The Oak Grove boys wrestling program is starting inch closer to being a contender for a state plaque in 2025-26.
That was apparent in Thursday’s Missouri River Valley Conference West matchup with Rival Odessa at home.
The Panthers got some big wins from Kale Martin, Ethan Phelps and Daeton Ramey and a few others to knock off the defending Class 2 state champions in a 47-21 victory.
“This group of kids work really, really hard,” Oak Grove head coach Jamie Scully said. “They have really bought in and they are working hard. We just have to keep getting better and getting back to the basics.”
The win was the first for Oak Grove against Odessa since the 2020-21 season, in which it edged the Bulldogs 40-39.
“This is a big step for our team. My freshman year, we lost to (Odessa) 76-6. To beat them, 47-21 today is huge,” Martin said.”
“Our goal is to pull a trophy or win.
If the Panthers get performances like they did Thursday, they could do just that. Kale Martin (113), who is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the Class 2, 106-pound class, bumped up a weight class Thursday and earned a 17-2 tech fall victory over Jaxon Johnson in just 1:42.
“I could have wrestled a little bit better,” Martin said. “My shots were a little bit sloppy and that is something I need to work on. With Odessa being a good team, I was looking for a fall, but I came up a little short of that.
“My drag to single leg was pretty clean. I hit it twice in that match.”
Raney’s win was also critical to Oak Grove’s team win as he competed in the 175-pound bout against Tate Heitman. He built a 10-3 lead before hooking both of his opponents arms and getting a pin in 4:42.
After the match, he was hyped as he screamed in jubilation and gave his teammates and coaches some emphatic high fives.
“Being a freshman, I feel like I am the underdog in any match I take,” Raney said. “I just go out there and fight and do the best I can. The support from my teammates really helps.
“I have been doing this throw that I have used since the Platte County Tournament. That move has been my bread and butter since then. It’s worked really well against my opponents.”
Phelps did well on his feet in his match against Jansen Todd in the 144-pound bout. He used four takedowns to capture a 12-5 win.
“I was trying to stay fluent and fast,” Phelps said. “I felt really good about my takedowns. The only thing I was disappointed in was I didn’t get a major decision.”
Other Panthers to pick up wins were:
106: Paydon Groves got six points for his team by forfeit.
120: Lex Johnson pinned Liam Shippy at 3:09.
126: Perry Morgan blanked Wyatt Ford 5-0.
165: Riley Robinson won by forfeit.
215: Mason Clark won by forfeit
285: Jackson Miller won by fall in 1:34 against Dylan Porter.
Odessa was missing three wrestlers in its starting lineup, including two-time state champion Blaine Wallace and 2024 state champion Lake Waters. The Bulldogs also surrendered 18 points due to open spots.
Picking up wins for the Bulldogs were Tanner Affolter (132), who took a 15-6 major decision over Ryder Gaston; Makai Smalley (138) earned a 16-1 tech fall against Ryan Raney in 4:34; Kameden Hooper (150), a returning state champion, edged Mickey Seymour 7-3; Jett Brown (157), who pinned Amos Parks in 52 seconds; and Michael Scott (190), who finished in third place at state last season and had a takedown in overtime to top Elliott Atwell.
“We have a lot of kids who are sick or hurt,” Odessa head coach Jeff Brown said. “We are a different lineup when we can get everyone in there. It wasn’t our best performance tonight. I threw some guys in there who stepped up and did their best.”
