At practice ahead of the Fifth Lady Dragon Classic in De Soto Jan. 31, Festus girls wrestling head coach Jarad Sheppard moved the Tigers from the mats to the school’s football field.
With the postseason fast approaching, Sheppard wanted to take a quick break from wrestling. So after a 45-minute workout, they played a game out on the turf, fresh air and all.
“Sometimes getting away from the mat and the seriousness of (the sport) helps you focus and enjoy it more,” said Sheppard, who also coaches the Festus boys team.
The Tigers, warming up for the Class 1 District 1 tournament at St. Clair Feb. 14-15, won the Lady Dragon meet with 164 points, ahead of Liberty (Wentzville) with 129. De Soto placed third with 124.5 and Hillsboro was ninth with 62.5.
The top four wrestlers from the 14 weight classes at each district meet will qualify for the state championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia Feb. 26-27. Kearney is the Class 1 defending state champion. The Tigers were ninth last year and won their first girls individual state title. Senior Mya Hairston is back at 100 pounds to defend her crown.
“We’re two weeks out from districts, so we told them to approach each match as if they’re preparing for state,” Sheppard said. “We told them to take each match seriously, no matter who steps out on the mat. We had five in the finals and they looked good tonight. It’s easy this time of year for teams to hit a lull, so I’ve been big on five practices a week before a tournament. We’re trying to mix things up in practice to make it fun.”
There were only four potential opponents for Hairston at 100. Within the Jefferson County Activities Association, Hairston (33-1) already had beaten Hillsboro freshman Nico Brooks (25-11) and De Soto freshman Milayna Drummond (29-7) on several occasions, winning each match by decision or major decision. After Drummond beat Brooks in a 7-4 decision, Hairston won the 100 bracket at De Soto with a 9-0 major decision over Drummond. Hairston has shut out Drummond in all three of their bouts this season.
At 105, Tiger junior Addison Cupp (29-6) gets to train with a state champion every day. Cupp (29-6) and Hairston work on each other’s strengths, and Cupp said she’s eager to join Hairston on the medal stand, after falling one win shy of a state medal a year ago. Cupp pinned both opponents at De Soto, including Dragon sophomore Kya Aubuchon at 3:38 of the final.
“I’m not happy with my record, but it doesn’t affect my wrestling,” Cupp said. “It just pushes me harder. I’m happy how I did at the Wonder Woman (tournament). That boosted my ego for the rest of the year.
“We (Hairston) push each other to be the best. We have a great relationship in the room. She’s helped me be a better wrestler. I couldn’t ask for a better practice partner.”
At the district meet, Cupp is bound to run into Herculaneum sophomore Emerson Reeves, who also is a returning state qualifier at 105. She beat Cupp 5-2 to win the JCAA title, and has another win against her this season. Cupp said she’s looking forward to seeing how far the Tigers can climb this postseason.
“(Top four) is definitely a goal for the team and coaches,” she said. “I’m excited to see how many girls we can bring to state. This is the best girls program we’ve had.”
Sophomore Trinity Butler won her two matches in less than a minute to take the title at 135, and senior Grace Dust collected the fourth Festus crown on a 14-3 major decision over Fort Zumwalt East junior Addyson Shepherd at 145.
“Grace has set herself up well for a good district run, which would be awesome because she’s been in the program for years and it would be a good return on her service,” Sheppard said.
Others in the top four for the Tigers were junior Isabella Horn (fourth, 110), freshman Zhamir Ford (second, 115) and junior Dani Gullet (second, 140). Gullet was a medical forfeit against undefeated Sullivan senior Dorie Richardson (34-0), last year’s state champion at 140.
After Festus claimed the first two weight classes, a pair of Dragon sophomores won at 110 and 115. De Soto began its youth movement last season and it’s starting to bear fruit. The program’s roots are steeped in the tradition set by three-time undefeated state champion Jaycee Foeller.
Cheyenne Kincade won the tournament title at 110 and improved to 34-3.
“She (Foeller) inspired me to wrestle when I’d workout with her,” said Kincade, who was fourth in the state at 110 in 2024. “I don’t know if there’s a way to classify her. She’s amazing and became a great leader. Even the little kids talk about her. I’m so excited for districts and state. I can’t wait for both. We are young and talented.”
The 115 bracket at De Soto was deeper, but Emma Taylor (31-9) breezed through it with two pins and a win by technical fall. Senior Paytan Rulo was second at 120 and freshman Judith Wolfe was a runner-up as well, at 135.
Hillsboro’s top performers were sophomore Lily Boushie (third, 110), junior Gabrielle Wittenborn (sixth, 115), freshman Libby Deutsch-Terry (second, 125) and freshman Chloe Gould (third, 235).
Drummond wrestles up a weight class, wins it
When De Soto’s boys wrestling team competes in the Class 3 District 1 meet in Farmington Feb. 21-22, junior Brenton Drummond will enter at 120 pounds.
With no competition at that weight class for the 47th Bob Georger Classic at De Soto Feb. 1, Drummond “wrestled up” at 126 and won it with a technical fall and two pins. He was one of four wrestlers who won individual titles to lift the Dragons to the team championship with 213.5 points, easily outdistancing Valle Catholic (128) and Festus (127.5). Herculaneum placed ninth with 78.
“I was happy with winning it overall, but it was challenging going up a weight class,” said Drummond, the Jefferson County Activities Association champion at 120 and a 2024 state qualifier at 120. “I did it earlier in the season against Ste. Genevieve.”
When Drummond, who is 25-3 this season, faced Sullivan’s Carsen Dudley in the 126 final, Dudley was 31-1. The Eagle junior had pinned his first two opponents in the first period, but found himself on his back with a Drummond pin at 2:32.
“I knew I had to keep him moving,” Drummond said. “We were in a scramble and I finished a shot and he slid over and I rolled him over to his back and stuck him.”
One of five wrestlers at 150, De Soto senior Hunter Adams (26-6) won his first bout by fall in 14 seconds. North County senior Jacob Rickus was a much stouter opponent, but Adams, the JCAA champion and a returning state qualifier at 150, won a 13-9 major decision.
“At the beginning of the match he took me down and I got away,” Adams said. “We scrambled and in the second period he chose bottom (position) and it came down to the third period and I was losing. I took a shot and I neck-whipped him to his back.”
The top four wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes at districts qualify for state. Adams and Drummond said they believe the Dragons are capable of pushing a number through to Columbia. Six De Soto wrestlers went last year, and their lone medal winner was 2024 graduate Drake Peeler (fifth, 138). Dragon assistant coach Landon Porter was De Soto’s last state champion when he went 45-0 at 285 in 2020.
Drummond said he’s ready to help the Dragons surge in the next few weeks.
“I’m always looking for tough matches and people to push me.”
Sometimes, in a large tournament, a wrestler can wait more than an hour between matches. Adams likes to walk around the mats and encourage his teammates.
“We’re pushing each other to our limits,” He said. “Last year we came up a little shorter than we wanted to.”
Dragon freshman Landon Tomlinson (25-3) won a 16-13 decision over Park Hills Central freshman Mavrick Ratliff to capture the title at 113.
A “bubble round” casualty at state (144) last year, sophomore Dominic Eakins (31-5) won all three of his matches by fall at 144 for the Dragons’ fourth championship.
Also earning medals for the home team were freshman Jacob O’Dell (third, 106), senior Clayton Huck (third, 132), senior Braxton Drummond (second, 157), sophomore Landon Lawson (fifth, 165), sophomore Levi Huck (second, 175), sophomore Collin Barton (sixth, 190), senior Elijah Hessler (fifth, 215) and senior Eddy Moore (fourth, 285).
Festus senior Dylan Johnson pinned two seniors at 215 to reach the finals against Park Hills Central junior Connor Poole. Johnson (29-6) scored seven points in the first period and hung on to win 8-6. Including the JCAA meet, it was Johnson’s third tournament victory this season. He qualified for state last year at 175.
“I was expecting to go into the championships,” Johnson said. “I wanted to throw (Poole) and he didn’t want to go, so I got him with a double overhook and threw him. He scored a reversal at the end of the match.”
The other Festus medalists included sophomore Trey Strong (fourth, 132), junior Ryan Peter (fifth, 144), junior Noah Moss (third, 150), sophomore Ryan Dabbs (third, 157), senior Owen Gardner (second, 190), junior Collin Niere (fourth, 190) and junior Connor Rush (second, 185).
Herculaneum junior Keaton Reeves (18-2), a state qualifier last year at 157, won the Blackcats’ only title at De Soto, beating Liberty junior Clark Carpenter by technical fall. Herky’s other medal winners were sophomore Aiden Weigel (fifth, 106), senior Darick Niebling (sixth, 126), sophomore Luke Asinger (second, 132), senior Aiden Piediscalzi (sixth, 175) and sophomore Will Pieper (sixth, 285).