He was the youngest in his family to wrestle for Conner.
Senior Clayton Badida was also the best Cougar Friday. He won the 126-pound KHSAA state title over Meade County’s Peyton Vowels, 2-1 in triple overtime, at Alltech Arena in Lexington.
Three generations of Badidas watched the final. Clayton’s grandfather, Northern Kentucky wrestling legend Wayne Badida and older brother Tristin were on the mat coaching, and Clayton’s and Tristin’s dad, John Badida, was in the stands.
Clayton, however, was the only one who went airborne when he joyously leaped into Tristin’s arms.
“I had a great (wrestling) room this year,” Clayton said. “It’s the most fun year I’ve probably ever had. We had nine seniors; as long as we all wrestled together and we worked together, I could conquer anything.”
What was maybe better, Clayton’s title bested Tristin’s two semifinal finishes.
“He gives me a lot of grief,” Tristin said. “I had the record at Conner for 10 years for most wins with 214, and he’s at, like, 223 or something. He’s placed four times, and I only placed three times.”
Badida the eldest organized the Conner program in 1970. At first, he said Clayton’s match would be like every other.
“When you go out there, I don’t ever remember not getting excited during the match for our kid that was out there wrestling,” he said. “I wanted him to win ‘cause that’s why we came here – to win a title – and I got excited for every kid.”
A couple minutes later, Wayne decided watching Clayton was different.
“It’s special because it’s your grandson,” he said. “But at the same time, he’s a senior that’s leaving, that’s gonna graduate and go on, and you’re gonna miss him.”
For a moment, Vowels’ three-point takedown with 10 seconds left in the first of three overtimes was the winning margin. Until it wasn’t – referees reversed the call.
The reason: a lack of control.
“Clayton stood up and was coming out,” Wayne Badida said. “He was never stopped. (Vowels) was behind, but (Clayton) was never stopped. It was the beginning of a takedown, but it wasn’t a takedown.”
Badida won the match eight seconds into the third overtime with an escape.
There won’t be any more Badidas wrestling for a while, but would Clayton or Tristin send their offspring to a nearby mat someday?
“That’s the plan, as of now,” Clayton said.
Four finalists
Badida was the lone local champion, but four others reached the finals: Highlands’ Parker Wilkens at 106 pounds; Ryle’s Aiden Brinkman at 120; Highlands’ Kayson White at 157; and Campbell County’s Brayden Allender at 285.
Wilkens, the No. 2 seed, dominated his first two matches, 9-0 over Ethan Klidzjes of Caldwell County and a 17-4 technical fall over Martin County’s Brody Jewell. He held on against North Oldham’s Lincoln Maynard, 5-2, and reached the finals with a 12-5 decision over Fort Campbell’s Ryker Kramer.
Union County’s Jackson Taylor had no trouble against Wilkens in the final – a 16-1 technical fall.
Brinkman’s route to the 120 finals included a 19-4 technical fall over Louisville Moore’s Logan Gevedon, pins over Liam Ditto of LaRue County and Carson Matney of Johnson Central ,and a 10-6 decision against Union County’s Jaxson Mayberry.
Harrison County’s Jackson Wells ended Brinkman’s hopes, 16-0, in the final – a takedown and two near falls in the first period and two near falls in the second.
Allender, the 20-seed, made the top eight for the only time in his high school career. He had the toughest road to the finals. After a forfeit win over Ian Tibbs of Madison Southern, he survived against Austin Goodpaster of Nelson County (3-0), Maxx Escaloni of Woodford County (6-3) and Whitley County’s Landon Bryant in the semifinals, 7-3.
“He gassed (Bryant),” Campbell County coach Stephen Myers said. “Our kid was in better shape than him.”
Atherton’s Colton Lewis gassed Allender in the final – a first-period takedown and the pin with 1:36 left in the second.
“In that finals match, (Lewis was) a big guy, and I’m giving up 40 pounds on him,” Allender said.
White, who recorded a pin and three technical falls, lost to Harrison County’s George Dennis, 4-1, in the final. His second-place showing was three spots higher than 2025.
“Not satisfied with how I finished getting second,” White said, “but I’m definitely proud of the way that I’ve grown and gotten better and looking forward to how I’m going to do next year.”
White and Dennis were tied at 1-1 until the final 20 seconds, when Dennis grabbed White’s left leg for the takedown.
“I’d have to say I was a little too flatfooted, and he got me,” White said.
Semifinalists
Four others reached the semifinals: Simon Kenton’s Cody and Braydan Blevins at 106 and 126, respectively, Ryle’s Bryant Brinkman at 113 and fellow Raider Noah Crisp at 165.
Cooper’s Christian Brown finished third at 285.
As expected, Union County overwhelmingly won the team title over Paducah Tilghman 271-168.5. Harrison County was third with 140 and Boyle County was fourth with 135.5.
Ryle was fifth with 117, and Conner and Simon Kenton tied for eighth with 94.
An almost-perennial question arose: will Ryle coach Tim Ruschell retire?
“I don’t know yet,” Ruschell said. “I guess I’ll do one more. I don’t know; we’ll see what my son (assistant coach Keith Ruschell) says. I’m just tired.”
The girls tournament begins at 9:30 a.m Saturday, with the finals scheduled for approximately 2 p.m.