Moffat County senior Kaden Hixson ended his high school wrestling career Saturday night, Feb. 18, as the 3A 126-pound state champion.

He’s the first Bulldog wrestler to make it to the final round since Miki Klimper in 2018 and the first to win a state championship since Jake Breslin in 2007.

“It just feels unreal for me — a lifelong dream,” Hixson said.

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The championship match between Hixon and Nick Dardanes of Brush was tied 8-all after three periods. Hixson had the lead for most of the bout with an early takedown and a subsequent near-fall before Dardanes gained a reversal to get on the scoreboard. Dardanes also got Hixson to the mat with two takedowns, though the Bulldog responded with escapes.

With everything on the line, Hixson kept his cool going into overtime, and he earned a takedown for a 10-8 victory.

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“I just stayed calm, saw my shot and I took it,” he said. “I shot right off the whistle.”

It wasn’t the first time Hixson had faced Dardanes, a sophomore. Having more experience as a senior didn’t hurt, but their previous meeting in January saw Dardanes win 5-3.

“I was more motivated than ever to take it to him,” Hixson said. “There’s a bunch of underclassmen who are getting really good.“

Hixson has placed at state all four years of his high school career, and he finished his senior season with a 49-7 record. Despite getting on the state podium multiple times, this is the first time Hixon has made it to the championship round, a fact which made the title all the more significant.

“I’ve been coming up short my whole high school career, so it’s awesome to end it on top,” he said. “I want to thank everyone who’s helped me become a state champ. My teammates earned it just as much as I did. They helped me achieve this, too.“