Historic night for the Grain Valley wrestling team

It was a historic night for the Grain Valley wrestling team.

Earlier in the season, seniors Dru Azcona and Tanner Barker earned their 100th career wins. On Wednesday, fellow senior Brock Smith joined them after getting a pair of wins in a home tri dual with Blue Springs South and Fort Osage.

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Smith’s efforts helped Grain Valley finish undefeated in duals for the 2022-23 season as it drubbed the Jaguars 66-15 and defeated Fort Osage 51-26. It was the first time the Eagles finished undefeated in duals since 2001.

“Always pleased but never satisfied,” Grain Valley coach Donald Horner said. “I have an amazing group of kids. We went into the hallway and I reminded them, ‘The job is not done.’ We’re working to bring home a state trophy and a district trophy.”

With wrestlers like Smith (126) and the four other wrestlers ranked in the top six of their weight class, the Eagles could do just that. The senior used a headlock takedown to win by fall against Fort Osage’s Joseph Hunt and he used a half nelson to turn South’s Simone Creek for a pin in 1 minute, 35 seconds.

“I am fired up that I got it,” Smith said. “It took a little longer than I thought it could but hey, I got there. I’m happy it’s done.

“I haven’t felt the best recently but I was able to get the job done in both my matches.

So did Gavin Barker (215), who recently came back from missing a month due to an ankle injury. He looked sharp on Wednesday as he used an arm bar to turn South’s Bryson Nelson to get a pin in 2:58. He also won by fall against Fort Osage’s Nathan Parkerafter using a chicken

wing to get the turn and the pin.

“I am feeling a lot better,” Barker said. “There is still a little bit of soreness. But I am still good enough and should be 100 percent by districts.

“I was focused and I was moving constantly. I wasn’t trying to do too much.”

Junior Justin Deweese was another Eagle to finish the night unbeaten as he used an inside cradle to pin South’s August Kienast in 1:35 and pinned Fort Osage’s Paxton Onka in 4:23.

“I thought I wrestled pretty well,” Deweese said. “I just need to improve more in neutral.”

Other Eagles to finish 2-0 on the day were Zac Bleess (113), Gavin Parks (120), Dru Azcona (132), Tyler Groves (144) and Tanner Barker (165).

Fort Osage dominated its dual with Blue Springs South as it took a 63-6 win.

It got a big boost from Rylan Mansfield (138), who jumped out to a 15-1 lead against Grain Valley’s Ethan Jones and was able to get a pin two seconds before the match ended. He also got a forfeit victory vs. South.

“It was going into a short time and I thought, ‘I could just go for a tilt and get an easier turn,’” Mansfield said. “But I just went ahead and got six points instead of five.”

Kaison Schreier (106) also had a strong day, although he got a stiff challenge against the Eagles’ Colston Parks. He was able to hold off Grain Valley’s feisty sophomore as he got a 10-8 victory and also received a forfeit win against South.

“It was closer than I expected it to be,” Schreier said of his match with Parks. “I could have done a lot of things better on top and on my feet.

Also ending their night with a 2-0 record for the Indians were Isaac Ward (175), Isaac Fields (190) and Colby Gray (150).

The only Jaguar to finish 2-0 was Callen Smithpeter (285). He pinned Aven Aumua of Grain Valley in the first period and got a forfeit victory against Fort Osage.

GIRLS

Fort Osage split four contested matches with the Grain Valley girls wrestling team but had plenty of forfeit victories in a 57-18 victory.

Indian 125-pounder Alina Wackerman edged Mackenzie Davis 6-4 and Bailey Wood (170) pinned Adalia Del Real.

Fort Osage wrestlers to win by forfeit were Mikayla Stickler (105), Aroma Marrufo (110), Kylie Dunn (115), Princess Mueller (145), Haley Ward (155), Taylor Hillbrand (190) and Emily Floray (235).

For Grain Valley, Defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Sevreign Aumua (140) pinned Kayleigh McGrath and Madison Hobbs (130) won by fall over Becca Marlow. Camary Schmalzbach got the other win for the Eagles by forfeit.00