The 11th Annual Metro Classic, pitting senior wrestlers from Kansas versus those from Missouri, opened with a bang for the boys from the Sunflower State. This wrestling dual held at Kansas City Kansas Community College began at 112-pounds where Wellsville’s Kyle Patton faced Grain Valley’s Chase Cookston. Patton had been looking forward to this day for 10 years as he had attended all but the very first competition. The Kansan scored first on a sweet tap-n-go for the takedown. Cookston fought for the escape. Then Patton scored 5-points on a lateral. The Showme found himself trailing 7-1 as the first period ended. Cookston elected to wrestle from the bottom position but found himself dodging bullets as Patton was working for the fall.
The third period started with Patton earning a quick reversal and exposing his opponent’s back. Patton turned Cookston with an arm bar and scored the fall once he figure foured the head.

The second match, also at 112, matched Topeka Shawnee-Height’s Tanner Gardner facing Chris Beutler from William Chrisman. Gardner, an undefeated State champ, was in deep on a single leg. But Beutler, Missouri’s 5th place finisher expertly worked the spladdle, to gain the takedown and nearly had back points as the period ended. Beutler chose the neutral position to start the second but gave up the takedown to Gardner. The Showme quickly gained the reversal to close the period ahead, 4-2. The Kansan elected bottom and worked to tie the score with a reversal. Then Gardner used a pair of 2-point tilts to come back for the 8-4 decision.

At 119 we had the first of the “much-anticipated” matches of the night as Blue Valley North’s Tyler McCormick faced off against Grandview’s Brett Watkins. Both wrestlers finished the year undefeated and with spotless records. McCormick holds the Kansas State record for wins in a season with 46. Watkins has an impressive 160 wins in his career. I could go on with stats … but we’re here to wrestle. Both wrestlers displayed tremendous quickness and each took shots and countered well. The first ended with no score but plenty of action. McCormick elected down and again, Watkins countered every attempt but one, Tyler earned a scrambling reversal about halfway through the period. In the third the Showme elected to wrestle in the neutral position. Tyler was working the 2-on-1 but Brett got in deep on a double leg. Watkins nearly had the takedown but magically, McCormick changed directions and scored the takedown. McCormick wins 4-0.

The team score was 12-0 through three bouts. The Kansan’s were happy but I was a bit reserved, as in the past we had been up in the early matches, only to let Missouri back in. And the 125-pound match looked to favor Missouri. It was Oak Grove’s Keith Dickey facing Olathe South’s David Sielert. Dickey is a 4-time State champ with a sterling 165-1 record. Sielert was a State champ this year. This bout also featured two contrasting body styles. Dickey tall and slender, Sielert shorter and stocky. Dickey’s takedown were the only points in the first and Sielert picking up a stall warning. In the second, Dickey earned the reversal then began using his leverage advantage to good use, though he picked up his own stall warning. The Kansan opted for the neutral position but the Showme worked a sweet inside trip for the takedown. Dickey was tiring but had built a safe lead. Dickey earned a major decision, 11-3 and Missouri was on the board.

At 130-pounds the fans may have been treated to the most exciting match of the night. Though neither competitor had been a State champ that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to wrestle. It was Effingham’s Kalen Oswald against Oak Grove’s Josh Moyer. The action opened with Moyer making good shots which Oswald effectively countered. Moyer appeared quicker but it was Oswald who would score the takedown. The Showme earned an escape to close out the period. Moyer was down and Oswald was holding on for the ride. Perhaps a bit too much, as he picked up the stall warning, about a minute into the period. A total of 3-points had been scored in the first 3 minutes; the next 3 minutes would be a barnburner! Moyer scored the reversal but was quickly re-reversed. Next, he earned a reversal but while working for a tilt, used an illegal hold as the period ended with the match tied at 5. Oswald elected bottom where he worked for the reversal but instead, was caught in the Merkel to give Moyer a 3-point lead. Oswald worked off his back and gained a reversal but was quickly the victim of the Showme’s reversal. Trailing by 3, with 15 seconds to go, Oswald gave it one more chance, he gained a reversal … catching Moyer on his back for a 2-point near fall. Kalen Oswald wins a heart-stopper, 11-10.

At 135 the fans were treated to another great match up. It was Cameron’s Cale Griffin and Shawnee Mission South’s Stewart Bogart. Both grapplers were undefeated for the year and both early signee’s to wrestle in college. Griffin with the University of Northern Iowa and Bogart with the University of Oregon. The action began and this was obviously going to be a donnybrook. The fans were cheering for their favorite as both made attempts and counter-attempts. About midway through the first, Bogart was in deep on a single-leg. Griffin was countering. But Bogart earned the takedown before giving up an escape. Griffin earned another escape as the action continued in the second period. It was Griffin’s turn to score on a sweet and lightening fast double leg. Bogart earned a reversal … as did Griffin, to end the period with the Showme ahead, 6-4. Bogart opted to wrestle from the bottom position as the third period started. Griffin appeared to have the conditioning edge as Bogart used all his strength to fight off tilt attempts. With 17 seconds left, Griffin did get charged with a warning for stalling. The bout ended with Griffin earning the 6-4 decision.

The action moved to the 140-pound weight class and pitted Sabetha’s Matt Pyle against Oak Park’s Justin Cole. Pyle is a 2-time State champ as is Cole. Justin Cole is the Missouri record holder career wins with 177! Pyle opened the scoring hitting his patented fireman’s. Cole gained his feet but Pyle scored again on a high crotch. The period ended with Pyle working an arm bar. Pyle gained his feet late in the second and scored the escape. It was Cole’s turn to score the escape and then on a nice scramble it was Pyle coming out on top. Again Cole gained his feet and then scored on a takedown of his own. But Pyle returned the favor, scoring the escape and earning 2-points for the takedown.

The team score showed the Sunflower’s in front by a tally of 18-7. The action moved to 145. Platte County had their State champ; Brock Wittmeyer matched up with St. Thomas Aquinas’s Drew Ibarra, also a State champ. The Showme opened the scoring with a takedown. Next Wittmeyer showed something that we would see a lot of in this match; a deep, grinding, neck wrenching half with a picked wrist. Ibarra did earn the escape and a takedown to take the lead, 3-2. Wittmeyer elected to try his luck in the bottom position. Ibarra hooked up a cradle but Wittmeyer rolled through it gaining the reversal. Again it was the grinding half and wrist. Ibarra perhaps having enough of Wittmeyer on top elected to be neutral to start the 3rd. Wittmeyer was in deep on a double leg, lifting Ibarra. Ibarra tried to counter by going to the crotch lift. After a few attempts at scoring the takedown, Wittmeyer closed the match with a fall, rolling up Ibarra.

In the 152-pound match Topeka Shawnee-Heights had their State champ, Phil Hart wrestling Belton’s Rodney Pettit. Hart exploded early in this match, scoring two takedowns in 20 seconds. Pettit scored a reversal followed by Hart returning the favor. The wrestlers went out-of-bounds, and Hart let Pettit gain his feet. The action packed first period ended with Hart holding the 6-4 lead. Missouri chose down and worked hard to merit the reversal. With the score tied, Hart hooked up the Peterson, and after the first attempt failed, Hart tried again, gaining the 5-point move. After a re-start, Pettit scored an escape. Hart scored again on a nice low double leg but gave the reversal up to Pettit to end the period. Hart opted for neutral and worked for a takedown and allowed Pettit to his feet. Match over, Hart wins 15-10. Kansas gets back in the winning column but that would be their last win of the night.

The second 152-pound match had 2-time State champ James Williamson of Blue Springs South against Gardner-Edgerton’s David Mullins. Williamson worked a solid knee pick for the first points of this match. Mullins would not be safe underneath Williamson. Williamson scored a 3-point, a 2-point, and a 3-point near fall all from variations of the surfboard to turks. Williamson opted for the bottom position but did not stay there long. Once on his feet, he hit a sweet sweet inside trip for the 5-pointer. Mullins fought of his back but James Williamson earned the technical fall.

The action now was in the 160-pound weight class where John Jarred of Park Hill faced Aaron Madill of Lawrence. Jarred scored the takedown off of a counter to take the early lead but gave an escape to Madill. As the action continued it was Madill in deep on the single but the action went out-of-bounds. The second period began with Kansas on bottom an earning the escape to tie the score. Madill had Jarred in the front headlock; but Jarred hit a drag to score the takedown and end the period. The Showme elected down and scored the escape. Time was slipping away but Madill scored the next takedown. After an out-of-bounds, the restart had Madill going optional but it was Jarred who scored next. The Showme closed the last 40 seconds out to earn the decision.

The team scored was 21 each as we anticipated the next bout at 171-pounds. The match pitted Lee’s Summit’s Jesse Sheets against Joseph Lattimer of Ft. Scott. The Kansan scored first, using a nice throw. The throw took Sheets’s shoulders out-of-bounds but still earned the takedown for Lattimer. Sheets earned an escape. A very nice scramble ended the first period. Sheets opted to work from bottom. Lattimer put the leg in and was working the crossbody. Lattimer nearly earned back points but instead it was Sheets earning the reversal with exposure for the 5-point move. Lattimer needed an injury timeout. The second period ended with a flurry but no points. Lattimer selected bottom to begin the third. Sheets hooked up the cradle and exposed the Kansan to the mat, earning the fall at 5.01.

Kansas was trailing for the first time of the night and looked to return to the win column at 189-pounds. Oak Grove’s 3-time State champ, Mark Wall, was pitted against Mill Valley’s, Eric Pingleton. Pingleton is an impressive athlete but was no match for the technique of Wall. Wall used a series of nice single legs and knee picks to earn the win.

At 215-pounds it was James Scully of Grain Valley competing against Phillip Lyons of Effingham. Lyons was a Kansas State champ, but at 189-pounds; Scully was Missouri’s runner-up at 215. Lyons has a style that was very dominating at 189 but not 215; Scully dominated Lyons. Scully scored basically at will. Lyons was on his back as the first period ended 9-2. Phillip was on his back again as the second period ended 14-2. Scully scored the technical fall, 18-3.

At 275-pounds it was Doug Mitchell of North Kansas City versus Dennis Kimzey of Prairie View. The first period was typical of an awful lot of heavyweight matches. With 10 seconds left in the first, Mitchell hit a lateral for the 5-point lead. Mitchell opted to work from bottom gaining the 1-point escape. Again on their feet, Mitchell showed some real athleticism scoring on a nice level change. In the third, Mitchell hit a sweet on the mat duck under off of a scramble to score again. Final score, 16-5.

Final team score Missouri 39 Kansas 21. Impressions; as has been the case before, Kansas looked good at the lower weights, Missouri looked great at the upper weights. Missouri racked up their scores by earning bonus points; a major decision, two technical falls, and two falls.