Cody Thorn
Before Christmas, Missouri’s wrestling program went to St. Louis and picked up a 29-6 win over Illinois.
A win for the No. 2-ranked team wasn’t a shock, but the event took place at Stifel Theatre, not an arena like most matches.
However, wrestling in unique places or times is not anything new to high schoolers around the Show-Me State.
This year, there’s been a handful of duals held in different settings than normal matches.
On the east side of the state, Hillsboro has experience in doing a little bit different dual — taking on Seckman during an all-school assembly for the first time last season, winning 49-18.
The same thing has happened in Southwest Missouri with Carthage vs. Carl Junction and Carl Junction vs. McDonald County.
A little up the road this year, Willard held a dual in the cafeteria in a triangular on the same night a girls’ basketball game was being held in the gym.
We talked with individuals who played a part in these unique wrestling contests and got insight from the bench and the administration level.
BELTON
Belton is host to Grain Valley this week on Wednesday, January 17th. The dual features a Pep Assembly Dual, where the school will release students at 1:20 for the 1:40 boys and girls dual start time. Belton will livestream both duals:
- Boys: https://www.facebook.com/BeltonWrestling
- Girls: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cutlass+belton
Be sure to check out these duals and show support to both programs as well as the school administration for allowing this type of dual – it will be a great atmosphere.
The Pep Assembly dual we’re hosting against Grain Valley tomorrow at Belton High School is a huge opportunity to not only grow our sport but for our entire faculty, staff members, custodial staff, central office personnel and of course student body at Belton High School to experience the sport of wrestling and see the successes and hard work of our student athletes. It’s wonderful to have such a supportive administration and central office who support students not only inside the classroom but in their extracurricular activities as well. Having 1200 high school students packed into a high school gymnasium that’s loud and cheerful is going to be electrifying!
Greg Linhart, Belton Girls Head Wrestling Coach
HILLSBORO
Coach Matthew Mitchell said the dual against Seckman last year was possible due to the support of the administration to do a dual at an unusual time.
“It helps us promote the sport but we found our school and the kids in the school really like that,” he said. “They got excited bout it and we turned it up and we got other programs in the school involved like choir, cheerleading, dance team. Everybody gets to participate in some form.”
Mitchell said he got the idea from Rolla wrestling coach Marty Hauck.
The Bulldogs had done it before and Hillsboro started planning on doing it but they couldn’t during 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic-related issues.
Mitchell said it got put on the back burner for a bit but now that it has happened, it is one the wrestlers look forward to competing in.
He said he hopes to find a school to do it within a home-and-home series in the future with each team alternating home sites.
“That’s a big event, kind of like this one, where it prepares them for the end of the season,” Mitchell said. “And we’ve learned a lot of different things and experience with our kids as far as in those big matches, we got people chanting and cheering and everything.”
CARL JUNCTION
The Bulldogs opened this season with a Central Ozark Conference win against Carthage, 42-34, in an all-school assembly on Nov. 28.
“It just creates a pretty good electric atmosphere,” Carl Junction coach Mike Frizzell said. “Most kids don’t always get to see the wrestling programs because you’re on the road a lot or choose between basketball games or wrestling and kind of create some excitement for kids interested in coming out and as well. So getting people enthusiastic about the sport is kind of what we’re trying to do.”
Frizzell noted now his roster features three wrestlers who were new to the program and they were once in the crowd watching the Bulldogs compete.
He added most of the kids who watch the all-school assembly dual weren’t familiar with the scoring system in wrestling. That didn’t stop the enthusiasm cheering for their school against a conference rival.
“Watching somebody that’s experienced go out there and show some technical background that these guys go through the training,” he said. “You can tell that they work hard.”
The all-school assembly dual started in 2019 but took a hiatus due to the pandemic.
Next year, Carl Junction will go to Carthage for the same type of dual.
WILLARD
The Tigers, another Central Ozark Conference school, held a triangular on Dec. 7 with Ozark and Republic at the high school cafeteria.
Activities Director Colt Blair said he and wrestling coach Jeff Davis talked about it in the past but finally was able to make it work this year.
“Jeff said let’s give it a try,” Blair said when they discussed the options and also knew there would be a girls’ basketball game that night.
Blair said some may have questioned what he was doing having two varsity events at the same time on the same night, but there was plans behind the madness, so to speak.
Before the dual, practice was held inside the cafeteria to see if it would work. They accounted for seating and also made sure there was enough space away from the pillars that supported the school.
Folding chairs were gathered. Chairs from the choir and band room were moved to the cafeteria and the fans were given a chance to bring in their seat of choice as well.
He said some fans chose to stand at the top of the commons area and look down.
“Republic is kind of our our natural rival just because of proximity and conference and then Ozark is in our conference with tradition and success in wrestling,” Blair said. “So it made for a really, really fun night.”
Blair has a basketball background, playing at Bolivar and later at Southwest Baptist, where he was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2006. He later was a graduate assistant at SBU.
“When I was in high school I saw some matches, but I didn’t even understand the scoring or you know, really everything that goes into but over the last few years, especially last year and this year, he said. “The techniques and all of all the things that go into being a good wrestler, it’s really intriguing because you just don’t know that unless you’re kind of ingrained in that culture.
He said he noticed an older gentleman came to watch the girls’ basketball game but stopped to watch for a minute before heading into the arena.
Later, after the girls’ game was over, that man came back again to watch.
“He told me he’s never watched a wrestling match,” Blair said. “So I think it’s just introducing the sport also if you want people that have never experienced that before.”
Blair said he and Davis will look at doing it again next year due to the success.
“I thought, as I said, I think people really liked it, being the first time through and being in charge and making sure things go well I was I was pretty nervous about it and probably a little micromanagement going on with everything,” he said. “
