By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Neosho’s wide array of talented underclassmen continued to take steps toward fulfilling their potential by capturing seven individual championships and the Class 4 District 3 team title Saturday.
The Wildcats totaled 267.5 points to outdistance the field by 81 points.
“Our group knew we were going to be something special,” 175-pound sophomore champion Kaymon Rhone said. “Freshman year, we were competing with all the older teams. That gave us the confidence we needed and told us how good we’re going to be in the future.”
“It’s pretty exciting. We’re graduating just two guys on varsity,” said 113 sophomore champion Tucker Feagens. “We’ll be returning most of our guys (and) we have some of the best coaching in the state.”
“We’re all stepping up and doing really good. We’ve been looking forward to this,” 138 sophomore champion Kelton Shaffer said. “Now, it would be cool to do something in Class 4 we haven’t done yet.”
Neosho, which has nine Class 3 state championships in the past 15 years, was bumped to Class 4 two seasons ago.
Rhone (35-8) turned to a lat-drop for a takedown in the final minute of his 4-1 victory versus Ozark’s Dayton Moison in the 175 final.
“That’s my bread and butter,” Rhone said. “I felt the pressure coming in and I hit it. It usually goes good for me and it did there. I started hitting (the lat-drop) last year and I’ve been hitting it a lot this year. It’s worked for me every time. It feels smooth and looks clean, I really like it.”
Feagens (35-10) sought and gained revenge while posting a 5-0 victory versus Lebanon’s Kaleb Branch in the 113 final. At the COC Tournament, Branch pinned Feagens in the third period.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM DAY 2 OF THE TOURNAMENT
“We had three weeks off, so I was thinking about that match the whole time,” Feagens said. “In the COC final, I don’t think I wrestled my best match. I let him be on offense the whole time and I was just defending what he was doing. My game plan today was to attack and not let him attack.”
Shaffer (40-10) won by fall in 5:45 in the 138 final against Ozark’s Colton Wilson, after trailing going into the final minute.
“I wrestled him in a dual and it was a one-point match, so I opened up the gap,” Shaffer said.
Neosho freshman Marztian Ioanis (31-14) won 7-6 in the 106 final against Randy Teo, of Carthage.
Neosho junior Carter Howard (43-3) picked an 11-2 win in the 157 final against Grady Mortensen, of Lee’s Summit West.
Wildcats sophomore Lincoln Howard (42-6) won by technical fall 16-0 over Owen Diemoz, of Nixa, in the 165 title tilt.
Neosho junior Chase Kivett (39-3) also won by technical fall 17-2 against Ozark’s Graham Bennett in the 190 final.
Falcons’ Lang knocks off defending state champÂ
Glendale senior Shawn Lang (36-5) emerged victorious as the No. 5 seed in a loaded 120 weight class that also included defending state champion Ryzen Isringhausen (46-1), of Branson, two-time district champion Kamdon Vonholten (31-5), of Ray-Pec, and COC champion Tanner Putt (34-9), of Carthage.
Altogether, there were incredibly nine 120-pounders with 25 wins or more.
“This bracket was stacked,” Lang said. “When I found out what seed I was, I was shocked. I told my coach that I don’t care what my seed is, I’m going to be a district champion. That’s the mentality I carried with me the past few days.”
Lang handed Isringhausen only his second career loss, pulling out a 9-3 overtime victory in the semifinal round. He followed up by edging Vonholten 4-2 in their title tilt.
“I’ve been told multiple times that if you think you’re going to win, you’re going to win and if you think you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose,” Lang said. “Before every match, I repeat in my head that I’m a champion and I have what it takes to be here.”
Willard wins trio of championships
Willard 285-pounder Brady Griffin downed Neosho’s Everson Tomlinson for the fourth time this season and was happy he needed to go the distance to do it.
Griffin collected a 5-0 victory in the 285 final.
“I love hard matches,” Griffin said.
A three-time state medalist, Griffin can turn his attention toward a run at a state title. Ideally, he’d like to renew his friendly rivalry with defending state champion Elmotie Williams, of Liberty North.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM DAY 1 OF THE TOURNAMENT
“Hopefully, we’re on opposite sides (of the bracket) and I’ll get to see Elmotie in the finals,” Griffin said. “We’re friends. He’s super nice. I like that about heavyweights.”
Willard’s Caleb Caldwell (23-4) won the 144 championship 6-2 against Neosho’s Fisher Butler. They also met in the 144 final at the COC Tournament.
For both matches, Caldwell wore a smile and chatted away.
“I was talking to him the whole time. I love to have fun,” Caldwell said. “I could get a little stressed out. It helps me stay calm and composed.”
Caldwell has bounced back well from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for four weeks.
“It’s tender now, I’m not going to lie. But we’re making the best of it,” Caldwell said. “I sprained my other ankle last season and it set me back pretty good. This year, I can’t let that happen. It’s my last year.
“Next weekend, I’m ready to go get that (state) title,” he added. “I’ve been looking forward to it all year. We’re going to have four titles (at Willard), that’s our plan.”
Willard Porter Talbot (35-2) pinned Republic’s Chase Hicks in 3:06 in the 215 final.
Ozark’s Harrington and Hurst champions
Competing for the final time at home, Ozark seniors Caden Harrington and Keaton Hurst earned championships.
“We wanted to make one last stand,” Hurst said.
Harrington (27-6) won as the No. 3 seed at 144. He upset Glendale’s Chance Hensley 4-2 in the semifinal round and knocked off Republic’s Keaton Overcast 4-3 in their title tilt.
“(Overcast) is super tough. I’ve wrestled him three or four times and it’s always been a one-point match,” Harrington said. “I knew I needed to get the takedown, and I got it in the third (period).”
Hurst (33-3) downed Carthage’s Caden Groom 11-5 in the 126 final.
Nixa’s Wilson captures 150 championship
Sophomore Reed Wilson (34-8), of Nixa, avenged a 7-2 loss to Willard’s Noah Rogers at the COC Tournament by recording a 4-1 victory in the 150 title tilt.
Wilson was glad to see Rogers in the final.
“I was glad to have another shot to wrestle him,” said Wilson, who has won two of their three meetings. “I know I’m better than him and I needed one more chance to prove it.”
