By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
If you have an image of old-school wrestling in the 1970s – that is, a no frills practice room, guys walking in with stocking caps and sweatshirts as if they’re ready to enter the meat locker of a packing plant – then swing by Central High School.
Tucked back into a corner room down the hall from Jim Ball Gymnasium is where the Bulldogs practice.
And it’s here where coach Brian Pyck hopes that four Bulldogs who were state qualifiers in youth USA Wrestling take the next step and bring along the rest of the roster.
After all, this marks Pyck’s 15th season as Central’s coach, and the Bulldogs anticipate 35 on the roster, including seven returning starters. Plus, there is easy motivation, considering two wrestlers qualified for the state tournament last February – and the program saw its first conference champion since 2014.
“Our MSHSAA middle school programs at Pipkin and Westport (middle schools) have really helped our participation along with the Bulldogs Wrestling Club that trains K-8th grade wrestlers as part of the USA Wrestling season,” Pyck said.
One of the room’s top wrestlers is on the girls side – Catherine Dutton, who is a returning state qualifier in the 220-pound weight class.
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“She just came back from the National Pre-season Duals in Illinois as part of the Missouri Women’s national team,” Pyck said. “She went 4-1 to help the team win the championship.”
On the boys’ side, the projected roster could be: freshmen Lucas Gideon (106) and Jinx Lashley (113), sophomore Griffin Ray (120), freshmen Nathan Azevedo (126) and Weston Jones (132) and sophomores Gaven Bremenkamp (138), Elijah Dalan (145), Tyler Loveland (152) and Ben Wolgast (160).
The rest of the roster could see seniors Tony Nguyen (170), Chance Maples (182) and Joshua Nelson (220) with junior Aydin Waterland at 195. Heavyweight has not been determined.
“Chance Maples is a strong senior who brings leadership to the team and has been really leading the team in the offseason workouts,” Pyck said.
Gideon, Lashley, Bremenkamp and Nelson were USA Wrestling state qualifiers.
“Nelson is having a successful football season,” Pyck said. “Jinx Lashley and Lucas Gideon are multiple USA state qualifiers and bring some great experience into the room. Lashley’s father, Ricky Lashley, is the head coach of the Bulldogs Wrestling Club and also a former successful Central wrestler for Hall of Fame coach Bob Kinloch.”
He went on.
“Wolgast and Bremenkamp have also been working hard in the weight room this summer, and we expect to see them surprise some wrestlers on the mat this year,” Pyck said.
The Bulldogs also have notable assistant coaches who were standouts at Willard High School and state placers, then went on to compete at Drury University: Connar Loderhose and Tommy Massengale.
“Loderhose has brought some great experience from Drury University’s wrestling program to lead the team in strength training in our off-season workouts,” Pyck said. “The team has been working hard in the weight room this year to increase strength and also help the freshman adjust to high school workouts.”
Still, the Bulldogs are like many other area programs who have had to adjust the schedule during the Covid-19 pandemic. Far-away trips had to be dropped.
That said, he just wants his wrestlers to compete. One of the girls wrestlers will be junior Isabella Richardson, a 145-pounder.
“Travel and tournament size restrictions due to COVID has created a challenge in adjusting our schedule to see more competition,” Pyck said.
