The Carthage Tiger Wrestling Team capped off a successful regular season with the JV COC tournament and a dual against the Seneca Indians. The JV COC Tournament was held in Branson this year, with the Tigers bringing home a 3rd place finish to end the junior varsity season. Individual championships went to Ayden Nye at 126 lbs. and Lenny Teo at 165 lbs.
The last dual of the season featured the Seneca Indians traveling to Carthage High School to face the Tigers. Carthage faced some tough competition at several weights and are still plagued with a couple of open weight classes. The Tigers reigned victorious, though, with some key wins at 106, 126, 132, 150, 157, 165 and 175 lbs. Seneca claimed victory at 138, 190 and 215 lbs. by forfeit, with individual wins at 113, 120, 144 and 285 lbs.
Heading into District action this weekend at Ozark, the Tigers can expect a tournament very similar to this year’s varsity COC. Neosho bumped up to class four this year and will join the district three tournament that includes Waynesville and Sedalia Smith-Cotton, as well as Kansas City area schools, Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North and West and Raymore-Peculiar.
Carthage News Online sat down with a few members of the varsity team to gain some insight, share some laughs and talk frankly about their season.
Carthage News Online: I always ask this each year, but what goals have you set for yourself this season?
Grey Petticrew (150 lbs.): My goal is to place at the State tournament.
Bradyn Tate (132 lbs.): I wanted to beat the three records for most takedowns in a season at 132 lbs. (did it), most pins at 132 lbs. (did it), and most team points in a season (still working on it). I also hope to place at state.
David Recinos (285 lbs.): My first goal is to make it to state, and if I accomplish that, I want to place.
Davion King (165 lbs.): I set three goals this year: maintain a perfect record, don’t go to my back (don’t allow back points or potentially get pinned) and win state.
CNO: What is your biggest obstacle heading into districts?
GP: Some of the opposition in my weight class. We’ll leave it at that and won’t name names.
BT: Getting the best seed heading into the tournament. (Your district seeding is determined by many factors such as common opponents, wins and losses, margin of victory, etc.)
DR: Seeding for districts.
DK: Staying in the best shape for matches that are tougher and longer. Not getting winded in the first period after the adrenaline wears off. Everyone gets nervous during the first round, no matter how many times you’ve been there (State) and it’s easy to go crazy the first round and have nothing left after.
CNO: Do you guys have any funny rituals, traditions or superstitions that you have to do before matches or tournaments?
GP: I always eat an apple before my matches. It’s not a conscious thing but it’s something I’ve always done.
BT: I always eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich. It gives me energy and isn’t super heavy. One time I ate a footlong and it sat like lead in my stomach.
DR: I eat a box of pizza before a home dual, and before each of my matches, Tanner Putt(106 lbs.) hypes me up. (It’s a well known fact that the biggest and smallest weights always pal around together).
DK: I’ve worn the same pair of socks before every match since my sophomore year. If I’m winning, I won’t wash my singlet. If I lose, I wash it. And I never wear my championship singlet – it’s bad luck for me. I’m very superstitious.
CNO: What has kept you motivated to do well year after year?
GP: My team. They always support each other and cheer others on.
BT: Wanting to place higher than my brother did. (Braxdon Tate graduated last year and placed fifth at 152 lbs. at the MSHSAA State Tournament).
DR: I want Coach Brown and Coach Petticrew (my practice partner many days) to be proud of me.
DK: I hate losing more than I love winning. (Same answer as last year).
CNO: Who has been a positive influence in your wrestling life?
GP: My dad, for sure. (Coach Petticrew finished fourth his senior year at the State Tournament).
BT: Coach Brown
DR: Coach Petticrew
DK: All the coaches. It started out in youth with Coach Kelly and then I got to know Coach Brown and he’s always supported me. When I got to high school I got to know Coach Petticrew (PJ, or Pastor John as many of the boys who attend Bykota Church where he is the lead pastor, call him) and Coach Bounous because he rolls with me a lot. (Coach Kellen Bounous is a three time state champion in Missouri and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he wrestled).
Side note: all of the boys expressed this year’s loss of Coach Clint Spencer, who moved to Ohio last summer for his wife’s medical school residency. His joking nature often loosened the boys up before matches and entertained them.
CNO: What motivates you on the day of competition?
GP: Rap music
BT: the Rocky training montage because only Rocky III and IV are the good ones. And 90’s rock music.
DR: Rocky IV or good motivational movies.
DK: I jump rope before my matches. I can’t really listen to music beforehand.
CNO: What’s the worst match you’ve ever wrestled?
GP: The first match at the Platte County Tournament this year. I was winning 9-1 and got caught and pinned.
BT: The blood round at districts last year that I lost and kept me from going to state.
DR: Same
DK: The match against my Ray-Pec opponent at the Carthage Dual tournament last year where I got pinned. It just took me by surprise and I was upset for a long time afterward.
CNO: What’s your favorite wrestling memory this year?
GP: Being undefeated in all our duals this year.
BT: Breaking the pin record of Coach Patrick’s while he was at the match to see it. (Jared Patrick is an assistant principal at Carthage High School and a former CHS wrestler that held the pin record at 132 lbs. since 1998.)
DR: Winning my match and tying the Carl Junction dual, where we won on criteria. (Criteria determines the winner of a tied dual and can go up to 17 different factors if necessary). Also, I love my motivational speeches from Coach Petticrew.
DK: Winning the Harrisonville Tournament for the first time. And also standing on the scale behind David when he was weighing one day and making him think he weighed 340 lbs.
We wish the Tiger Wrestlers best of luck at this weekend’s MSHSAA Class Four, District Three tournament in Ozark, MO. Wrestling begins Friday night, February 17th at 5pm, and starts up again Saturday, February 18th at 10am. Participating schools are: Carthage, Ozark, Nixa, Neosho, Republic, Waynesville, Raymore-Peculiar, Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit West, Sedalia Smith Cotton, Springfield Central, Joplin, Kickapoo and Lebanon. Admission is $6 for all visitors and the address is Ozark High School, 1350 W. Bluff Drive, Ozark, MO 65721.
Here are the results from the JV COC tournament on 02/04/23 held in Branson.
Team Scores
1—Ozark—209.5
2—Nixa—180
3—Carthage—129
4—Willard—121.5
5—Joplin—113
5—Neosho—113
7—Republic—101
8—Carl Junction—99
9—Branson—77.5
10—Webb City—25.5
Individual Results
Weight—Name—Grade—Tournament Record—Season Record—Placement
106—OPEN
113—Indiana Gray—11—(3-1)—(18-2)—3rd
Won by fall in 2:13 over Devin Shadden—Nixa
Won by fall in 4:10 over Dylan Houston—Joplin
Lost by major decision 3-11 to Camden Kunkle—Carl Junction
Won by decision 6-4 over Cole Beezley—Carl Junction
120—Wyatt Hole—10—(3-2)—(9-3)—2nd
Won by fall in 0:59 over Jackie Coose—Nixa
Won by fall in 2:29 over Xander McClelland—Republic
Lost by fall in 3:15 to Logan Luder—Ozark
Won by decision 3-2 over Drake Richardson—Carl Junction
Lost by fall in 0:22 to Logan Luder—Ozark
120—Douglas Ball—9—(2-3)—(7-5)—DNP
Won by fall in 2:47 over Christian Patrick—Nixa
Lost by major decision 4-12 to Warren Fisher—Ozark
Lost by fall in 1:39 to Drake Richardson—Carl Junction
Lost by fall in 3:48 to Xander McClelland—Republic
Won by fall in 0:59 over Christian Patrick—Nixa
126—Aydan Nye—10—(5-0)—(9-1)—1st
Won by fall in 2:31 over Braxton Zinter—Republic
Won by fall in 0:43 over Peirce Newcomb—Neosho
Won by fall in 2:15 over Logan Flemming—Nixa
Won by decision 8-4 over Keaton Colburn—Carl Junction
Won by decision 5-2 over Eian McCracken—Ozark
126B—Emerson Ixcol—10—(3-0)—(10-6)—1st
Won by fall in 3:14 over Logan Miller—Nixa
Won by fall in 1:46 over Gavin Endicott—Carl Junction
Won by decision 8-4 over Yegor Montgomery—Ozark
132—Noah Norbury—9—(4-1)—(13-2)—2nd
Won by fall in 0:32 over Tice Dortch—Republic
Won by fall in 1:20 over Nic Foulk—Carl Junction
Won by fall in 0:23 over Blake Leonard—Webb City
Won by fall in 0:46 over Jacob Close—Joplin
Lost by fall in 1:36 to Jonathan Chapman—Ozark
138—Blayne Benefiel—9—(1-3)—(4-7)—3rd
Lost by fall in 2:18 to Nick Tarr—Joplin
Lost by fall in 0:44 to Talyn Van Horn—Ozark
Won by fall in 1:44 over Corbin Connors—Branson
Lost by fall in 2:03 to Aiden Horne—Nixa
138B—Cole Tournear—10—(3-1)—(7-6)—2nd
Won by fall in 2:48 over Logan Richardson—Nixa
Won by fall in 0:40 over Peyton Patty—Branson
Won by fall in 0:44 over Andrew Howard—Joplin
Lost by fall in 3:38 to Blake Griffin—Ozark
144—Jared Portillo—9—(0-5)—(4-15)—DNP
Lost by fall in 0:25 to Josh Scheuerman—Neosho
Lost by fall in 0:31 to Austin Brown—Branson
Lost by fall in 0:34 to Kaiden Patterson—Republic
Lost by fall in 1:43 to Gavin Stodghill—Webb City
Lost by fall in 1:42 to James Gosa—Republic
150—OPEN
157—Joshua Hill—9—(3-2)—(7-15)—DNP
Won by decision 3-0 over Brayden Seitz—Joplin
Won by fall in 4:31 over Patrick Smith—Republic
Lost by fall in 1:54 to Dayton Kivett—Neosho
Lost by fall in 4:26 to Jason Curry—Nixa
Won by decision 8-2 over Ben Scyoc—Joplin
165—Lenny Teo—9—(5-0)—(18-2)—1st
Won by fall in 1:34 over Grayson Hart—Republic
Won by fall in 1:21 over Kirill Posmitnyi—Neosho
Won by fall in 1:45 over Rylee Wright—Nixa
Won by fall in 2:28 over Lucas Edwards—Ozark
Won by fall in 4:22 over Aiden Haines—Willard
165B—Keagon McCoy—10—(1-2)—(9-3)—3rd
Lost by fall in 1:37 to John Worthy-Montgomery—Willard
Won by fall in 2:03 over Nehemiah Clark—Joplin
Lost by fall in 0:30 to Maddox Gibson—Nixa
175—Hector Escobar—9—(2-3)—(4-13)—DNP
Lost by fall in 1:16 to Lorenzo Hayworth—Willard
Won by fall in 4:47 over Alex Kirk—Branson
Won by fall in 2:53 over Landon White—Joplin
Lost by fall in 2:26 to Tucker Eads—Joplin
Lost by fall in 2:31 to James Grother—Nixa
175—Esvin Gonzalez—12—(1-2)—(3-3)—DNP
Won by fall in 0:36 over Graham Bennett—Ozark
Lost by fall in 2:05 to Izaiah Hull—Republic
Lost by decision 8-12 to James Grother—Nixa
Withdrew from tournament due to a concussion
190—Brayden Lee—10—(0-5)—(2-10)—DNP
Lost by fall in 0:58 to Austin Reyes—Willard
Lost by fall in 0:32 to Izik Sims—Willard
Lost by fall in 0:46 to Jordan White—Neosho
Lost by fall in 1:43 to Elijah Pierce—Nixa
Lost by fall in 0:31 to Tristan Fincher–Willard
Here are the Carthage Wrestling results from the dual with Seneca in Carthage on 02/07/23. Carthage finishes the dual season 8-3 on the year and next has the Class 4 District 3 Tournament in Ozark on 02/17-18/23 starting at 5:00PM.
Carthage—38
Seneca—33
Individual Results
Weight—Name—Grade—Season Record
106—Tanner Putt—10—(28-12)
Won by fall in 5:34 over Paxton Bruegal
113—Alberto Sales—11—(17-12)
Lost by overtime decision 9-11 to Hunter Hanes
120—Grady Huntley—9—(26-14)
Lost by decision 7-11 to Keatin Burleson
126—Aydan Nye—10—(18-11)
Won by fall in 3:52 to Connor Beck
132—Bradyn Tate—11—(41-4)
Won by fall in 3:32 over Trentyn Raney
138—OPEN
Forfeit to Brady Roark
144—Kip Castor—12—(20-10)
Lost by fall in 1:59 to Andrew Manley
150—Grey Petticrew—12—(27-8)
Won by fall in 2:56 over Blaine Fritchey
157—Trey Nye—12—(24-14)
Won by fall in 1:37 over Logan Barwick
165—Davion King—12—(23-1)
Won by technical fall 15-0 over Nolan Napier
175—Gabe Lambeth—12—(24-12)
Won by decision 7-1 over Lincoln Renfro
190—OPEN
Forfeit to Jace Renfro
215—OPEN
Forfeit to Nash Crane
285—David Recinos—10—(26-10)
Lost by overtime decision 2-3 to Nick Stephens
