Hillsboro has become a prime example of how important a little league club can be to prepare wrestlers for the rigors of varsity competition.
The Hawks handily won the team championship at the 42nd annual Bob Georger Classic in De Soto on Saturday with 219 points. Sullivan was second with 176 points and Union was third with 160. Windsor (fourth, 136), De Soto (fifth, 121), Festus (14th, 46.5) and Herculaneum (19th, 10) were the other JCAA schools that competed.
“We’ve always been in the top-three area, but we haven’t been first in awhile,” Hillsboro head coach Matt Mitchell said of his team’s title. “We’re excited. It was a solid tournament with a lot of district opponents.”
The championship matches of six of the first seven weight classes (all but 126 pounds between 106 and 145) were packed with Hawks. Of that half-dozen, four freshmen, all of whom cut their teeth in the Hawks’ junior program, competed for tournament titles. Gavin Alexander (106 pounds), Evan Morris (120), Griffin Ray (138) and Raymund Barnett (145) have a combined record of 132-19 this season and were the driving force behind Hillsboro winning its first tournament title in several years.
A win over Windsor on Tuesday after the Leader deadline would clinch Hillsboro’s first Jefferson County Activities Association championship. De Soto has won the first seven.
Alexander said he’s been wrestling for 10 years. He pinned Festus freshman Neal Kausler in 42 seconds in his first match and then won a 6-1 decision over Lexington sophomore Josh Payne in the semifinals. In the 106 championship, Alexander beat Webster Groves sophomore Alex Turley with an 8-2 decision.
“It’s been a long grind, but I think it’s time for all of us to show we’re good,” Alexander said.
“(Turley) took me down and took (a 2-0) lead. I had to turn it on a little bit. I cradled him and got some back points.”
Morris is Alexander’s main practice partner.
Junior Aidan Haggard and senior James Short are the Hawks’ grizzled veterans this year. Haggard gave Hillsboro two titles in as many matches at 113 when he pinned Union sophomore Sam Inman with 13 seconds left. Haggard, a state qualifier at 113 last season, led Inman 8-5 before recording the pin.
“We’ve been putting in a lot of work in the wrestle room. We came out today and took care of business,” Haggard said. “I saw the opportunity and I got (Inman) in a cradle and I wasn’t going to let him up. He was a really good opponent.”
Morris beat De Soto senior Kenny Coats in a 7-0 decision in the 120-pound semifinals and went scoreless late into his finals match against North County junior Jonathon Coroama before managing an escape and a 1-0 decision.
Short is attempting to reach the Class 3 state tournament in all four of his years on the Hawks. He placed sixth in the state at 126 last season. North County junior Chris Singleton won an 8-6 decision against Short in the semifinals at 126. Singleton was beaten 2-0 in the finals by Sullivan junior Dillon Will. Short took fifth by pinning Notre Dame sophomore Owen Dowdy in 2:38.
The championship at 132 was a match between a returning state qualifier and the second-place state finisher in Class 2 at 126 last year. Hillsboro sophomore Dalton Litzsinger won 45 matches and made it to the third round of wrestlebacks at state last year. Litzsinger inspired this year’s freshmen to believe they could compete on the varsity at the highest level.
Litzsinger (38-3) met Park Hills Central junior Kade Willis, who lost a 4-3 decision in the state finals, for the tournament crown at 132. Willis had beaten Litzsinger 6-4 the week before. In the rematch, Willis (33-3) won by fall in 1:43.
“I’ve got to go back to the practice room and put work in every day,” Litzsinger said. “I need to get better at every position. There’s always room for improvement.
“I think we have a good future. These next three weeks are going to be fun. I’m excited to see where we finish.”
Ray won his first two matches at 138 by fall before taking on Union senior Carter Sickmeier in the final. Sickmeier had three wins by fall under his belt before beating Ray (37-3) in a 10-3 decision.
Barnett tangled with Union sophomore Gabriel Hoekel in the 145 title tussle, perhaps the most intense and exciting match of the tournament. With 18 seconds left, Barnett scored a takedown to take a 5-4 lead. Seconds later, Hoekel shot in for a takedown to reclaim the lead 6-5. Then, as time expired, Barnett wiggled out for an escape to tie the match and send it to overtime. The score remained 6-6 until Hoekel escaped in the fourth OT to win 7-6.
Barnett showed exceptional maturity after the loss.
“I was a little bit nervous and not prepared for a 30-30 at all,” he said of the lengths of the overtime periods. “I’m happy I was out there doing my best. I wish I could have fought a little bit harder. But I’m happy with myself with this place.
“I was trying to get both of (Hoekel’s) legs so I could knock him down and get on top. But he got up. I’m happy for him. He deserves it and he’s really a good wrestler.”
Junior Zach McNees won by fall in the first two rounds at 182 for the Hawks before scratching out a gutty 5-3 decision over Windsor junior Chris Butts in the semifinals. McNees (34-7) fell 3-1 to Sullivan senior Evan Shetley (26-1) in the final. Shetley was fourth in the state in Class 2 at 182 last season.
Windsor senior wins Georger championship at 195 pounds
After a year away from wrestling, senior Seif Elkhashab followed up defensive football player of the year honors in the Mississippi Area Football Conference Red Division with a splendid season on the mat for the Owls.
Elkhashab (33-5) and senior Austin Henry were the Windsor wrestlers to reach the championships at the Georger Classic. Elkhashab beat Parkway West senior Ian Hall in an 8-2 decision at 195.
“Parkway West always has tough wrestlers. Seif is still on pace. We’re there,” Windsor head coach Ryan Bollinger said.
After a pin in the first period at 170, Henry won two narrow decisions to reach the final. He beat Fort Zumwalt East senior Luke Eaton 9-6 in the quarterfinals and then escaped with a 4-3 decision over Sullivan senior Trey Eplin in the semis. Henry ran into Festus junior Luke Shaver (37-1) in the finals for the second time in two weeks. Shaver pinned Henry at the JCAA tri-meet in the first matchup. Shaver, a two-time state qualifier, beat Henry in an 18-3 technical fall with 1:22 left in the third period to claim the tournament title.
“Austin grinds out matches. We look forward to another one (against Shaver),” Bollinger said. “Luke’s a good kid. He made a good decision on his part to give up football and wrestle year-round. I’m a football coach and I wish he’d played both sports.”
Butts (27-8) rebounded from his semifinal loss to McNees by pinning Liberty junior Jackson Ward to capture third place at 182. McNees has beaten Butts twice this season.
“I think Chris can beat him, but so far we’ve haven’t proven it,” Bollinger said.
Junior Seth Winkelmann has filled in for the departed Grant Pauli at 145 for Windsor. Barnett beat Winkelmann 14-9 in the semifinals. Winkelmann won in the next round before dropping a 12-3 major decision to Fort Zumwalt East senior Leo Arnold for third place.
Junior Luke Longtin finished fourth for the Owls at 152 after he lost an 11-3 major decision to Parkway West senior James Griffin (34-2). Longtin met Lexington sophomore Tyson Moore in the second round and lost by fall in 55 seconds. Moore won the Georger title at 152 with three straight pins.
Shaver continues impressive season
In the rematch with Henry, Shaver said he hit his shots better. Shaver won his first two matches by fall and a 10-2 major decision.
“It was a good tournament as far competition,” Shaver said. “We’re going to come out even harder at districts.”
Shaver has a record of 0-4 in his two years at state.
“The experience has been nice, but I’ve been getting my butt kicked,” he said. “I’ve been working really hard to get back there.”
Festus head coach Jason Nahlik said Shaver has improved on his takedowns and is better in the top position.
“I attribute that to all of the offseason work he did,” Nahlik said. “He wrestled all around the country. It helps he has a drive out of this world. He wants to be a state champion. After practice, he’ll go work out for an hour in the gym. It’s impressive.”
Festus junior Jordan Banks lost to eventual 182-pound champion Shetley in the semifinals, but Banks worked his way to the medal round and finished fifth after he pinned Park Hills Central senior Joshua Whaley in 13 seconds.
Porter gets 150th win of his career
De Soto senior Landon Porter had a chance to reach two significant career milestones in his last match on his home mats.
Porter won the 150th match of his career when he won a 3-2 decision in overtime against Sullivan senior Tristan Brown in the 285-pound championship. Porter needs one pin to reach 100 in his career. Porter has won the Georger title at 285 all four years, but this season was the first time he was named the tournament’s most valuable wrestler.
“That (Brown) is going to win Class 2,” Porter said. “That was the strongest kid I’ve ever wrestled. I figured out pretty quickly that my normal offense wasn’t going to work. I was looking for him to make a mistake and he didn’t. I got lucky and won the coin flip, which I shouldn’t have banked on.”
Senior Kenny Coats finished third for the Dragons at 120 after winning by fall in 1:31 against Park Hills Central freshman Kobe Bolin. De Soto senior Connor Zimmermann lost by fall in 48 seconds to Lexington sophomore Tyson Moore in the championship at 152. Zimmermann (32-6) won his other three matches in the tournament by fall. Senior Kameren Brooks took fourth at 160 after being pinned in 3:31 by Sullivan senior Kobie Blankenship. De Soto senior Hunter Lebel lost in the 220 finals by fall to Union senior David Clark.
Brooks, Coats and Zimmermann were state qualifiers last year.