Michael Smith
St. Puis X Kansas City were the favorite to win the state title coming into Wednesday.
It looks like they are on have to do just that after Day 1 of the Missouri State Wrestling Championships Wednesday at Mizzou Arena.
So far, the Warriors are in first place with 102 points. Centralia is in second place with 65 points, Father Tolton Catholic is third with 63 and Brookfield is fourth with 48.
St. Pius has eight wrestlers in the semifinals and two others still alive in wrestle backs.
The semifinals and championship matches will take place on Thursday.
Below is a breakdown of how each of the four competitors for each with division made it to the semifinals.
106: Lift For Life senior Christian Noble made it to the semifinals after he defeated Trenton Jacob White in the quarterfinals by a first-period pin. He will face St. Pius freshman Jordan Bell, who pinned Centralia junior Bryson Dubes to advance.
The other semifinal bout will feature Fatima sophomore Tucker Tune, who pinned Lathrop freshman Donovan Walters to make the semifinals. In the next round, he will face Gallatin sophomore Eli Sperry. Sperry won by a 15-0 tech fall over Mathias McGregor in the quarterfinals.
113: Central New Madrid County Caleb Moore topped Versailles Brandon Brewer 7-4 to make it to the semifinals. In that round, he will face Brookfield Senior Xavier Sada, who earned a 13-4 major decision over Lawson sophomore Brayden Sullard.
In the other semifinal match, Warsaw sophomore Jayce Estes will match up with Father Tolton Catholic sophomore Charlie Ruether. Estes pinned Centralia’s Waylon Adkisson to advance while Ruether edged St. Pius freshman Dylan Hall 4-2.
120: Macon sophomore Rhett Pollard pinned Maplewood junior Daishaun Wilbourn to make it to the semifinals. In that match, he will see Holden senior Daylen Greene, who won by a 10-2 major decision over St. Pius junior Andrew Garcia.
On the other side of the bracket, the semifinals will feature a match between Fatima sophomore Nolan Laux and Lathrop sophomore Garrett Beane. Laux edged Penney’s Alex Martin 2-0 in the quarterfinals and Beane earned a 15-2 major decision over Versailles Drake Schmidt.
126: Centralia freshman Charlie Robinson advanced to the semis following a 8-2 decision against Priory senior Huck Simmons. In that match, Robinson will see Rock Port senior Augustus Heintz, who earned a 16-0 tech fall over California’s Patrick Morrow.
On the other side of the bracket, Fatima senior Cody Stripe advanced after pinning Lathrop’s Paxton Quarters in the quarters. On Thursday, he will take on Tolton Catholic sophomore Christopher Ankenman, who pinned Lone Jack senior Noah Lovell.
132: Lone Jack senior Robbie Lasky will have a chance to win a state championship Thursday as he advanced to the semifinals after a 4-1 victory over Lift For Life sophomore Ethan Doss. In the next bout, he will face off against Brookfield junior Peyton Parn. He pinned Tipton’s Dalton Doss to advance.
In the other semifinal, Father Tolton freshman Rowdy Narron will take on St. Pius junior Dillan Chisam. Narron topped Butler’s Preston Mallott 5-0. Chism won by a 15-0 tech fall over Palmyra sophomore Tyler Spicknall.
138: Fatima senior Tyler Kloeppel edged Marceline junior Andrew Griffin 6-5 to punch his ticket to the semifinals. In that round, he will see North Callaway senior Lane Kimbley. Kimbley edged Butler’s Damian Alkire 1-0 to advance.
In the other semifinal, Father Tolton junior Grant Anderson will take on Versailles junior Gage Judd. Anderson pinned Leo Niyonizigiye of St. Mary’s South Side Catholic in the second period. Judd edged Trenton’s Mason Rongey 7-5.
144: Maysville senior Drake Bennett made it to the semifinals after defeating Marceline sophomore Cody Rodgers 9-6 in the quarterfinals. In the next round, he will see Father Tolton sophomore Brody Narron, who pinned Lathrop’s Keaton Coots.
In the other semifinal, North Callaway freshman Collin Moore will take on St. Pius junior Gable Gross. Moore beat Versailles senior Kane Rainey 5-1 and Gross beat Centralia senior Weston Ward 8-1 to advance.
150: Lawson sophomore Conner Menke beat Diamond senior James Lafever to make it to the semis. In that match, Menke will face Butler sophomore Kellen Long, who beat Maysville freshman Carter Harms 16-5.
On the other side of the bracket, Brookfield senior Colton Parn pinned Adrian’s Justice Vickers in the second period. He will face St. Pius Kansas City Marco Dalakishvili, who won by a 16-0 tech fall against El Dorado Springs’ Emory Crawford.
157: Marceline senior Conner Quinn made it to the semifinals following a 6-3 win over Valley Catholic junior William Kuehn. He will face Warsaw junior Drake Murrell, who won 8-5 over Missouri Military Academy sophomore Trae Griffiths.
I’m the other semifinal, Centralia sophomore Rex Bryson will face Noah Gonzalez of St. Pius Kansas City. Bryson pinned Holden’s Trent Stout in the first period, while Gonzalez pinned Sherwood’s Benjamin Breeding in 26 seconds.
165: St. Pius X Festus junior Peyton Shaver made it to the final four of his bracket after pinning Marceline freshman Jaggar Sportsman. In the next match, he will face Maysville senior Brenden Barton, who pinned Palmyra junior Brayden Pillars.
On the other side of the bracket, Lafayette County junior Braxton Ernst advanced following a second period pin of STEAM Academy junior Tre’Vyon Chatman. He will take on Centralia junior Wyatt Adkisson in the next round. The junior pinned Lathrop’s Jesse James in the first period.
175: Macon senior Isaac Kaufman made it to the final four after beating St. Pius Festus freshman Dawson Literall 10-8 in the quarterfinals. He will see Macks Creek senior Aidan Merchant in the next round. Merchant pinned Summit Christian Academy’s Dakota Cobb to advance.
On the other side of the bracket, William Hazelrigg of Father Tolton punched his ticket to the semifinals after a 2-1 win over Warsaw’s Josh Harvath. In the next round, he will take on Centralia New Madrid County junior Connor Henderson, who won 3-2 over St. Pius Kansas City senior Ty Ward.
190: Sherwood sophomore Eli Ferrell beat Lathrop freshman Remington Wolfe to advance to the semifinals. There, he will see St. Pius Kansas City senior Jackson Rotterman, pinned South Callaway senior Eli Benningfield.
On the other side of the bracket, South Harrison junior Mayson Edwards made the final four after pinning Lafayette County junior Ben Mason in the first period. He will take on Brookfield junior Devan Parn, who pinned St. Pius Festus freshman Cody Shaver.
215: Maysville senior Max Heintz made it to the semifinals after winning 8-6 over Notre Dame Cape Girardeau senior Charlie West. In the next round, he will see South Harrison sophomore Crae Coffey, who won 6-1 Centralia junior Ian Tuggle.
On the other side of the bracket, Lafayette County senior Caden Munson won 4-2 over El Dorado Springs’ Matthew Esparza. In the next round, he will face St. Pius Kansas City Junior Rylan Kuhn, who pinned Scout Gooch of Marceline in 49 seconds.
285: Rock Port sophomore Ryder Herron made it to the semifinals Bryce Gray of Cardinal Ritter. In the next round, he will take on Penney senior Dawson Miller, who won 5-2 over South Harrison senior Jarrett Eivins.
On the other side of the bracket, Tristin Gavette of Versailles advanced after pinning Trenton’s Gavin Cable. He will face St. Pius Kansas City freshman Kyler Kuhn, who pinned Valle Catholic senior Espn Reed.
