24 local wrestlers punch their ticket into MSHSAA state championships 

After winning his match in the consolation semifinals at the Class 3 District 1 wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22, in Farmington, Sikeston senior Colin Scott rushed to the warm embrace of his teammates.

Tears rushed down his face while his grip over his comrades was ever-so constricting. Emotion overwhelmed him as the reality of the moment started to set in.

He is finally going to the state tournament.

Scott lived a full career as a high school wrestler. He has crossed the 100-win milestone and won numerous medals along the way. However, until then, he had never finished a season in the MSHSA state tournament.

Until now.

Scott’s victory over Garrett Dearborn of Poplar Bluff advanced him to the third-place match and into state qualification. He finished the tournament with a 19-6 major decision win over Hunter Adams of DeSoto to win the bronze.

Scott (28-9) joins Sam McGill (26-5) and Wesley Patterson (28-13), who each placed second in their respective weight classes.

Cape Central will have two wrestlers from opposite ends of the weight spectrum make the trip to Columbia, Mo. Freshman Dane Armstrong defeated Wyatt Fortune of North County by a 12-9 decision to claim third place in the 106-pound weight class and his 30th win of the season. Connor Poole (23-14) finished second in the 215-pound weight class.

Poplar Bluff rounds out the local efforts in the C3D1 tournament with both Payton Edelman (113 lbs) and Branson Crum (132 lbs) each qualifying for the state tournament with fourth-place finishes.

In the Class 2 District 1 tournament in Park Hills, Mo., all three local schools produced a state qualifier. Kennett’s lone state qualifier, Kevin Thompson (36-5) finished second place in the heavyweight division, losing only to Ste. Genevieve’s Jacob Schweigert, who at a perfect 44-0, led the Dragons to the district championship. Thompson won his first matches by first-round fall and won his semifinal match in a 10-5 decision.

Notre Dame saw its top two wrestlers punch their ticket into the state tournament. Senior 215-pounder Cole Williams (26-4) defeated Vincenzo Butera of St. Clair by a 9-4 decision to win third place. Parker Lemons (31-8) finished fourth in the 150-pound weight class but secured his 30th win when he pinned Dexter’s Wyatt Hockersmith in the quarterfinal round.

Dexter sent two wrestlers of its own to the state tournament. 106-pounder Paxton White (22-6) pinned Affton’s Kyle Andres in the second round to win third place. 113-pounder Prestyn Tidwell finished fourth in his weight class.

Jackson was the lone local representative in the Class 4 District 1 tournament in Cedar Hill, Mo. Indians sent seven wrestlers to the Class 4 state tournament and placed third as a team behind Lafayette and Christian Brothers College.

Grady Rice claimed his 40th win of the season when he defeated Carter Libhart of Rolla by a 15-7 major decision in the third-place match. His brother, Gannon Rice (28-17), qualified for state after pinning Tommy Onder of St. Louis University High in the third round.

Brysen Wessell (37-6) pinned Noah McCollum of Eureka in the first round to win the district championship in the heavyweight division. Mitchell Baker (35-7), Kade King (38-6), and Joah Moore (33-7) finished second in their respective weight classes. Charlie Eifert finished fourth in the 215-pound weight class to round out the group.

Kelly capped off its first year as a wrestling program by hosting the Class 1 District 1 tournament in Benton, Mo. Gabriel Finn became the school’s first state qualifier when he defeated Oliver Holmes of Brentwood by a 28-second pin in the consolation semifinals to reach the third-place match in the 215-pound weight class. Finn finished with a fourth-place medal.

New Madrid County Central sent four wrestlers to the state tournament. Connor Henderson (24-1) won the district championship in the 190-pound weight class after pinning Lavelle Pete Jr. of Lift for Life before the end of the second round. His previous three bouts ended in first-round falls.

Three other Eagles qualified for the state tournament after fourth-place finishes. Gage Nabert (27-13) punched his ticket into Columbia after defeating Brentwood’s Evan Goldman in a 10-1 major decision. Ethan Markham (19-13) won his consolation semifinal match by a 19-1 tech fall. Tharon Harper (9-6) rounded out the group with an 11-6 decision over Priory’s Cameron Nelson.

The MSHSAA boys wrestling state championships will take place at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., from Friday, Feb. 28, through Saturday, March 1.