By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Now that Oscar Ortiz is a senior who has won a state title and finished as a state runner-up – and the room featuring a two-time state qualifier in Jack Teague — the coach of the McDonald County High School wrestling team hopes youths and parents in the community help the program take the next step.
That’s why Josh Factor brought in a couple of college wrestlers this past summer all the way to Anderson.
“We were able to bring a couple of guest clinicians –Blake Clevenger, a Drury University grad assistant and Marcus Hoehn, a former Mizzou national qualifier — to McDonald County over the summer that were able to work with our wrestlers and provide one on one instruction,” Factor said. Clevenger was an NCAA Division II All-American and competed for Kearney, a strong high school program near Kansas City. “This was a great opportunity for our guys to work on their technique and get coached up by guys who have competed at the collegiate level.”
McDonald County enters the season with roughly 25 wrestlers, including eight returning starters.
Of course, all eyes are on Ortiz. He became McDonald County’s first state wrestling champion in 2018, winning the 113-pound bracket in Class 3. Last March, he nearly pulled the feat in the 126-pound bracket, suffering only a 4-3 decision to Neosho’s Cayden Auch, who many believed had one of the most impressive state tournaments of all the wrestlers that weekend.
That marked Ortiz’s third state medal – he was third as a freshman – and he was named the 2019 Big 8 Conference Outstanding Wrestler.
“Since finishing second last year, Oscar has been on a mission to get back on top, knowing that he has just one more season to compete as a Mustang after becoming McDonald County’s first ever State Champion two seasons ago,” Factor said.
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The projected roster calls for: junior Ryan Donica at 106, senior Eh Doh Say (113), sophomore Jacob Owens (120), freshman Levi Smith (126), junior Jordan Meador or freshman Colter Vick at 138, senior Junior Teriek (145) and senior Jack Teague (152).
In the upper weights, Factor isn’t sure who will fill in at 160, 182 and 220. He has sophomore Alberto Valdez at 170, freshman Juan Morales at 195 and freshman Angel Mendoza and senior McCoy Ikosia at 285.
Teague was 33-12 last year, the second time he had qualified for state.
“The only credential missing on Teague’s resume is a state medal,” Factor said. “Jack has wrestled on the big stage, whether it be in Columbia or Fargo. Now it just comes down to being clutch when it counts the most and finishing off his high school career with a purpose.”
Say nearly qualified for state last year, losing in a district tournament bubble match at 113 pounds. He should be in shape coming in, given he was the leading scorer for the school’s soccer team this fall.
“I feel like this could be a break-through year for him, given the experience he has coming in as a senior after being that close to qualifying to state as a junior,” Factor said.
Teriek is a three-sport athlete who should contend for a state tournament berth. He, too, should be in shape after being the starting running back for the Mustangs’ football team.
Meanwhile, the team has a few “sleepers” to watch, such as freshmen Blaine Ortiz, Levi Smith and Colter Vick. Ortiz has years of youth wrestling and junior high experience. Smith was a state runner-up in youth wrestling. Vick will compete in the middle weights.
In building the program, Factor got another boost this past offseason as the school added new weight equipment. He also installed a snap-and-shoot, plus a wall-mounted takedown dummy.
The Mustangs also is starting a girls wrestling team this season and hopes to have a full roster at districts in 2021.
“We are always working on building up the numbers in our wrestling program, but we have to do a better job of encouraging our fall and spring sport athletes to buy in,” Factor said. “In a program like ours, we don’t get the move-ins or transfers from other schools. These kids are homegrown in McDonald County and that is something we take pride in when it comes to building our program.”
