in 2027.
