DES MOINES — Marshalltown boys wrestling made a strong first impression at the state tournament on Wednesday.

Three Bobcats are moving on to the Class 3A state quarterfinals after winning their second-round matches at the 100th IHSAA Boys State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

All four of the MHS qualifiers will be back on Thursday: Nicholas Wise, Xayvion Anderson and Johan Gomez all remain on the championship side of the bracket heading into the quarterfinals, while 126-pound sophomore Colby Cross will battle in consolations after losing his first-round matchup.

“That just shows how much more work we’ve been putting in,” Gomez said. “Hopefully we can keep it rolling tomorrow.”

Gomez had the closest match on Wednesday, needing sudden victory to fend off Norwalk’s Victor Esparza by an 8-5 score in a 190-pound second-round match.

In the previous meeting between the two, Gomez won a convincing 13-3 major decision, but Luke Cross said they saw some dangerous offense from Esparza.

“I think Johan was walking into that match thinking I’ve got to stay out of those scary positions,” Luke said. “And unfortunately, that changed the whole style of the match.”

Leading 4-2 in the third period after escaping from bottom, Gomez got into one of those tough positions as Esparza took him down, but Gomez was able to escape before time expired to tie the match at 5 heading to sudden victory.

In that overtime period, Gomez used Esparza’s energy against him, moving around a shot to land a match-clinching takedown.

“He’s a strong, explosive kid,” Gomez said. “I was waiting for those moments because I knew I was a little quicker than him, and I could get his legs that way.”

Gomez will meet fourth-seeded Brayden Koester of Bettendorf in the quarterfinals.

“I think learning from this match, I just have to attack straight on,” Gomez said. “It’s great to be back here, definitely a good feeling, especially when you’re winning.”

Wise collected his 100th career win with an 11-7 decision over North Scott’s Will McDermott.

McDermott’s size advantage and wrestling style put Wise in a “stylistic nightmare” of a matchup, Luke Cross said.

Wise led 10-2 in the second period before McDermott caught him with a takedown and nearly had Wise rolled over.

“Super tall kid, funky moves, and you can see at one point in the match, Nick is thinking this is going a little sideways,” Cross added. “But he kept his cool, stayed in good position and that’s what won him the match.”

McDermott escaped out of bottom midway through the third period but couldn’t score any more points the rest of the way.

“It was just a lot of adapting and staying aware,” Wise said. “There were a couple of times where I got a little greedy and it got a little close, but I stuck with it and ended up getting the win.

“Getting 100 wins is awesome. I was getting there as a freshman and sophomore but this year I’ve really excelled at wrestling and got more wins than I ever thought I would have. It’s cool to get it at the state tournament.”

Next up for Wise is a tough matchup against top-seeded Mac Crosson of Indianola, who defeated Wise by tech fall at districts last Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to the rematch,” Wise said. “I think if I don’t put too much pressure on him and stay a little cautious, I can make it a lot closer.”

Anderson spent the shortest amount of time on the mat Wednesday, locking up a pin of Waukee Northwest’s Bryce Williams with nine seconds left in the first period to advance to the 165-pound quarterfinals.

He scored the first takedown and worked on top to eventually stack up Williams for the pin.

“I was just seeing what he was working with and once I got the takedown I put on a tough ride and stuck him,” Anderson said. “It feels great to be back here, I love this atmosphere and wrestling in front of the home fans here was amazing.

Cross added: “I was impressed with his ability to be patient in the top position. He was going for that half out of a chicken wing and the guy kept defending it very well, but he hung out there and when it came available, he hit a home run.”

Johnston’s Caden Leonard awaits in the quarterfinals on Thursday — Anderson and Leonard have split their first two meetings; Leonard won a 4-0 decision on Jan. 11 and Anderson avenged that loss a week later at the Freeman-Castro Midwest Shootout via 2-1 decision.

Colby Cross’ state debut was less welcoming, as being the 24th seed of 24 wrestlers at 126 pounds pitted him against ninth-seeded Andrew Roland of Ankeny Centennial, who defeated Colby by technical fall early in the second period.

The road is no easier for Cross in the consolation bracket, taking on seventh-seeded Evan Simpson of Cedar Falls in the second-round consolations on Thursday. Simpson was a sixth-place finisher in last year’s 120-pound tournament.

“I thought he wrestled as tough as he could,” Luke Cross said. “He could’ve wrestled better, but effort wise he was 100 percent, and I don’t think he was blinded by the bright lights, he said he felt as strong as ever, and he was the aggressor in that match initiating the tie-ups.”

Thursday’s Class 3A action begins at 9 a.m. with second-round consolations, quarterfinals and third-round consolation bouts.

Thursday’s schedule

Class 3A session, 9 a.m.

Second-round consolations

126 pounds — Colby Cross, soph., Marshalltown, 16-17 vs. Evan Simpson, sr., Cedar Falls, 30-10

Quarterfinals

138 pounds — Nicholas Wise, jr., Marshalltown, 41-7 vs. Mac Crosson, soph., Indianola, 29-0

165 pounds — Xayvion Anderson, sr., Marshalltown, 43-3 vs. Caden Leonard, sr., Johnston, 33-4

190 pounds — Johan Gomez, sr., Marshalltown, 41-3 vs. Brayden Koester, soph., Bettendorf, 40-3