By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Fired up. Optimistic. Encouraged. Any of those words might be the best way to describe Marshfield High School wrestling coach Matt Holt heading into this winter.
Who can blame him? Just consider this past offseason, which came on the heels of the Blue Jays going 13-7 in duals – their worst season since Holt’s arrival in 2014.
“It was not acceptable to us,” Holt said. “We put in the most work we have ever put in and saw the most growth I have ever seen in a 30-day time period this past June. We attended (a Northeast Oklahoma A&M camp) as we always have, taking over 30 wrestlers. While at NEO, our team got the opportunity to work with their coaching staff and had multiple and very competitive duals against some of the best teams in the four-state area.”
But that wasn’t all.
“After a few weeks of open mats, we then took our team to Mizzou where we again worked with top-level coaches and wrestled a very tough dual schedule. We then ended our summer hosting a dual tournament. Our summer dual record was 20-7, and we had multiple wrestlers win camp individual tournaments as well.”
Roster
Holt anticipates about 45 wrestlers on the roster at the start of the season. That includes 14 with starting experience. Three were state qualifiers in Tanner Davidson, M.J. Gritts and Tyce Jones.
The projected lineup has freshmen Jonathan McGlynn and Hoyt Joiner in the 106-pound weight class, followed by freshmen Ben Baker and Ethan Burt at 113, possibly Burt or junior Steven Corbin at 120, freshman Mac Mohnen and sophomore Jonas Steen at 126, sophomores Takoda Gritts and Isaac Baker at 132, senior M.J. Gritts and sophomore R.J. Hill at 138, and junior Tanner Davidson and freshman Aydian Cobb at 144.
The rest of the weight classes could see: freshmen Anthony Macrelli and Eli Butts at 150 pounds, sophomore Carter James and senior Dylon Rogers at 157, senior Levi Fuller and sophomore Kaden Hemphill at 165, junior Tyce Jones and sophomore Keegan Reynolds at 175, seniors Eli Reynolds and Parker Hammons and junior Carter Pruitt at 190, senior Peyton Woolman and sophomore Randy Medlock at 215, and sophomore Austin Croy and freshman Addison Riddings at 285.
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Davidson is a two-time state qualifier with a state medal and two district titles.
“He has really focused on elevating his wrestling this offseason and has spent all summer and fall working on his craft, and he has traveled all over doing it,” Holt said.
Gritts is a two-state state qualifier.
“He is an outstanding athlete with several colleges talking to him for football and track,” Holt said. “He, too, wrestled great this summer, and I would say by the end of this winter he will have his choice to do any of his three sports in college.”
Jones was a state qualifier last season, his first as a starter.
“He is strong, athletic, and very intelligent,” Holt said. “He won the NEO camp and was in the finals at Mizzou camp. Tyce has grown tremendously over the past 12 months in his wrestling ability. He is also a four-sport athlete: football, track, baseball and wrestling.”
Keep eyes on Takod Gritts, Mohnen and Fuller. Gritts was above .500 as a freshman. Mohnen is a multiple USA Wrestling state qualifier. Fuller has started through parts of the past three seasons.
Looking ahead
Marshfield opens it season Dec. 2 with the Marshfield Duals, in what should be an exciting winter. For one, the school district is expected to break ground on a new wrestling facility, and then the Blue Jays host the Big 8 Conference Tournament.
“I expect this season to be very successful. Our seniors and juniors have a lot of talent and do a great job leading,” Holt said. “The sophomores are gritty, and our freshman class is large and very talented.”
Marshfield Girls
Coach Adam Wright has put a lot of time in to make Marshfield a competitive program since he took over in 2018, making the Blue Jays a tough match-up.
This year’s roster features seven returning starters, four who were state qualifiers. That for a team that finished eight at the state tournament and won the Big 8 Conference.
“This has inspired the team to put in the work this season to improve upon that eighth-place finish and become one of the best teams in the state,” Wright said.
Overall, Wright anticipates 25 wrestlers on the roster.
The projected lineup looks like this: sophomore Bayleigh Cruise at 100, junior Bianca Dockery at 105, freshman Gracelyn Hursh or Brooklyn Aikins at 110, junior Alyx Keifert or freshman Carlyn Mynatt either at 115 or 120, and freshman Haven Maddeaux at 125.
Look for freshman Payton Boyce at 130, senior Camryn Elliott or freshman Sarah Wilson at 135, Elliot, Wilson or Emory Lundquist at 140, and sophomores Aby Spencer, Kyle Green-Beck, Emory Lundquist and Jasmine Cody at 145. Look for senior Trinity Lesser, Green Beck, Elizabeth Skidmore and Avery Hill at 155, and then Izzy Whitlock and sophomore Gracelyn Bull at 170. The 190-pound and 235-pound weight classes are open.
Dockery, Keifert, Mcillwain, Elliott, Spencer, Lesser and Whitlock are returning starters.
Keifert placed fourth last season at 110 pounds.
“She has great mat awareness and can score from any position,” Wright said. “She is one of the most dangerous girls in the state from her feet and is a fierce competitor.”
Elliott lost at the bubble round of district last year.
“She is a leader for our team and one of our most experienced wrestlers,” Wright said. “Her technique is crisp and wrestling knowledge is superior to most. I look forward to seeing her achieve her goals in her senior season.”
Lesser is a two-time state qualifier.
“Trinity is a great wrestler on her feet and a hammer on top,” Wright said. “She went to several camps this summer and is determined to reach her goals.”
Whitlock looks to have a strong senior season.
“She is a pinner and great on her feet,” Wright said. “We are excited to see her get back on that mat for her senior year and work to achieve her goals.”
Sleepers?
Dockery has been a three-year starter. Spencer was 24-20 as a freshman and lost by one point in the bubble round at districts. Hursh has junior high school and USA Wrestling experience.
Mynatt was a 14-and-younger state champion last year and has wrestled since elementary school. Wilson is a multi-state placer in Missouri USA state, Tulsa and the Adidas Nationals.
Wright is challenging the team again, including with a trip to the Wonder Woman, one of the toughest tournaments in the country. He wants at least four to earn state medals.
