Hillsboro remains the dominant boys wrestling program in the Jefferson County Activities Association.
The Hawks, the defending Class 3 state champions and winners of three consecutive state team trophies, recertified their conference status by winning their fifth straight JCAA title at the league’s annual tournament Jan. 10 at De Soto. Hillsboro piled up 248 points, followed by Windsor with 173, De Soto (121), Festus (93), St. Pius X (80) and Herculaneum (72).
The rest of the league chipped away a little at the front-runners, who a year ago won by more than 100 points and captured 11 of the 14 weight classes. This time the Hawks won seven weights, most at the lower end (106, 113, 120, 126 and 138). And they did it without junior Jackson Tucker, a JCAA and state champion in 2023, at 138. Freshman Trey Zimmerly filled in for Tucker and took first in a field of four underclassmen.
“That was a cool moment for (Zimmerly),” Hillsboro head coach Matt Mitchell said.
Since the Hawks began their meteoric rise, their underclassmen have proven they are capable of winning at the highest level right away. Gavin Alexander (2020) and Carter Wallis (2023) won state titles as freshmen, and Tucker (2023) as a sophomore.
In a grinding season that already took Hillsboro to Ohio for the Ironman Tournament in December, then started the new year with the JCAAs, the Hawks travel to Cape Girardeau for the SEMO Tournament Friday and Saturday and to St. Charles for the Kyle Thrasher Tournament Jan. 26-27, before hosting the 26th Don Fuhrmann Duals Feb. 3.
Then it’s on to Farmington for the Class 3 District 1 meet, where Hillsboro will advance as many wrestlers as it can to Columbia to defend its state title Feb. 23-24.
“The conference title is nice; the conference has gotten better,” Mitchell said. “There were some good matches tonight.”
One of the closest was the double-overtime match at 285 that ended the evening between Hillsboro sophomore Griffin Morris and Herculaneum senior Shea Eberhardt, sixth in the state in Class 2 at that weight last season. Morris was a state qualifier last year at 285 and was one win from the medal round. Eberhardt, who reached 100 career wins this season, pinned Morris at the JCAAs in 2023, but Morris rode out a 2-1 sudden victory this time.
“You have to stay in good position,” Morris said. “When my coaches teach me to do something, I do it. They told me to keep hand-fighting and let him get tired.
“I want to give all glory to God. I have the best coaching staff, teammates, friends and family in the world and they’re all here to support me.”
Like most of his teammates, Morris wrestles year-round. Mitchell said the offseason work shows.
“He closed that gap,” he said. “(Eberhardt) is good. That’s a matchup we wanted to win. That’s the nature of being a heavyweight. You have to win those 2-1 matches.”
Herculaneum head coach Chris Bahr said Eberhardt, an all-conference two-way football player, is one of those athletes you can always depend on and has a motor to match.
“He wrestled well,” Bahr said. “He made a few mistakes at the beginning and Griffin is vastly improved and had beaten some quality kids. If they wrestle 10 times, they might go 5-5.”
Sophomore James Penick (19-3) started Hillsboro at conference, taking the crown at 106. Then came titles by sophomore Evan Litzsinger (22-5) at 113, Wallis (18-5) at 120 and junior Jordan Penick (11-8), older brother of James, at 126. The elder Penick pinned all three of his opponents inside a minute. He was fourth in the state at 120 last year.
“James Penick and Evan Litzsinger took care of business down low,” Mitchell said. “That’s two kids who weren’t in the lineup last year as freshmen and they’re doing a nice job.”
A pair of returning state qualifiers finished first and second at 132. Windsor junior Luke Patterson (30-0) beat Hillsboro junior Gabe Barnett (19-6) in a 9-1 major decision.
After Zimmerly’s win, De Soto took the next two weight classes when freshman Dominic Eakins (18-5) beat Hillsboro’s Wyatt Hendrix (16-10) in a 14-3 major decision at 144 and junior Hunter Adams won by fall and decision at 150.
Windsor senior Nick Baer (24-2), a returning state qualifier (144), won his first three matches at 157 by fall before beating Herculaneum sophomore Keaton Reeves (15-6) in an 11-2 major decision for the title. Hillsboro junior C.J. Bauer (19-6) defeated Reeves 12-1 in their first-round match and went on to finish second.
“(Bauer’s) right there to step in and make some noise at state,” Mitchell said. “We have three or four guys who are getting ready to go on their journey in this whole thing.”
“Keaton and Nick have known each other a long time,” Bahr said. “Nick always gets the best of Keaton. Keaton’s six or eight inches taller than Nick, but they’re the same weight. Keaton doesn’t have an ounce of fat and he’s battling. Hats off for making that fight. Nick didn’t give us any opportunities we could take advantage of.”
A returning state champion (157), Hawk senior Sam Richardson (25-3) earned the league title at 165, sticking his first three opponents in 43, 43 and 26 seconds before handing St. Pius X junior Peyton Shaver (17-1) his first loss of the season with a pin at 4:36.
Windsor junior Brice Henry (29-0) remained unbeaten this season, winning five matches and the title at 175. Senior teammate Colin Carter (22-6) pinned his three opponents each in under 2:00 to capture the 190 crown. And senior Riley Weisner (23-7) made it three Owl triumphs in a row with the title at 215. Weisner dealt St. Pius junior Justin Lehn (17-1) his first defeat of the season, by pin at 3:06.