By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’s always nice to see hard work pay off.
This winter marks the 12th at Glendale High School for wrestling coach Bud Donnell, who has tried to build a competitive program in a basketball town, at a school known for its basketball history.
But check this out.
Ethan Kelly, a 126-pound sophomore, and Bradley Hiteshaw, a 113-pound junior, are on pace to be only the second and third wrestlers to qualify for the state tournament all four years. The last to accomplish the feat was Don Price, who won a state title in 1980.
Those two are a good place to start when talking about the Glendale Falcons this season, considering Donnell not only will be looking forward to what they can do individually but also for the team.
“Our team is young,” said Donnell, who has been a wrestling coach for 21 seasons now and has a program-best 114 dual wins at Glendale. “We are excited to see what we can accomplish, once the season begins.”
Falcons Roster
Donnell expects about 50 wrestlers on the roster when practices get under way. Eleven are returning starters.
Look for junior Arthur Pille in the 106-pound weight class, Hiteshaw at 113, sophomore Maverick Hannifan at 120, Kelly at 126 and senior Jackson Williams at 138.
In the upper weights, it could be senior Evan Padget at 150, senior Jason Eubanks at 150, sophomore Westly Strand at 165, junior Charles Glover at 175, sophomore Deric Washington at 190, sophomore Brett Osbourn at 215 and sophomore Reed Jackson at 285.
Kelly is returning to the 113-pound weight class after winning one of three matches at the state tournament.
Kelly won the Bolivar and Truman tournaments, placed third in both the Kinloch Classic and Republic tournament, and all before qualifying for the state tournament.
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL OF THE WINTER PREVIEWS
“Ethan is a true leader inside and outside of the wrestling room,” Donnell said. “He has two major goals. He wants to win a state championship and finish his career with the most wins in Glendale’s history.”
Hiteshaw competed in the 106-pound weight class and earned a sixth-place medal. His season featured winning the Bolivar and Republic tournament, a runner-up finish at the Kinloch Classic, a runner-up at the Truman tournament and then won the Ozark Conference. He was second at the district tournament.
“He has wrestled six to seven days a week in the offseason,” Donnell said. “He has competed in multiple high level off-season tournaments.”
Williams wrestled all offseason and competed in several tournaments, growing through his summer work.
“Several of our wrestlers attended the Mizzou camp,” Donnell said. “They also competed in various tough tournaments. Several of our wrestlers put in summer work with the Terminators.”
Donnell knows how to challenge his team, but not to over-do it, so to speak. He has found a good tournament for Glendale in recent years, the Truman Tournament in Independence. A year ago, the Falcons earned a third-place trophy.
“This is a fun tournament for our kids,” Donnell said. “They are inspired to go back this season and earn some team hardware.”
The Falcons are scheduled to host a scrimmage on Nov. 29.
Glendale Girls
Glendale is like a number of area schools, in that it is slowly building a girls wrestling program.
Fortunately for the Falcons, several had success last year and are returning for the 2023-2024 season.
Look for Lily Hiteshaw, a freshman, at 100 pounds. She competed in middle school last year and was a regular on the USA Wrestling circuit locally in recent years.
Klairece Edwards is at 110 pounds. She earned a third-place showing at the Lady Viking Tournament.
Another to watch for is Lyla Smith, who placed third at the Ozark Conference last year and will compete at 115 pounds this season.
Charlea Anness is at 120 pounds.
Donnell wasn’t speaking necessarily about the girls team but overall when he said this, “Our goal is to compete at a high level, have a large team, earn some team trophies and make a run at the state tournament.”
