Sikeston sending a school record nine wrestlers to state tournament

sports@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- If anyone knows about Sikeston High School's rich wrestling tradition its their current head coach.

Chris Lowe was a three-time state qualifier who's highest finish was third place in 1984 under Hall of Fame coach Marc Stevener, who's 21 year career at the school produced 77 state qualifiers.

In just his third year, Lowe has brought back just a taste of what his longtime coach was able to do with 21 state qualifiers since 2014 and even topped a Stevener mark that seemed untouchable.

Sikeston set a new school record with nine state wrestling qualifiers after Saturday's Class 3, District 1 tournament eclipsing the previous benchmark of eight set by Stevener's 1991 group.

Records are nice, but according to Lowe, he wants more.

"We're really not about accolades," he said. "We just want to work hard and try to bring back the tradition that was here when coach Stevener was here. We were a power, we were tough."

If that level wants to be achieved then the newest surge of Sikeston wrestlers have more work to do today when the Class 3 state tournament begins at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

Sending wrestlers to the state tournament for Sikeston hasn't been a great hurdle to overcome. Since 2011, the Bulldogs have ushered 35 wrestlers to Columbia with multiple guys making return trips, but what they do once they're up there, that's the road block for Sikeston's program.

Under Stevener, Sikeston's wrestling team produced 22 top six finishers during a 20-year span from 1976 to 1996. Since then, just four have made all-state.

Stevener, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., just last October, guided Sikeston's only state champion wrestler in 1983 when Tim Thomure won it all.

Sikeston's latest all-state wrestler was Blake Angle, who finished sixth in both 2009 and 2012. Gaviland Bland was all-state twice finishing fourth in 2008 which was the highest finish since Kenneth Hodgkiss took second in 1995. Nathan Askew finished fourth as well in 1996.

"It's nice that we got that many through this year, but I think the big thing is producing up at Columbia," Lowe said. "I think that's more important."

So, how do the Bulldogs take that next step? According to Lowe, it starts with the wrestlers he has now.

"I'm very lucky. We've got good kids. It's not the coaching," Lowe said. "We've got kids that listen and want to do things the right way. My thing is I want them to be tough. That's what I really push."

It also helps that some of the kids he has now comes from that long line of Sikeston wrestlers of the past.

Josh Stinnett, a junior, is one of those. He's making his third trip to state this year after his brother, Jacob, was a three-time state qualifier from 2011-13 and his uncle, Phillip, qualified with Lowe in 1983. Josh said it's been really nice to look and rely on his brother for guidance and as a role model, especially after the last two trips to state haven't went his way with a combined 2-4 record.

"It's always a relief knowing that you're going, but the last two years I've kind of made it into a job and it kind of got my head out of whack," Stinnett said. "I turned it into life or death, but after talking to my coaches and a couple of my family members and really anyone who has brought me up through this sport, it's one of those things were you've kind of done what you needed to do and this is just a bonus. So, go out there, have fun and go back to why you were wrestling instead of making it so hard on yourself. That's what I'm going to try and do."

Stinnett has been part of Sikeston's wrestling scene since his junior AAU days with the Heartland Wrestling Club. As a nine-year old, Josh won his weight class at the 53rd Annual Cliff Keen Tulsa National Junior wrestling tournament in Tulsa, Okla., as well as countless other AAU titles throughout his career.

He's seen Sikeston wrestlers and its program grow into what it's become today and says sending nine wrestlers to a state tournament is rewarding.

"The two years that I've went we've been well with numbers and it's nice to see the guys that you've been busting your tails with all year, seeing all the hard work, tears, blood and hard nights we've put in together, it's nice to see that pay off for the team," Stinnett said.

Senior Mitchell Garner, who made the deepest tournament run of any Sikeston wrestler last year, agreed.

"It's a really huge accomplishment," he said. "It's something that I'm proud to say I took part in."

And Stinnett was honest when asked what the biggest change has been and why Sikeston's qualifying numbers over the past few years have risen.

"Our district got easier," he said. "We dropped Pacific, Union, Washington and those are all three really good wrestling teams, but I don't think it's just that. I think coach Lowe has pumped up our practice schedule, I think we're working harder as a team and we're wrestling a much harder schedule."

Beefing up it's opposition and traveling to neighboring states delivers tougher matches, according to Stinnett.

"We're not wrestling teams around here three times a year, we're going out and wrestling Illinois, Tennessee and going everywhere to get the best possible duals that we can," Stinnett said. "That's really what I think has helped us a lot. I know it's helped me to wrestle harder matches so when you get in those harder matches, you know what to do."

Stinnett enters this year's state tournament as Sikeston's top wrestler, record-wise. He's 48-5 which is the most wins out of anyone on the team. He notched his 100th career win Jan. 6, on the road during a dual against Poplar Bluff.

"He's just a hard-nosed kid," Lowe said about Stinnett. "He raises the elevation of the room as far as work, especially for the big guys. He's done a really good job for us who's a phenomenal kid."

Stinnett, who's second place district finish pits him against a third seed at state, will take on McCluer senior Jarvis Hubbard (40-15) in the first round of the 182-pound weight class during the first round today. He said finishing his junior year as an all-stater would qualify as a good tournament for him.

"Top four is where I want to go," Stinnett said. "Since I've been in high school that's been the goal."

"He has high goals," Lowe added. "He expects to be a medalist, just not a champion. But when you get up there anything can happen. He's a smart wrestler and one of the hardest workers in the room."

Stinnett and Garner are two of the four returning state qualifiers from last year's total of seven. Mitchell Garner, Garrett Middleton and Luis Valdez are the remaining three.

Garner, who began wrestling his eighth grade year and didn't get his first varsity start until his sophomore year, finished one win shy of medalling during his first state trip last season going 2-2 in Columbia.

"He's really only wrestled about two and a quarter years on varsity," Lowe said. "He just found it last year and has continued to develop. He's always been light. He's a 214-pound, 220-pound wrestler who always works hard and is a total competitor."

Garner, who started his varsity career as a heavyweight, was the second Sikeston wrestler this year to clinch his 100th career win Jan. 19, during a road dual in Murphysboro, Ill., and also won the 220-pound championship during the SEMO Conference Tournament.

"It was kind of a letdown my sophomore year that I didn't get to go," Garner said. "All my friends were getting to go to state and I had to go home and call it quits for the year. Last year it was my absolute goal to not get left behind again."

Garner has a record of 47-6 going into his first round match against Austin Hymer (28-24) from Willard. Garner won his district class which puts him in prime position to build off last year's deep run and said getting over his first-year jitters should help him this time around.

"I have really high hopes for state," Garner said. "It's a big tournament and it's something that's really intimidating, but once you get the hang of it it's not as bad."

Garrett Middleton (132) is another four-time state qualifier who enters this year's tournament with a district championship and a 45-9 individual record. He was the second Sikeston wrestler to win his weight class at this year's SEMO Conference Tournament and had a brother, Cody, who was also a state qualifier.

Garrett, who will face St. Charles freshman Cody Thorne (18-19) in the first round, lost his first two matches during last season's state tournament continuing an unpleasant trend of state berths. Though he'll attend his fourth tournament, he's 1-6 all-time at state.

"We're hoping to improve on what he's done in the past," Lowe said. "He hasn't had a whole lot of success there, but you can't count him out. In my opinion, he probably should have been a medalist last year, but it didn't work out that way. If things fall right he should be a medalist this year."

Luis Valdez is making his second straight trip to the state tournament after going for the first time last year as a junior. Valdez, who wrestles at the 126-pound mark, won a district title and will face Dawson Sickmeier (40-13) from Union in the first round.

"He went last year on a match he wasn't supposed to win," Lowe said. "He's been a hard-nosed kid who works hard every day."

Luis, who was eliminated from the tournament last year after his first two matches, won just 11 matches as a sophomore. He enters this year's tournament with a 45-11 record.

"That's a tribute to his work effort and his willingness to be coached a do better," Lowe said.

Justus Faulkner's road to his first state berth almost never happened. He contemplated quitting shortly after practices began because he didn't think he was fit for the sport. But the junior was persuaded by Lowe to stick it out.

"He wanted me to stay and that made me think, 'alright, maybe I can do something,'" Faulkner said.

Faulkner, who wrestles at the 145 mark and stands with a record of 32-19 this season, was one of Sikeston's surprise qualifiers after the junior got the decision over a returning all-stater from Farmington, Camron Haines, during the semifinals of the Class 3, District 1 tournament.

"He just wrestled well and was in good position to catch him," Lowe said about Faulkner's upset win during districts. "He's as strong as an ox, really built and put together and gets better every day. A lot of his success has been through confidence and he's starting to get that."

Faulkner will take on Fort Zumwalt South senior Aaron Sarquist (39-12) in the first round, who's a returning qualifier.

"I've been working hard and it feels really good to make it to state now," Faulkner said. "All I want to do is keep working hard, listen to what coach has to tell me and I feel like I can get pretty far at state with that.

"Finishing where I did at districts gave me a lot of confidence because I was expecting to take third or fourth," Faulkner added. "Some people might have but I wasn't expecting to beat him."

Luis' brother, David Valdez, a sophomore, is making his first trip to state after posting a 35-21 individual record. He'll face Kearney's Clayton Singh (36-8) during the first round.

He's also one wrestler that debunked expectations.

"He's probably the biggest surprise," Lowe said after the 113-pounded finished fourth in districts. "He got seeded and wrestled well. He had one bad match or he would have been in the finals, but you can't take anything away from somebody who beats you. At this level, you have to be able to handle the pressure and continue to win. That's what we're working to try and do."

Luke Blanton enters his first state tournament as a junior with a 32-22 record. Blanton finished fourth in the 152-pound class during districts and has lived up to his seeding throughout the season.

"Every time Luke has been seeded he's met or exceeded his seed," Lowe said. "He was a very nice addition to all the guys going to state this year."

Blanton drew a tough opening round opponent who is the defending 138-pound champion Kyler Rea from Neosho. Rea is a perfect 52-0 entering the tournament.

"It's a matter of wrestling hard and if you get beat it's not the end of the world because you have wrestlebacks," Lowe said. "If you continue to wrestle, wrestle smart and wrestle hard good things will happen. We'll never fault a kid for losing a match if he gives good effort."

Chase Rodgers (170) opens his first state tournament against Westminster's Alex Hopkins, who's making a return trip after falling in two matches last season. Rodgers, a senior, enters the tournament with a 13-8 record after joining the team at the beginning of the new year.

"He wasn't able to compete until after Christmas and a lot of times if you don't have the mat time it makes tournament's even tougher," Lowe said. "He did a good job."

Jordan Wheatley was also given a tough draw to start his very first state tournament appearance. The junior, who has enjoyed a 43-13 record this season, will wrestle Willard's Hunter Yeargan who is the defending 195-pound Class 3 champion. Yeargan is 50-0 and has only been beaten once in the last two seasons.

"He's really turned it on," Lowe said about Wheatley.

Although school records are falling, Lowe has no illusions of all-staters popping up as well. He's one that knows how hard it is to accomplish such feats, but understands that a few of his wrestlers have the opportunity to make noise.

"A couple of our guys have a very legitimate shot at making it to the semifinals," Lowe said. "Taking all these guys is something to build off of for the younger guys and it's something that our seniors can say they've done that hasn't been done a whole lot recently. It's an appreciation of what the boys have done to get themselves in that position. They've done everything we've asked, they work hard and it's a long season. Good things have happened for them."

Class 3's first round begins today at 5 p.m.