9th Annual Metro Classic
by Randy Hinderliter

Tuesday night, March 13, 2001, Kansas wrestling showed substantial technical improvement in their team victory at the 9th Annual Metro Classic. The annual event pits the best wrestling high school seniors from the Kansas City Metro area. As a team, the Kansans' have only won two of the previous dual competition.

Showing improved ability on their feet, the Kansas team started with 4 consecutive victories. At 103, Travis Allen of Paola challenged and defeated Randy Taylor of Hickman Mills High, by a 6 - 3 score.

Next at 112, Blue Valley North's', Eric (Hawk) Hawkinson schooled Park Hill's, Kevin Green. Early in the match, Green threw Hawk, but forgot to post, being rolled through for a 5-pointer by Hawk. Then in the last two periods, Hawk created some great angles and scored with a couple very fine double leg shots. Final score, 11 - 5.

Probably the most anticipated match of the evening occurred in the 119 pound weight division, where the Kansas Wrestler of the Year, Shawn Bunch, a 2-time State Champ from Leavenworth put his 43-0 record on the line against, Kearney's 3-time Champ, Brandon Hopkins. While I continue to be impressed with the quickness of Mr. Bunch, one had to give an appreciative nod to Hopkins. Hopkins could not match the quickness, but was a supreme scrambler. Final score 5 - 4 for Bunch.

At 125, it was Chris McCormick of Blue Valley versus Allen Stokes of Hickman Mills. At the end of the first period, nothing but zeros were on the board. Stokes elected to try his reversal skills, but was unable to score. Mr. McCormick decided to give his skill a chance and selected down, for the third period. A nice stand up and scramble led to an escape. Final score of 1 - 0.

After the first four bouts, the team score stood at Kansas 12, Missouri 0. Of course, I felt good about the start, but I also recalled the Classic of 1999. That year, Kansas also jumped out to a nice lead winning the first four bouts, only to lose the next 8.

On to 130. Sean Patton of Lawrence matched up against Johnny Blake of Grandview. Blake scored an early takedown and immediately began working a nearside cradle. Patton was in peril but worked for the escape. Patton also escaped in the second period to tie the score at 2. Moving to the final period, Patton was riding hard, attempting to expose Blake, who seemed content to dodge bullets. With about 15 seconds to go, Blake exploded for the escape and gave Missouri their first victory of the night.

135 pitted State Champ against State Champ. Eudora's Brian Harris against Excelsior Springs Ryan Lowry. The first period began with Harris getting in deep on a double leg. But Lowry countered for the score. A quick escape put them back on their feet. Harris shot again, a beautiful deep dive to a trapped arm body-lock for a 4-pointer. Lowry escaped to end the period behind 6 - 3. Lowry selected down. An escape and a takedown by the Missourian followed by an escape by the Kansan, had Harris ahead 7 - 6 to end the period. The third period matched the first two for intensity. Harris escaped, after receiving a few jaw-jarring crossfaces, to take a 2-point lead. Harris who seemed to be tiring and the intensity of Lowry continued as he secured the takedown to tie the score at 8. With 40 seconds remaining, Lowry cut Harris loose. Both continued to shoot and counter with out success. Harris wins, 9 - 8. Lowry with a brief show of frustration, lost Missouri one team point. Team score 15 - 2.

My vote for the most exciting match of the night came at the 140-pound weight class. Oak Parks' Travis Craig brought his 48-1 record to the mat against Alex Red Corn from Shawnee Mission Northwest. Both wrestlers exchanged takedowns and escapes in the first period for a 3 - 3 score. Red Corn selects the bottom position. The second period was action-packed, but neither wrestler scored, Craig goes down. Red Corn cuts him loose to put Craig ahead by one. With 48 seconds left in the match, Red Corn secures a takedown to the cheers on the Sunflower faithful. With 17 seconds left, it's the Show Me's chance to cheer as Craig escapes and ties it up at 5. Neither wrestler seemed willing to coast into overtime and in a fantastic scramble, Craig secures a takedown with 2 seconds left, and wins 7 - 5.

State Champs met again at 145, Ryan Phillips of Holton and Bobby Fisher of Platte County High. This match was contested almost entirely from the neutral position, and appeared to be a Greco-Roman match, each looking for the throw. The score was Phillips 1, Fisher 5, heading into the final period. Phillips gained an escape but late in the period was taken down with a 5-point move. Final match score 10 - 2.

With the 152-pound match due up, Kansas maintained a 6-point lead in the team score. Missouri sent Kiel Giese, a State Champ from Platte County to the line against Effinghams Justin Bottorff. Also a State Champ, Bottorff was a late replacement for Joe Johnston, who was unable to compete due to an injury. The first period ended with Giese ahead my 2. Bottorff in the second scored a reversal and using an outside cradle gained two more points. In the third, Giese scored with a reversal and with 90 seconds left, Bottorff did, to go ahead 6 - 4. Those final 90 seconds showed a flurry of moves and counters, each in peril of giving up points. In the final few seconds of scrambling, it appeared that Giese had secured a reversal. At this dual, there are two referees working the match, one from each side of the Stateline. After a 2-minute discussion, Giese was awarded the reversal to tie the match. In overtime, Bottorff secured a nice double leg for the win.

At 160, the action started quickly, it was Clint Slyter from Paola facing Adam Sommer from Raytown South. Just a few seconds into the match, Slyter found himself on his back. Slyter reversed, and Sommer escaped and secured another takedown. Slyter escaped and finished a nice leg shot to end the first period behind 5 to 8. WOW! Sommer elected to remain neutral for the second period. Slyter had found leg shots to be effective and scored again. After an escape, Slyter again secured a takedown with backpoints to finally take a 12 - 9 lead. The third period was controlled by Slyter who won the match 18 - 10.
As a side note, though I truly was cheering for Mr. Slyter in this match, I did want to see the Missouri wrestler do well. Last year at the Elite camp, held in conjunction with the Dallas Olympic Team Trials, I was a camp counselor. Adam Sommer was in my group, as was the upcoming 215-pounder Tony Valencia.

Back to the action at 171 where the undefeated State Champ, Branden Clouse of Effingham met Ryan Bird of Oak Grove. Branden and his twin brother Noah (189 pounder) are the first set of twins to win State championships in the same year in Kansas. Branden kept his record in tact, securing a 5 - 4 win.

Brother Noah, 27 - 3, was matched against Blue Springs South, undefeated, 45 - 0, State Champ Jeff Foust. On paper this looked like a tough match, but the paper didn't indicate that each of the Clouse brothers wrestled up a weight class the entire year to help their Effingham team secure a State Championship. Noah showed fantastic strength and technique at his natural weight class, taking Foust down 5 times during the match. Final score 12 - 4. This win also secured the team championship for Kansas as they now held a 29 to 9 lead.

At 215, it was Ft. Scott's State Champ, Josh Lattimer versus Tony Valencia from O'Hara High School. These wrestlers countered the others attempts at takedowns and ended the first period scoreless. Lattimer selected down and quickly regained his feet. The period ended with a 1 - 0 score. Valencia opted for the bottom position. Lattimer picked up a stall warning and then toward the end of the period, both wrestlers were called for stalling. This tied the match at 1 - 1 as the clock ran out. But before the overtime could begin, Lattimer had to take some injury time, to relieve his system of some bad burritos (or something of that nature). This gave Valencia the choice and he selected down. Valencia gained an escape for the 2 to 1 win.

In the final match of the night, Atchison's Matt Weishaar, who had wrestled at 215 all year, moved up to 275, to challenge Nick Cunningham from Lee's Summit High. In the first period, neither seemed very excited about making a mistake and a double stall was given. To begin the second, Cunningham opted for bottom and gained the escape. Weishaar returned the favor in the third to tie the match at 1. Shortly after his escape, Weishaar again was charged with stalling which gave the lead to Cunningham. Faced with the need to score the Kansan opened up and secured a toe-dragging takedown on the edge of the mat. But with 45 seconds left, we were tied again after an escape. The period ended with each pushing and blocking. In the overtime period, both were again called for stalling, making the score 4 - 4. To end the match, Weishaar escaped from bottom to win.

Kansas wins 32 to 12. Overall, Kansas does appear to have improved their technique while on their feet, in contrast to a weakness that I have reported previously. Another point I must make is that now, with few exceptions, those competing from Kansas are honing their skills, wrestling during the Summer. It's quite obvious to me that USA Wrestling programs elevate the very good wrestler, into that elite status, a position previously dominated by Missouri. Yet, we still have a glaring weakness in my mind. That is, the shackling that the KSHSAA places on our scholastic coaches. Once again, the Show Me's are coached by High School coaches who know the individual talents and weaknesses of their wrestlers. The Kansans are coached by club coaches. Of course I do nothing to but give high praise to Coach Kit Powell and Coach Eric DeYoe, but the deck does seem somewhat stacked given the rules differences in each state.

Reported by:

Randy Hinderliter
USAW-KS District 1 Director
USAW-KS Coaches Coordinator