The Springfield Glendale wrestling program is one that features a mixture of youth and experience in the 2025-26 season.
A season after qualifying two wrestlers for the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships, the Falcons have a senior- and freshmen heavy team and are hoping to push through more wrestlers to the state tournament.
Glendale showed it has the potential to qualify more wrestlers in 2026 as it had a strong showing at the 48th annual Don and Cheryl Coffman Tournament Saturday at Truman High School.
The Falcons had two wrestlers win their brackets and six others placed in the top three as they totaled 399 points to take first place as a team. Raytown finished second with 373 points and Blue Valley Northwest out of Kansas took third with 363 points in a close race for the top spot.
“We had a bunch of young kids step up,” Glendale head coach Bud Donnell said. “ We had a freshman reach the finals at 106. Ethan Kelly was a state qualifier last year and he has medaled here each year and won today. We want to bring home a state trophy this season.”
Ethan Kelly (132 pounds) is looking for his second state appearance this year and he showed he has the skills to do so at the tournament. He earned a pin in his quarterfinal match before earning an 18-0 tech fall victory over West Platte’s Canton Wilkins in the semifinals.
He had a battle in the championship bout against Raytown’s Lehi Butler, but used four takedowns to control the match and win 13-5 to take first place. Kelly started the match down 3-0 and made a comeback.
“I knew I needed to stick to my basics,” Kelly said. “He caught me on that one takedown, but I immediately stood back up and got after it and pushed on the gas pedal.
“The arm drag, go-behind really helped me in that match. I hit my high crotch in that one, as well.”
Glendale got a big contribution from a transfer from Detroit in Nazsier Johnson. He earned six pins and one tech fall leading up to his title bout with Raytown’s Adonis Holguin. He was hit with some stalling calls and a clasping penalty, but managed to win a scramble to get a takedown in overtime to take a 8-5 decision and a bracket championship.
“I have been in that situation many times,” Johnson said. “I knew I had to shoot but couldn’t go out too quickly because he could get me. He got me with a switch, so I need to get better in practice.”
Others for Glendale to finish in the top three were Caleb Herring (120, second place), Deric Washington (215, second), Hayden Frick (157, third), Ollie Insley (150, third), Reed Jackson (285, third) and William Kurban (106, second).
Below is a summary of the top finishers for Missouri of the other weight classes not already mentioned:
106: Kurban had a forfeit and a pin going into his championship match with Blue Valley Northwest’s Tripp Ellis. He lost by fall in the first period and took second place.
113: North Kansas City’s Pegnam Mohmmadi let out a loud scream in excitement after his championship match with Ruskin’s Emran Khan. He got a pin with 13 seconds left after leading 17-5 to secure first place.
120: Raytown returning state qualifier David Ayala showed he could be a force to be reckoned with this season. After winning a tough semifinals match against Truman’s Casey O’Hara in the semifinals, he pinned Herring in 1:31 in the championship to seal his spot atop the podium.
126: Van Horn’s LeJaun Porter was in a defensive battle in his championship match with Northwest’s JJ Smith. He got a reversal in the second period and that was enough to take first place following a 2-0 decision.
“I think it was a tough match, but I could have done way better,” Porter said. “He was a really strong guy. I should have taken more shots.”
138: West Platte’s Cuin Vincent was in a close match with Truman’s Dominick Vaughn but got a pin with 43 seconds left to secure first place after winning his championship bout.
144: Van Horn’s Dominick Paige had five pins and two wins by tech fall leading up to his championship match with Northwest’s Leo Kincaid. He had to forfeit, though, because of an injury and settle for second place.
150: Kansas City Center’s Larry Clayton controlled his match from start to finish against Raytown’s Josiah Hogan and cruised to a 16-2 major decision as he took first place.
157: Truman’s Daylen Curry used blast double-leg takedowns to score nine points in his title bout with Northwest’s Robbie Wos and he ended up taking a 9-4 win to seal first place.
165: St. Joseph Lafayette’s Ian Chapin was aggressive from the start in his championship match with Raytown’s Edgar Orozco and he ended up trapping his opponents arms and rolled him up for a pin in 1:54 to take first place.
175: St. Joseph Lafayette’s Isaac Powell had little trouble in his title bout with Raytown South’s Tyson Vester and he had three takedowns, a near fall and a reversal in a 15-0 tech fall win as he captured a first-place medal.
215: Washington had pins in all five of his matches before taking on Northwest’s Blake Berry in the championship match. He wasn’t able to score a point in that bout, however, as he was pinned in the second period and took second place.
285: Raytown’s Sam Pilkington won a defensive battle against Van Horn’s Jaylen Mitchell and used an escape in overtime to earn a 2-1 victory.
