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STATE WRESTLING: McDonald County, Carl Junction, Neosho finish in top 10; Murphy, Hitt win titles

By:
SoMo Sports staff reports

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs, the Carl Junction Bulldogs and the Neosho Wildcats all finished in the top 10 of the team standings as the 2023 MSHSAA Boys Wrestling Championships wrapped up on Saturday night at Mizzou Arena.

McDonald County and Carl Junction finished in fifth and sixth in Class 3 with 88 and 83 points, respectively, while Neosho finished seventh in Class 4 with 77 points.

McDonald County juniors Samuel Murphy (215 pounds) and Jayce Hitt (285) each won state titles at their respective weights Saturday night.

Murphy (44-1) defeated Branson’s Cade Grimm on a 6-1 sudden victory for the state title one week after Murphy defeated Grimm with a sudden victory for the district crown. Earlier in the semifinals Saturday, Murphy won a 3-2 ultimate tie-breaker against Willard’s Alex Nunez.

Hitt (26-0) pinned DeSoto’s Isaac Foeller in 1 minute and 42 seconds in the championship match and won 7-3 against Grandview’s Derek Joiner in the semifinals.

McDonald County seniors Blaine Ortiz (138) and Colter Vick (175) closed out their prep careers with state medals, Ortiz finishing third and Vick sixth.

Ortiz (43-7) rebounded with two victories after losing 3-0 in the semifinals against Whitfield’s A.J. Rallo, winning a 6-1 sudden victory against Bolivar’s Cooper Moore for third and a 6-4 decision against Jefferson City’s Braden Werdehausen in the consolation semis.

Vick (35-14) lost 5-0 against Willard’s Jase Motlagh in his final high school match.

Carl Junction will return home with five state medalists, including two state runners-up in junior Sam Melton (120) and sophomore Tony Stewart (165).

Melton (43-6) lost 7-0 against North Point’s Kaden Purler in the championship match, while Stewart (41-12) lost by pinfall against Hillsboro’s Griffin Ray in his title match.

Carl Junction’s Carter Foglesong (41-6) and Lukas Walker (46-3) placed fourth at 106 and 113 and Cayden Bolinger (31-15) finished sixth at 285.

Webb City’s lone state qualifier, junior Colt Taylor, lost both his matches at 132 on Friday and finished his season 28-19 overall.

In Class 4, Neosho earned four state medals with Carter Howard (138) and Eli Zar (165) taking second, Nico Olivares (285) fourth, and Collyn Kivett (157) fifth.

Howard lost by pinfall against Liberty’s Christopher Coates, now a three-time state champion, in the championship match and finished his freshman season 21-6 overall.

Zar (48-3) closed out his outstanding high school wrestling career with a 7-2 tie-breaker loss against Francis Howell Central’s Aidan Hernandez.

Olivares and Kivett finished their senior seasons 36-6 and 38-9 overall, respectively.

Carthage finished 18th overall in Class 4 with 34 points and the Tigers bring home three state medals with Davion King (30-4) in fourth at 165 and Bradyn Tate (48-8) and Grey Petticrew (32-12) both in sixth at 132 and 150.

King’s two losses at state came against Grain Valley’s Tanner Barker and Tate and Petticrew also had opponents who beat them twice at state in Oak Park’s Jamison Tunstill for Tate and Poplar Bluff’s Lucas Robertson for Petticrew.

Joplin’s lone state qualifier, Draven VanGilder (215), rebounded from semifinal and consolation semifinal losses to win a 5-4 decision against Staley’s Jack Stoffel for fifth and to finish his senior year on a winning note and with a 29-10 overall record his last season.

On the girls side, Joplin’s Erika Washom (31-12) finished 2-2 overall at state in her Class 2 135 weight class. She pinned St. Joseph Central’s Ashley Slade and Park Hill’s Rylin Beatty in her first two consolation matches, but Joplin’s first girls wrestling state qualifier finished her junior season 31-12 with a loss in the third consolation round.

 

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