By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
WILLARD —There was plenty of parity at the COC Tournament on Saturday, with Carl Junction winning the team championship race that saw the top four teams all finish within seven points of each other.
The Bulldogs totaled 164 points, edging runner-up Nixa’s 160 and third-place Neosho’s 159 and fourth-place Willard’s 157.
Consecutive championships at 113, 120 and 126 pounds by the second coming of Carl Junction’s ‘Death Row’ of Carter Foglesong, Sam Melton and Max Matthews put the Bulldogs on top for good.
“We had what we called ‘Death Row’ a couple years ago with Carter, (2023 grad) Lukas Walker, me and Max all wrestling in a row,” Melton said. “There weren’t a lot of people who could beat us. We have that back.”
Melton, a two-time state runner-up, was thrilled to see his senior season include a team championship.
“It’s exciting. I love this team,” Melton said. “This team is amazing and our coaches are amazing.”
Bulldogs have four champions crowned
Foglesong (38-1) got things going for Carl Junction in the final round by pinning Anthony Stotts (33-9) in 3:06 in their title match.
Foglesong had to go the distance to beat Stotts 12-2 during a Carl Junction dual at Neosho earlier in the week.
“When we wrestled Tuesday, I was being cocky and waved at their crowd and then got my face shoved into the match,” Foglesong said. “I got the ‘Dub,’ but gave up some ‘oopsies’ against him. Today, it was all business and I got the job done.”
Foglesong was looking forward to a matchup with Ozark’s Damien Moseley. They were both COC Tournament champions last season. But Moseley sat out Saturday to rest an injured shoulder.
“We’ve wrestled together in the summer, so I was looking forward to it. But what can you do?” Foglesong said of not wrestling Moseley.
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Melton (23-3) fell behind 2-0 to Ozark’s Logan Luder (29-12) in the 120 title tilt, before recording a pin in 1:14.
“Respect, he brought it. I like that,” Melton said of Luder’s early barrage. “You’ve got to be ready to weather the storm, come back and find a way to win.”
Mathews (25-12) edged Willard’s Ethan Craft (22-16) 7-6 in the 126 final.
Carl Junction also received a championship from Tony Stewart (40-3) at 175. He downed Willard’s Jase Motlagh (32-6) 3-2.
Nixa’s Rider and Glossip win back-to-back titles
Nixa’s second-place finished was highlighted by Malachi Rider and Curtis Glossip claiming championships at 157 and 165.
Rider (21-2) won by major decision 8-0 against Ozark’s Dayton Moison (29-11) at 157. Two weeks ago, Rider beat Moison 11-2.
“I wrestled a lot better this time against him,” Rider said. “Not that I wrestled bad the time before, but I’m in better shape now. I’ve been wrestling hard in the practice room. This time I broke him more.”
Glossip (26-6) won by fall in 5:53 against Carl Junction’s Marcus Lopez-Durman (29-6) at 165.
Glossip had to wait out several lengthy delays while Lopez-Durman received medical attention for a bloody nose.
“It was a long match,” Glossip said. “I knew all day his nose was going to be bleeding. I saw it happening when he was wrestling other kids. So, I didn’t let it make me mad, with all the breaks. I took it as rest time.”
Neosho’s Howard goes from fifth to first
After finishing fifth at the COC Tournament a year ago, Neosho’s Carter Howard rose all the way to the 144 championship this time around.
Howard (34-4) beat Nixa’s Reed Wilson (24-10) by a 5-2 count in their title match.
Howard has been healthy this season, after sitting out the first half of last due to surgery to repair torn meniscus.
“This was my first tournament back after my surgery last year and I was so out of shape,” Howard said. “I kept giving up takedowns in the third period and losing.”
Howard was strong to the finish against Wilson.
“He’s a thrower and it wasn’t really my type of match,” Howard said. “I was afraid to pull my shots in the first (period). But in the second and third (periods), I pulled them off.”
Neosho made a run at the team title, even while competing without three regular starters who are nursing injuries.
Trio of titles for host Willard
Willard’s Noah Rogers (150), Porter Talbot (215) and Brady Griffin (285) all won championship on their home mats.
“That was fun,” Griffin said of the fan support he and his teammates received. “Most of the time, (the cheers) are muffled out with my headgear. But I did hear it a little bit.”
Rogers, too, received a lift from Willard’s faithful.
“It’s funny, recently I had cauliflower ear and had surgery so I have padded headgear. I could halfway hear (the fans),” Rogers said. “I like wrestling at home. I’m way more relaxed here. I’m in my element.”
Rogers (31-9) picked up an 8-1 win against Neosho’s Lincoln Howard (21-16) in their title match.
“COC champ, that looks good,” Rogers said. “I wanted to get this done. In middle school, I always wanted to get first in COC. In high school, it hadn’t worked out (his first three years), but I thought, ‘I’ll try for it this year.’”
Talbot (31-4) won as a sophomore by pinning Carthage’s David Recinos (30-8) in 1:11 in their title tilt.
“It was a fun experience,” Talbot said. “I thought I could do good and was thinking of (winning) throughout the week. It’s awesome to have it happen.”
Griffin (34-3) repeated as a COC champion by recording a pin in 1:59 against Joplin’s Josiah Hazelwood (23-9).
Ozark’s Harrington, Williams finish first
Two-time defending COC champion Ozark’s chances at three-peating were hurt by having Moseley and two other starters sit out the tourney with injuries and an illness.
Caden Harrington (135) and Johnny Williams (190) won championship for Ozark.
Harrington (29-10) downed Republic’s Keaton Overcast (38-5) 3-1 in their title match.
“I was expecting to score more points than I did, but he had a tough whizzer,” Harrington said. “He was harder to take down than I expected. Props to him for that.”
Williams (34-9) rolled to a 9-0 major decision victory versus Willard’s Izik Sims (20-11) in their title tilt.
Branson’s Isringhausen 106 champion
Perhaps the most competitive title match came at 106, where Branson’s Ryzen Isringhausen (37-1) went to sudden victory for a 7-5 win against Carthage’s Tanner Putt (33-5).
It was the first match between the two, with Isringhausen being a freshman and Putt a junior.
“I knew it would be close,” Isringhausen said. “He’s a good wrestler. I knew I had to (bring) my offense and make things happen. It was back and forth the whole time. He’s a little older, so this is definitely a good win.”
