By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There was a time, believe it or not, when McDonald County wrestlers Samuel Murphy and Jayce Hitt were often at each other’s throats.
“We used to not get along very well together because we battled it out in the practice room,” Hitt said. “We’ve found our friendship and we’re definitely two close bonded teammates. In the end it just made us better; whenever you have a guy like Murph and a guy like myself pushing each other, you’re bound for some good wrestling.”
The former rivals, who even used to wrestle against each other in tournaments, are now the leaders of McDonald County’s wrestling program and are aiming to become the school’s first ever two-time state champions this winter. They’re already the reigning state champs at the two biggest weights: Murphy took home the 215-pound title as a junior and finished the year with a 44-1 record, while Hitt was a perfect 26-0 and earned the 285-pound title in Class 3.
The pair wrestled simultaneously at state, finishing their title bouts within minutes of each other, and their performances helped the Mustangs finish fifth in Class 3 after placing 17th a year earlier.
“It’s exciting any time you’ve got returning state champions in your program, they’ve done their homework to get here,” said Mustangs wrestling coach Josh Factor. “They’re hard workers in the room and good leaders. They’re definitely showing a lot of leadership in the room as seniors, bringing up the younger guys and helping them along and keeping the focus. They’re obviously hungry for another state title.”
Factor said he reminds the duo daily about the new target on their backs, as opponents give their best shot to try and knock off a state champion.
“We keep motivating them,” he said. “We don’t have a two-time state champ in our school’s history and who’s going to be the first? That’s always the question. If it were that easy we would have had one by now.”
Oscar Ortiz is proof of just how hard a feat it is. The 2020 Mustangs graduate was a four-time state medalist who won the title at 113 pounds as a sophomore and then finished as the state runner up the next two years.
“It’s a lot different than it has been in the past years,” Murphy said. “Everybody wants to beat me. I enjoy it, I love it. It’s been a good feeling, a good motivator.”
“Those guys definitely have a target on our back and they’re ready to get in and get at us but they also don’t know we’ve been working equally hard in the practice room,” Hitt said. “We’re ready for them and we’re ready to go and repeat.”
Murphy and Hitt haven’t just been standouts for McDonald County’s wrestling program; they’ve been big contributors for a resurgent Mustangs football program that has won 24 games over the last three seasons, culminating in the team’s first-ever district championship last fall. The Mustangs finished 8-5 and lost in the Class 4 quarterfinals.
Both Murphy and Hitt notched all-conference honors in the Big 8 West. Murphy earned second team and honorable mention honors on the defensive line the last two years while also playing fullback. Hitt was an honorable mention guard as a junior and earned second team honors at offensive tackle last fall; he was also an honoree at defensive end.
“We got there our sophomore years and didn’t finish the job in football,” Murphy said. “Sophomore year in wrestling we both placed at state and didn’t get the job done when we both could have. Finally getting it done with that state title last year and then district title in football, it felt great, probably one of the best feelings ever.”
“There was obviously the group or two before us that started the culture and allowed us to mold into what we are today,” Hitt said. “They put big confidence in us and that allowed us to help bring a resurgence to Mac County.”
That culture has changed substantially in four years. Murphy recalled his freshman season in football when seniors in the locker room openly predicted the team would lose an upcoming game.
“They’d say it doesn’t really matter, stuff like that,” he said. “Now it’s like we’re going to go out and take it to them no matter who it is. We wanted to go out and beat them and believed we could every time.”
“We’ve been around these guys since we were kids and it’s obvious, you can see we all get along with each other and cheer each other on,” Hitt said. “We started a culture here and we’re going to finish it.”
Murphy is off to a 22-3 record so far this wrestling season, and picked up career win No. 150 in a dual at Webb City last week. Hitt’s record stands at 18-3. The two also impressed at the prestigious 45th Annual “Doc” Buchanan Wrestling Invitational in Clovis, California earlier this month, where Hitt earned a third place finish.
The two don’t just have their eyes on another trip to the podium; the Mustangs as a team are hoping to bring home a trophy this time around by finishing in the top four teams.
“It’s about the bonus points and that’s one of the things that is definitely in the back of our minds,” Factor said. “Knowing we were four points shy of a trophy last year, it’s one of those things we remind them of daily. It’s one more guy going out and getting a fall, it’s one more guy going out and getting a win in a critical round at the state tournament. Every guy in the room has to do their part and work a little harder to get up there and score bonus points. It’s something we’re always chasing.”
And Murphy and Hitt are enjoying their last weeks together as teammates on McDonald County’s wrestling team.
“I love this guy like he’s my brother,” Murphy said. “We’ve put in countless hours since we were very little between football and wrestling, coming in right off of football and drilling together and getting everybody in shape. We’ve traveled all over the country together and I couldn’t ask for a better bond with a teammate.”
