With four consecutive state team trophies and a state championship in 2023 to its credit, the Hillsboro boys wrestling team has become part of the establishment.
There’s always a price for success and that means the expectation now is to challenge for the state title, or at least a trophy, every year. The Hawks have stayed in the winner’s circle because the community’s little league program keeps feeding them talented and tested wrestlers.
Even if senior state champion Jackson Tucker (138 pounds) can’t wrestle this season, Hillsboro is capable of maintaining its lofty standards. Tucker had surgery after last season and head coach Matt Mitchell said he’s still in recovery. Tucker has college aspirations. He, junior Carter Wallis (120) and 2024 graduate Sam Richardson (165) all became the school’s first two-time state champions last year.
While the rest of the Hawks wrestled at the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament in O’Fallon on Dec. 7, Mitchell took Wallis to the elite invitation-only Ironman Tournament at Walsh Jesuit High in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The event draws national-caliber wrestlers and Wallis lost both matches at 126.
“It’s tournaments like that will help him reach his state goal,” Mitchell said. “He has a full boat of things he does outside the high school season.”
Columbia Hickman, fourth in Class 4 last season, won the Zumwalt North tourney with 191.5 points. Without Wallis and Tucker, the Hawks placed fourth with 136.5.
Junior Evan Litzsinger (113) and senior Jordan Penick (126) both finished third at state last season. Litzsinger (39-10) won a 13-1 major decision in his “bubble” (medal qualification) match and a 6-1 decision in the fourth-round wrestlebacks, then took third on a medical forfeit. Penick pinned his opponent for third.
Litzsinger has moved up to 120 and took third at Zumwalt North, beating Panther senior Jacob Bals in a 9-3 decision.
“That tournament has gotten really tough,” Mitchell said. “All of the teams ahead of us were Class 4. Hickman is ranked No. 1 in Class 4 right now.”
Penick, a three-time state qualifier, floats between 132 and 138. He got his 100th career win at Zumwalt North, where he came in fifth at 132.
“It’s a big deal because of how tough our schedule has been,” Mitchell said of the milestone.
Penick’s brother, James, was knocked out of state medal contention at 106 in the bubble round last season and competes at 120 and 126. He made it to the semifinals at North, but ended up fourth after being disqualified in the third-place match while trailing Panther sophomore Carsten Burkemper 9-3 in the third period.
Seniors Wyatt Hendrix (144) and CJ Bauer (157) and junior Griffin Morris (285) are returning state qualifiers looking for their first medal. At North, Hendrix was fourth at 157, while Bauer was sixth at 175. In the heavyweight semifinals, Morris pinned Capital City senior Reyce Turner, who was second in the state in Class 3 last year. Morris had to wrestle another second-place state finisher (Class 4) in the final and was pinned by Willard senior Brady Griffin.
“Griffin’s (Morris) a little bit closer to being a full-sized heavyweight,” Mitchell said. “I encouraged him to play football and take a break from wrestling.”
In a battle of up-and-coming county freshmen, Hillsboro’s Carter Pryor scored three near fall points in the third period and beat Seckman’s Kaemen Orine 4-0 in the semifinals at 106. Lutheran-St. Charles freshman Caleb Dyer beat Pryor in the final in a 12-0 major decision.
Senior Kaden Larkin is slated for 138 or 144. Junior Jack Hoven was on the JV the last two years, but his diligence at practice and the weight room has given him a varsity opportunity at 175 or 190. Hoven placed sixth at 190 at North. Brandon Bequette lost his spot at the end of last year at 215 but has fought to get it back.
Hillsboro will wrestle at the Liberty Wentzville Tournament on Saturday and the Kansas City Stampede before Christmas. If the Hawks already didn’t have plenty of competition for a team trophy in Class 3, St. Pius X of Kansas City moved up to that class after winning the Class 1 state title last season. The Missouri State High School Activities Association uses a formula based on enrollment and postseason success to classify private schools.
“The expectation is much higher because we’ve done it so many years in a row,” Mitchell said. “Nothing has changed for this group. We have lots of juniors and seniors, and another handful of new faces that are learning and growing, but we have the seven or eight mainstays we’ve had for a long time. We are here to make sure the kids reach their goals as a team and individuals. We let the state stuff take care of itself.”
Alleigh Culley graduated from Hillsboro this spring having won more state matches (three) than any girl at the school.
Now girls head coach Kole Meador is looking for the next Hawk to move the needle up and make it to the state medal stand. With only one senior and one junior on the team, he might have to stay patient another year.
Freshman Nico Brooks, however, is already showing signs she can compete against the state’s best. That’s what she did in the final at 100 pounds at Zumwalt North on Dec. 6. Festus junior Mya Hairston, who won the Tigers’ first-ever state individual title at 100 last year, beat Brooks 14-4 in the North final.
“We take away a lot of good from that match,” Meador said. “Nico’s grittiness and toughness were part of the conversation. There are some technical gaps we need to fill, but you can check all the boxes for Nico. We have a lot of young girls and we took our licks, but I told our kids we’re representing the Hillsboro brand and that’s been the toughest, grittiest wrestlers out there. There’s no question about effort.”
The young Hawks include freshmen Chloe Johnson and Ariana Ashbrook at 105, Chloe Gould (235) and Libby Deutsch-Terry (120), sophomores Brook Buttner (125), Lily Boushie (110) and Adelynn Kelley (120) and junior Gabrielle Wittenborn (115).
The Hillsboro girls will compete at Liberty Wentzville on Friday, the day before the boys’ tournament.
“We’ll see a lot of good competition there. We have the kind of kids we can throw into the fire.”
Hairston returns as defending champ at 100
Mya Hairston of Festus pinned her way to the 100-pound championship at the Class 1 state wrestling tournament last February – the first girls’ wrestling champion in school history .
On Dec. 6, Hairston picked up where she left off, going 4-0 at the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament – including a 14-4 major decision over promising Hillsboro freshman Nico Brooks for the 100-pound title. Brooks extended Hairston for the full six minutes, something few opponents could do last season. Hairston has committed to wrestle at Central Methodist University in Fayette.
“She’s trained non-stop,” Festus head coach Jarad Sheppard said. “She was going to take a couple weeks off after state and she was right back on the mat on Monday. This chapter won’t be finished unless she wins again.”
Hairston was fourth in the state in 2023, the year senior Lauren Mills became the first Tiger to reach the finals, finishing second at 125. While that success hasn’t surged turnout, the Tigers only lack wrestlers at the two upper weights, 190 and 235.
“That makes a difference in finishing in tournaments, so we’re trying to keep up,” Sheppard said. “We have five freshmen with some experience.”
Francis Howell Central, a Class 2 school, won at Zumwalt North with 216 points. Festus came in fourth with 145.5, one point behind Ozark, another Class 2 school.
The other returning state qualifiers for the Tigers are junior Addison Cupp, sophomore Trinity Butler and junior Dani Gullet. Butler earned a sixth-place medal at 135, where she remains. Cupp (105) and Gullet (140) were “bubble match” casualties at state. Gullet has moved to 145. All won their weight classes at North.
Sheppard said Cupp found the weight room in the offseason.
“She didn’t gain any body weight, but the minimum weight certification went up eight pounds,” Sheppard said.
Butler won all her matches at North by fall.
“She’s looking as tough and funky as ever. She has a goofy style but makes it work.”
In the late wrestlebacks at state, Gullet lost in double overtime to Herculaneum’s Eddyson Reeves, who wound up fifth.
“We screwed up, thinking the match was over,” Sheppard said. “(Gullet) had gotten out on bottom and Eddyson double-legged her off the mat.”
The rest of the Festus girls lineup includes junior Isabella Horn (110), freshman Zhamir Ford (115), freshman Olivia White (120), freshman Natalie Dillon (125), sophomore Madalyn Riegert (130), freshman Alyvia Cusanelli (140), senior Grace Dust (155) and freshman Mylah Dolde (170).
The Festus girls travel to Union on Friday.
Luke Shaver was the last wrestler on the Tiger boys squad to win a state medal, in 2021. Last season, junior Nehemiah Ford and senior Dylan Johnson qualified for state at 126 and 175 respectively. Each has moved up one weight class. Johnson placed fourth at Zumwalt North at 215.
“(Ford) hasn’t put on a lot of weight, but he’s improved a lot from Day 1 last year to state,” Sheppard said. “(Johnson) looks heavy at 215 but he should get down (to 190).”
Senior Owen Gardner (215) and junior Connor Rush (285) didn’t start practicing until Monday because they were part of the Tiger football team’s run to the Class 4 state championship game Dec. 6.
“Owen shined last year at 190 late, then got horribly sick at districts. I have high expectations for him this year,” Sheppard said.
The other boys on the Festus roster are sophomore Tristen Diemund (126), sophomore Connor Besore (138), junior Ryan Peter (144), sophomore Ryan Dabbs (157), junior Noah Moss (165) and junior Christian Apollo (175).
“It is always a challenge to find those guys at the lower weights,” the coach noted. “I’ve filled them out once in four years.”
Reeves siblings head up Herky
All three Herculaneum Reeves siblings qualified for the state tournament in February.
Eddyson capped her career by finishing fifth in Class 1 at 140. Her sister, Emerson, qualified at 105 as a freshman and won one match.
Their brother, Keaton, made it in Class 2 at 157. He and Emerson return as the established leaders of the program. In fact, with her sister graduated, Emerson is the only girl on the team. Bouncing between 105 and 110, she’s off to a 6-0 start.
“Both (Reeves sisters) are counter-wrestlers who manipulate their opponents to make mistakes,” Herculaneum head coach Chris Bahr said. “You have to wrestle a perfect technical match (against them) to have a chance.
“(Wrestling) hasn’t grown as a girls sport here. I’m trying to build that. Even when her sister was here, there was too much of a weight differential (between them) so they didn’t work together a lot.”
The Blackcat boys finished 13th at the Esmond Ford Memorial Tournament at Affton on Dec. 7. Former JCAA rival St. Pius X won with 304 points.
Keaton Reeves tweaked his knee wrestling at 165. “He doesn’t shy away from competition, so the game plan is to get to 157 eventually and find the best opportunities,” Bahr said. “He’s at a comfortable spot where he doesn’t have to do too much weight cutting.”
Sophomore Aiden Weigel returns at 106 and Bahr said he’s shown great improvement. Senior Darick Niebling was close to making it to state as a freshman before he moved to Pennsylvania. Niebling has returned and was third at 126 at Affton.
The Herky lineup also includes senior Logan Donjon (132-138); sophomore Luke Asinger (132-138); senior Aiden Piediscalzi (165); freshman Aaron Mardirosian (157); junior Joe Oliver (150); freshman Michael Hankins (175); freshman Brendon Payne (175); junior Blue Rollins (215) and sophomore Will Pieper (285).
Saturday, the Blackcat boys and girls host a dual-meet tournament with Lindbergh, St. Louis University High, Potosi, Alton, St. Mary’s, Valle Catholic and Westminster Christian Academy.
Most state qualifiers back for Dragons
Four of the six 2024 state qualifiers return to the De Soto boys team.
Drake Peeler finished fifth at 138 pounds and graduated. Aiden Isaacson qualified at 215 as a freshman but has moved out of the school district.
That leaves junior Brenton Drummond, sophomore Dominic Eakins, senior Hunter Adams and sophomore Levi Huck to seek a return trip to the Mizzou Arena in Columbia in February. The Dragons beat visiting Potosi 64-17 in a dual Dec. 9 and the Dragon foursome all won their matches.
Drummond competed at 126 against the Trojans. Two years ago, he finished sixth at state at 113; last year he didn’t make it to the medal round at 120. Eakins won 41 matches last season and remains at 144 after exiting Columbia in consolation at that weight. Adams lost both of his state matches at 150 and stays put at that weight. Huck also was 0-2 at state at 165 and has moved up to 175.
Drummond’s older brother, Braxton, a senior, is at 157. He is looking to reach state for the first time.
Girls team leader Ella Bradley graduated in the spring with three state medals to her credit. De Soto returns three wrestlers who qualified for state as freshmen: Kya Aubuchon (105), Cheyenne Kincade (110) and Emma Taylor (120). They combined to win 118 matches last year.
The Dragons visited Park Hills Central on Tuesday, after the Leader deadline, for a tri-meet against the Rebels and North County. De Soto beat Potosi 36-28 Dec. 9. Kincade won by fall in the first period at 115.
Henry leads Owls on mat
The Windsor boys and girls wrestling teams competed on opposite sides of the state Dec. 7. The boys were at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, while the girls traveled to North Kansas City High for the Tussle for the Tiara Tournament.
With the Owls little league and middle-school programs still humming, both Windsor varsity teams are benefiting from growing numbers. The boys had about 50 wrestlers when practice began at the beginning of November, and currently have around 40. Two seasons ago, there were five girls; this year’s 16 is the high-water mark for the program.
Windsor head coaches Jacob Gegg (boys) and Ryan Nuspl (girls) sound optimistic not only about this season but also the future.
“The little league numbers are helping ours creep up,” Gegg said.
“That’s across the state,” Nuspl said of the growth of girls wrestling in its seventh year. “Girls sports across the country are starting to explode.”
The host school won the Tussle for the Tiara with 199.5 points, while 2023 Class 2 state champion Lebanon was second with 195. Windsor placed 12th with 44.
Junior Sydney Streckfuss returns at 125 pounds after qualifying for the Class 1 state tournament last season. Streckfuss lost a 7-6 decision in the first round in North Kansas City, but won five matches – two by forfeit – on the backside of the bracket to finish third. She finished second at 130 at Affton’s Esmond Ford Memorial Tournament Nov. 23.
“(Streckfuss) had a silly penalty in the first match (at NKC),” Nuspl said. “She accidentally did a full nelson or the match would have gone to OT. She beat a lot of tough competition to get to third place.
“She’s starting to pick things up and has raw talent, strength and body awareness.”
After qualifying for state at 235 last season, sophomore Ashley Hansen was slated for 190 but suffered a season-ending injury during practice.
Senior Lily Pauley was second at Affton at 120 and fell in the “bubble match” at 115 in NKC. Defending state champion Jessa Joiner of Lebanon won the 115 title at the Tiara meet. Pauley has recovered from a dislocated elbow she suffered last December that knocked her out for the season.
“She is in a tough weight class,” Nuspl said. “KC was filled with some tough girls. She’s looking quick and strong.”
The Windsor girls have grown to the point that they only have two open weight classes (145 and 235). The rest of the varsity lineup features sophomore Cailyn Hetrick (100); senior Reese Ronzio (injured) and freshman Valerie Lacey (105); sophomore Tessa Chadbourne (110); sophomore Sophia Parsons (120); freshman Emalee Finney (130); freshman Isabella Ohmart (135); freshman Emma Davis (140); sophomore Summer Mahurin (155) and freshman Karoline Kalisch (170).
“We’re showing a lot of promise,” Nuspl said. “We still have a lot of kinks to work out. My varsity is still pretty green. Overall, I’m happy with my girls so far.”
The Owls have a lot of time to practice until they take the mat at the Wonder Woman Tournament at Battle High in Columbia on Jan. 3-4.
“I wanted to get out there (this season) and compete to see the areas we needed to build on before we got to Wonder Woman, which is the toughest tournament we’ll be in before state.”
A 5-3 tiebreak loss for the 175-pound Class 3 state championship ended Brice Henry’s 2023-2024 season. Henry, now a senior, was attempting to win the Owls’ first state title since Ryan Yarnell in 2018. He’s off to a 4-0 start after two pins and two victories by major decision at Westminster.
“I think he takes that leap (to first place),” Gegg said. “He was devastated after the state finals. When you lose a close match you feel you should have won, you evaluate the things you’re doing. Had he won, would he be critical of his mistakes? Does he come back as a better version of himself? His offense has taken off to where he can score from any level. He’s stronger, faster and smarter when I wrestle with him at practice.”
A state qualifier at 132, senior Luke Patterson outscored his first three opponents 55-8 at Westminster to take each bout by technical fall before winning the final at 138 by fall in the third period. Henry and Patterson also won their matches as part of a 57-18 win over St. Louis University High on Dec. 5.
Sophomore Lane Cobb was a state qualifier at 106 and has moved to 113, for now, where he was one match away from the medal round at Westminster. Gegg said Cobb is better-suited for 106, but that’s where senior Ethan Anders is. Anders missed last year with an injury.
Sophomore Jayden Grindell finished fourth at 190 at Westminster. He pinned his first-round opponent in eight seconds.
Junior Max Coerver lost his first match at 144, but won his next four matches by fall to finish in third place.
The Owls have a revolving door at heavyweight, he added.
The Windsor boys visit Farmington tonight (Dec. 12) for a tri-meet with the Knights and Sikeston, then hit the road Friday for the Carl Junction dual tournament.
Lancer boys aiming for their first state trophy
The St. Pius X boys wrestling program, in only its fourth year of existence, has a stacked lineup that includes two state medal winners and six returning state qualifiers.
The Lancers, who compete in Class 1, quickly made it clear they plan to make a run at a state trophy this season, winning the Esmond Ford Memorial Tournament at Affton on Dec. 7. They scored 304 points, way ahead of Class 4 schools Lindbergh (172.5) and Oakville (167).
“We have some awesome returners with Dawson Litterall and the Shaver boys,” said St. Pius head coach Jeff Hoese, who also oversees the Lancer girls wrestlers. “Justin Lehn has started off the year insanely.”
Many of the Lancers came over from the football team, which beefed up its schedule, as an independent, to better prepare for the playoffs. Knowing the talent he had returning, Hoese did the same thing. Affton was just the first taste of wrestling against larger schools. St. Pius will wrestle in seven more tournaments, including the Hallsville Tournament shortly after Christmas, Lafayette’s Fred Ross Tournament two weeks after that and the Kyle Thrasher Tournament at Francis Howell in late January.
“I was told by a coach, if you place at Hallsville, you’re almost guaranteed a state medal,” Hoese said. “We loaded up our schedule like the football team did.”
From 138 to 215 pounds, the Lancers are loaded with state qualifiers capable of winning in any class. Reid Menke, Matthew Thomas, Dawson Litterall and Cody Shaver made it to the Mizzou Arena in Columbia last February as freshmen. Seniors Justin Lehn (215 pounds) and Peyton Shaver (175), Cody’s brother, provide the veteran leadership at the top. Between 106 and 126, another wave of young Lancers look to make their mark. It’s a team built to succeed beyond this season.
St. Pius X of Kansas City is the defending Class 1 state champion. Hoese said he once was headed out to the mats for a match when someone confused him with a SP-KC coach. St. Pius KC was moved to Class 3 because of MSHSAA’s private school success factor.
“I said, ‘We’re going to be the St. Pius,’” he said. “I think we can. There’s no doubt we’re a top-three team.”
Top three is where Litterall and Peyton Shaver finished at state last season. Shaver went 39-2 after winning his third-place match at 165, and Litterall was 39-3 at 175, taking third by pin. This year they’ve flipped weight classes and both won at Affton.
“I fully expect (Litterall) to be at the top of the (state) podium,” Hoese said. “He might have acted like a freshman off the mat, but when he’s on the mat, he’s all business.
“All of our kids grew up together. Dawson has been wrestling since he came out of diapers. Peyton’s a rock. And he’s a good person. He works hard and is a good leader. You can see him thinking on the mat. He doesn’t get rattled.”
Cody Shaver is back at 190 after making it to the consolation second round at state. He pinned his two opponents at Affton in 36 and 34 seconds.
“He was close last year,” Hoese said. “I fully expect to see him on the podium. (St. Pius football head coach Frank Ray) has those kids so tuned in from football. Our strength and conditioning program (under activities director Tilden Watson) is second to none.”
Lehn stays put at 215 after making it to Columbia last year and plans to compete for a state medal. He is coming off a football season in which he led Pius in rushing yards for the second year in a row. Lehn won both matches at Affton by fall.
Two years ago, Owen Staat qualified for state for Northwest, a Class 4 school. Staat transferred to St. Pius for his senior year and he and Thomas will be at 150 or 157. Hoese said he’s fit right in with his teammates.
Menke, a state qualifier at 132, has moved up to 138. At Affton, he finished 4-0 in his pool with three pins and a technical fall.
Completing the Lancer lineup are freshmen Cash Hancock (106) and Hunter Hodum (113), sophomore Rogan Westerman (120), freshmen Jack Faifer (126) and Carter Cain (285) and sophomore Jackson Jercinovic (285).
On the girls team, junior Aubrey Melber transferred from Hillsboro, where she qualified for the 2023 Class 1 state meet as a freshman at 115 pounds. Melber didn’t wrestle last season because of an injury. She’s wrestling for Pius at 110, where she was third at Affton, splitting four matches.
Juniors Samantha Schmelig (115) and Faith Sebastian (125) and sophomore Kaihlynn Julius (130) are all wrestling for the first time.
“They still have the training wheels on,” Hoese said.
The St. Pius boys and girls will compete in the Orchard Farm Invitational Friday and Saturday.