Poplar Bluff senior Paul Swesey is 18-1 heading into the SEMO Conference tournament starting Friday at Sikeston. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

After a disappointing weekend in a tournament that featured many of their district opponents, the Poplar Bluff Mules will try to get back on track at the SEMO Conference championships.

The two-day tournament starts Friday at Sikeston.

"We were tested a lot up at (the Route 141 Rumble)," Mules coach Brian Wisdom said. "I always have hopes that we'll do well (at SEMO) but it's up to the boys, it's where their heart is."

Last year the Mules finished fifth and got three wrestlers -- Zach Surque, Brandon Bounds and Paul Swesey -- to the championship match. All three are back for another shot at the title after reaching the state championships last winter.

The tournament features Cape Central, Dexter, Farmington, Jackson, New Madrid, North County, Park Hills Central, Ste. Genevieve, Sikeston and Windsor. Poplar Bluff has dual wins against Dexter, Sikeston and New Madrid already this season but Farmington, Ste. Genevieve and Jackson are the favorites to win the title, Wisdom said.

"Our kids are going to have to wrestle tough," he added.

The Mules are coming off one of their worst performances as a team over the weekend but bounced back Tuesday night with a 72-6 win at New Madrid.

Wisdom felt his team didn't "wrestle with a lot of heart and soul" over the weekend but pointed out that a 17-day break between matches may have been a factor.

"Christmas break has killed us," Wisdom said. "We're slowly getting back to where we were."

Swesey (18-1) will return to the 171-pound bracket this weekend after starting this season at 189 pounds. The senior, who will be the third seed, has 14 pins this season and his only loss came against McCluer North's Kevin Knopf, who is ranked fifth at his weight in Class 4. Swesey is ranked fourth at 189 pounds in Class 3 by missouriwrestling.com.

Ste. Genevieve's Tyler Thomure, who won the 171-pound title last year with a 8-3 win, is the top seed followed by Sikeston's Gavilan Bland, who Swesey beat earlier this season in a exhibition match.

Bounds (20-9) has 13 pins this season and is 6-3 since dropping down to 125 pounds, finishing fifth in St. Louis over the weekend.

Surque (22-7) started the season with 11 straight wins before finishing fifth at the Tiger Classic in December. The sophomore has seven pins at 112 pounds.

"This is the start of what's meaningful to these kids," Wisdom said. "You want to do well at conference.

"It's do or die."

Ethan Swingle (22-7) had the best finish for the Mules over the weekend in St. Louis, placing third at 103 pounds. The freshman, who has eight pins and has been pinned just once this season, will be the top seed in the SEMO bracket.

Kelton Thompson (20-10) has six pins this season but will move down to 189 this weekend, avoiding what may be the toughest weight in the conference. Jackson's Black Peiffer and Farmington's Kendal May are both ranked in the top six for their class at 215 pounds.

Dallas Berry (16-13), who finished seventh over the weekend, has seven pins at 145 pounds while Storm McClure (16-11) has five pins at 130 pounds. Jordan Henningson (14-12) has seven pins and will compete at 135 pounds after finishing sixth in St. Louis.

Colton Woodsmall (119 pounds), Vince Faraone (140), senior Brent Wagner (152) and junior Brennan Moore (160) will compete for the Mules while Tony Hinton drops down to 215 and freshman heavyweight Anthony Vezeau will get his first varsity start.