Returning state qualifier Colt Taylor is expected to lead the way for the Webb City wrestling team this season.
A senior, Taylor finished second at 132 pounds at last year’s district tournament before concluding the season at the Class 3 state championships.
Taylor, who earned 28 wins as a junior, finished third in his weight class at last year’s COC Tournament.
Seniors Cooper Heilbrun, Bronson Collard and Carson Farmer and sophomore Blayke Leonard are Webb City’s other returning athletes with prior varsity experience.
For the Webb City girls, junior Emma Combs and sophomore Layla Espinoza are returning starters.
Webb City coach Jamie Williams noted he’s excited to see how his squad performs this winter.
“We are a fairly young team,” Williams said. “Having a returning state qualifier (Colt Taylor) is going to be a huge bonus. Also, both Layla and Emma are returning with lots of experience from last year. The strengths of the team are that we have a returning state qualifier. And with the girls we have two returning varsity wrestlers. This will help us with our younger athletes on the team. We also have some underclassmen and women that have previous experience that they can build on.”
With so many newcomers in the varsity lineup, Williams hopes to see steady progress throughout the season.
“We are going to be a younger team with a lot of learning to take place,” Williams said. “Once we get going with the season it will go fast. We will have a lot of opportunities to grow as a team with our competitions that we are going to. We are going to be a younger team so being able to go out and compete will help a lot. Being able to get exposed to lots of different styles of wrestling and being able to see how the kids react will be huge this year.”
Williams noted the team’s keys to success are not complicated.
“We need to show up, outwork everyone else, hold ourselves accountable and learn every time we step on the mat,” he said.
Webb City’s boys will host Nevada and Reeds Spring on Nov. 28. The Webb City girls are at Diamond on Nov. 21.
