Cape Coral teacher wins again on 'American Ninja Warrior,' heads to the Vegas nationals

Cape Coral teacher Morgan Wright and his moose hat are going to the “American Ninja Warrior” nationals.

Wright made it through the Kansas City Finals on Monday’s episode of the TV obstacle-course competition. And he did it wearing his signature moose hat with antlers, eyes and snout.

Now the physical education teacher at Diplomat Elementary School moves on to the National Finals in Las Vegas. Those episodes will air Sept. 4, 11 and 18, according to a show spokeswoman.

Wright — who goes by the nickname Moose — competed against 35 other 'ninjas' at the Kansas City competition. He climbed, swung, jumped and ran through all but the final four obstacles on the show, including the Bar Hop, the Broken Pipes and the Warp Wall.

His family and the show’s hosts cheered him on from the sidelines. “This Moose can fly!” said show co-host Akbar Gbajabiamila after Wright scaled the Warp Wall. “The Moose is loose, baby! The Moose is loose!”

MORE: 'American Ninja Warrior': How ninjas train in Fort Myers for TV glory

But then Wright — banged up and injured from several falls along the way — came to the Salmon Ladder and couldn’t get past the first rung. He ended up falling into the water below. None of the competitors, in fact, made it all the way to the end of Monday's obstacle course.

Wright, 43, of North Fort Myers blamed his plunge on a lack of focus.

“I was so looking at that next obstacle,” he told The News-Press. “I’m thinking, ‘OK, I am gonna beat that next obstacle in its face hole! And instead …

“We always say, ‘Don’t underestimate the obstacle that you’re on.’ And suddenly, I’m in the water going, ‘Huh! In my mind, this ended differently.’

“However, it still was good enough that Moose is going to Vegas!”

Wright was ranked 14 out of the top 15 male competitors on Monday’s Kansas City Finals. All 15 will compete in the National Finals in Las Vegas.

The North Fort Myers resident is a retired U.S. Army first lieutenant and a Golden Apple Award-winning physical education teacher. He practices Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxes and competes in mud runs, obstacle-course races and ninja challenges.

Winning wasn’t easy, Wright told The News-Press.

“Kansas City was a killer course,” he said. “I gotta tell ya, it was a crazy, crazy atmosphere. Everyone was panicking about the balance obstacle. We were all hopping back and forth in the warm-up pit.”

MORE: Cape Coral teacher moves on to 'American Ninja Warrior' finals in Kansas City

Wright called the finals “a crazy haze.” The episode was filmed earlier this year.

“Out of 35 ninjas, only the top 15 males got to move on to Vegas,” he said. “So everyone’s sitting there biting their nails.”

Still, Wright said he was happy with his performance. “I did good. I felt great!”

Learn more about “American Ninja Warrior” at nbc.com/american-ninja-warrior.

Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells (News-Press) (Facebook), @charlesrunnells (Twitter), @crunnells1 (Instagram)