North Callaway wins first ever conference championship

North Callaway boys wrestling have been conference champions but never as a team.

That changed on Saturday at the Greater Missouri Wrestling Conference tournament in Adrian when the Thunderbirds scored 222.5 points to win their first ever conference team championship. They were led by four individual champions and four all-conference boys while the girls had one conference champion and an all-conference kid.

The Thunderbirds were able to edge out runner-up Lone Jack by three points thanks to their four conference champions, starting with Casper Safranski going 5-0 at 190 pounds with four pinfalls and then a 1-0 decision victory over Lone Jack’s Dilan Grimes in the first-place match. Collin Moore went 4-0 at 144 after four pinfall victories, including one in the third round over Lone Jack’s Colton Barnett; Lane Kimbley finished 3-0 at 138 with three pinfalls; and Lucas Riecke went 3-0 at 113 with three pinfalls.

North Callaway’s two second-team members included Tristan Young at 120 after defeating Lone Jack’s Andrew Sims via an 11-5 decision but losing by pinfall in the first-place match to Missouri Military Academy’s Deonte Kerns and Ben Haubner pinned his first four opponents at 175 before losing via 18-3 technical fall to Mack’s Creek’s Aidyn Merchant in the first-place match.

Making third team were Wyatt Haden, who went 3-2 at 165 with three pinfall victories, and Gunner Wenneker, who finished 3-2 at 285 with two pinfall wins.

For the girls competition, Abigail Schmidt earned first-team honors, and Brooke Giboney was second-team.

Missouri Military Academy finishes fourth at conference with two champions

Missouri Military Academy had Trae Griffiths at the forefront of a solid week.

The Colonels finished fourth on Saturday at the Greater Missouri Wrestling Conference tournament in Adrian with 146.5 points and came out of the weekend with two conference champions in Trae Griffiths and Deonte Kerns and a second-team all-conference kid in Russell Olson.

The sophomore Griffiths repeated as a conference champion after going 5-0 at 157 pounds with four first-period pinfalls and a 16-0 technical fall victory over runner-up Lone Jack’s Cash Hale in the first-place match. Griffiths already had a signature victory during the week in MMA’s tri meet at South Callaway, where the Colonels defeated South Callaway 46-24 and Mack’s Creek 66-6, since Griffiths won via a 12-3 major decision against South Callaway’s two-time state qualifier Ayden Munford.

Kerns was 2-1 at 120 following an opening pinfall loss to Lone Jack’s Andrew Sims before bouncing back with two pinfall victories, including over champion North Callaway’s Tristan Young for first place. In the championship match, Kerns was able to secure a victory over a district opponent despite being down several points going into the second period as he pinned with 25 seconds left in the second.

Olson went 3-1 at 215 after winning his first three matches via pinfall, including a couple against opponents from Lone Jack and North Callaway, and losing to Diamond’s Brayden Clement via a 10-0 major decision for first place. 

Dallas Grantz at 126 and Sam Stevens at 138 each finished fourth.

Centralia boys finish as runner-up to host Brookfield, six earn titles

It was just the Centralia boys and Brookfield competing for Saturday’s top prize.

The Panthers were the runner-up to their Clarence Cannon Conference foe after scoring 79 points to fall 10 points short at Saturday’s Gary Haag Invitational in Brookfield. Six Panthers came out of the day as tournament champions.

Bryson Dubes went 4-0 at 106 pounds after two pinfalls, including a late third-period win over Brookfield’s Michael Shepherd, and two major decisions; Charlie Robinson was 4-0 at 126 after three pinfalls, including one over Brookfield’s Ryder Techau, and a 7-4 decision over Blair Oaks’ Carter Kempker; Rex Bryson won at 157 after going 5-0 four first-period pinfalls and a 3-2 decision over Marceline’s Conner Quinn; Wyatt Adkisson was 3-0 at 165 with three pinfalls; Dalton Kroeger won both of his matches at 190B by first-period pinfall; and Ian Tuggle was 5-0 at 215 three pinfalls, including one over Brookfield’s Ekene Chukwu, a 7-6 decision over Marceline’s Scout Gooch, and a 12-2 major decision.

Louis Suddarth finished second at 150 after pinning two opponents through a 4-0 record before losing a 3-0 decision to Brookfield state runner-up Colton Parn in the final round. 

Weston Ward was third at 144 after going 3-2 with three pinfall victories, an 11-6 decision loss to Marceline’s Cody Rodgers and a pinfall loss to Blair Oaks state medalist Whit Nichols. 

Centralia’s Shelton wins at Brookfield tournament

Jayci Shelton had some more quick matches for the Centralia girls on Friday.

Shelton was the 155-pound champion at the Brookfield girls tournament after pinning both of her opponents in the first period. 

The Lady Panthers finished eight out of 13 teams with 42.5 points after two finished in second. Jamila Juma went 2-1 at 125B and won via a 16-0 technical fall in her last match of the day, and Lyla Mattison was 1-1 at 155 after a pinfall victory and loss.

Madie Shelton managed to win two matches to finish fourth at 130, including a 5-2 decision over Brookfield’s Kaecen Brown and a pinfall victory.

Mexico has four champions at Moberly JV tournament; Centralia, North Callaway come out with champions

Several Bulldogs reached the top of the podium on Saturday.

Four Mexico JV wrestlers finished first at the Moberly JV Invitational, including Evan Blair at 106B, Evan Wilson at 138, Evin Ford at 150C and Jayden Hodge at 190B. Centralia had three champions with Drayden Conde at 165C, Chris Brown at 190D and Jameson Cooper at 215B, and North Callaway had one champion with Leeam Gathright at 157B.

Blair pinned all four of his opponents; Wilson won via pinfall, a 15-0 technical fall and an 8-4 decision over North Callaway’s Cooper Safranski; Ford pinned all three of his opponents; Hodge pinned all three of his opponents.

Kyle Lewis finished second at 132C a pinfall victory and 4-2 and 5-1 decisions in his favor but lost 5-2 in the final round to Kirksville’s Jacob Lunsford.

For Centralia, Conde pinned all four of his opponents; Brown pinned all three of his opponents, including teammate and runner-up Irl Shannon in the final round; and Cooper pinned all four of his opponents within the first minute. Tristan Staats was another Panther to be a runner-up after two victories at 285B, including a 2-1 decision over Mexico’s Travis Shramek.

For North Callaway, Gathright pinned two opponents and defeated Centralia’s Harrison Hutchinson via a 5-3 decision. Safranski just had the one loss to Mexico’s Wilson to earn second at 138 as he already had a 14-0 major decision and a first-period pinfall.