By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The story goes that Bolivar High School’s Daryin Sharp broke his neck as a sophomore, re-joined the wrestling team last season and, despite trailing 14-1 in a state consolation semifinal, scored a pin in the final 20 seconds of that match – and then surged all the way to a third-place finish.
In other words, inspiration should not be hard to find this season for Liberators Wrestling.
“He’s kind of a Cinderella story,” Bolivar coach Glen Johnson said of Sharp, and later punctuated that statement with these words, “He’s the heartbeat (of the team). He’s a good kid off the mat, but he’s a kid no one wants to mess with on the mat.”
Such a reputation could be significant in the practice room for a team that returns six state qualifiers from a year and a number of guys with varsity experience.
Among the returning Class 2 state qualifiers are likely 106-pound junior Granite Cunningham, 113-pound sophomore Riley Hawk, 126-pound senior Luke Moffett, 152-pound senior Chase Hampton, 145-pound sophomore Hayden Burks and Sharp.
Moffett was the only other one, besides Sharp, among that group who medaled, as he placed fifth at 120. He is actually a three-time state qualifier, having placed sixth at 106 as a freshman.
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“He had a huge offseason,” Johnson said. “Before, I couldn’t get him to lift weights, and I finally convinced him that it’s beneficial, and that you are going to realize it at the state tournament. He has bought in. Now he looks like a completely different kid.”
The hope is that Moffett and Sharp set the tone in the practice room for a team that last year finished third at its district tournament and won the Grandview Dual Tournament and the Bolivar Invitational.
Hampton is interesting because he’s a former basketball player.
“He’s going to push (for a state medal),” Johnson said. “He’s a good, three-sport athlete who was cut from the basketball team and was mad about it. So he started wrestling. He’s so strong.”
The rest of the projected lineup includes senior Samuel Lewright (182) and juniors Mason Taylor (113), Seth Farr (138), and Johnathan Henderson (132) and Jack Hadank (160).
Sophomores are Zack Sokolik (126), Jacob Matlock (132), Jonathan Henderson (132), Noah Farr (138), Draeden Thompson (145), Terry Fox (152), Garred Engle (160), Caleb Rains (170), Spencer Lipe (220) and Keegan Brockman (285). Freshmen Canyon Cunningham and Drayton Hucthman are possibilities at 106 and 195, respectively.
Johnson also is a factor. He’s the school’s football coach and agreed to return for a second season as the head wrestling coach. The school has advertised for the job since the departure of Mel Hughes, with athletic director Todd Schrader coaching the team for two years before last year. Johnson previously was an assistant.
“It’s going to be a pretty competitive room,” Johnson said. “Twenty freshmen are going to compete, so our program has really blossomed. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want to get out of it.”
