When I prepare to write my annual report on the Metro Classic, I never know whether to do so when I get home, at about 11 pm or wait till the next morning. This year I opted for the later. Maybe I shouldn’t have read what others had to say … but I did. Politics, inter-state rivalries, “fake injuries,” officiating aside … I will try to report what I perceive as the facts.

The 13th Annual Metro Classic pitted wrestlers from each side of the “Metro” area at the gymnasium of the Kansas City Kansas Community College. Since the lineups for this dual had been released the prognosticators were busy casting the predictions. The popular vote seemed to predict Kansas would hold their own at the lower weights but the Showme’s would reverse the tide in the middle and upper weights. If that’s what you thought … you were right.

The first bout of the night was at 112#’s where Cory Bloodgood of Spring Hill battled 3-time champ from Oak Grove, Craig Honeywell. The whistle blew and it was Honeywell in on the single and Bloodgood countering with the whizzer. Cory turned the counter into a 5-point move but the Showme managed an escape. Then Honeywell secured a takedown as the first period ended with Kansas leading 5-3. Bloodgood opted for the neutral position and scored a takedown. He extended the lead with a Crossbody cradle for 3-points. The third period the Showme selected to be in the top position and began working the surfboard but got too high and was reversed. The Kansan was unable to hold this advantage and was reversed himself. Bloodgood held the lead 12-5 but a few of us were begging for one more tally. Cory was willing, gaining the reversal and the 3-point near fall for the 17-5 final score. Kansas takes the dual lead, 4-0.

At 119#’s it was Blue Valley’s Keaton Baker against Missouri’s Matt Groepel of Raymore-Peculiar. Baker this year tied the school record for pins with 32. A pin would help the cause … and Keaton Baker helped the cause. Keaton used his quickness to score the first takedown. The Showme battled to stay off his back as Keaton was working an arm turk. The second period began with Groepel earning an escape but was quickly taken down by Baker. Keaton locked up a cradle and earned 3-points. The Showme managed another escape to close out the second period. Groepel was obviously hurting and after he purged his system of some bad burritos, returned to action. The whistle blew and Keaton working from bottom quickly reversed his position with a rear chin lock and won the fall with 1.30 left. Keaton Baker wins! Kansas leads 10-0.

The action moved to the 125# weight class Grant Baker, of Blue Valley and Keaton’s brother, faced Platt County’s, Michael Dunkum. Both of the wrestlers had sterling senior campaigns, Baker was 44-1 and Dunkum was 26-0. Grant expertly countered the Missouri takedown attempt but quickly gave up an escape. The period continued with each wrestler making good attempts but ended with the score 2-1. Missouri opted for the bottom position but the Kansan was riding tough until Dunkum locked up a Peterson roll for the reversal. The action led the wrestlers out-of-bounds before any back points could be earned. The third period began with Baker trailing 2-3. He opted down but could not score. The Showme managed a 2-point near fall with a cheap tilt and Missouri’s first points in the dual. But Kansas still led, 10-3.

Turner High School would provide Caleb Hulse while Liberty, Missouri would send out Trent Wilczek for this bout at 130#’s. The first period was scoreless but not without action as the tempo was quick. Hulse was wrestling from bottom and scored an escape. Back on their feet the action was again furious but scoreless. Hulse held the 1-0 advantage as the Showme selected to go down. Wilczek gave Hulse 1-point as he picked up his third caution for false starts. After getting a clean start to the period, Hulse was a grinder. Caleb was expertly working the sides, pulling out arms, and had the Showme dodging bullets. At 12 seconds remaining the action was out-of-bounds and with the re-start Hulse did allow the escape but the win was at hand. Hulse wins, 2-1, Kansas leads 13-3.

Wrestling at 135#’s was Kenny Aubrey from Shawnee Mission South facing Matt Breit from Raymore-Peculiar. The first period was fairly even with each wrestler countering the others attempts but the Showme did score a late takedown. Kansas opted down but gave up a cheap tilt for 2-points. Aubrey tried the Peterson but it was effectively countered for 2 more. Breit was riding the surfboard and working the power half. The Showme did earn the 3-point near fall to close out the period. Missouri had the 0-9 advantage and opted the advantage position. Aubrey was victimized by the guillotine and gave up 3 more points. Final score of the match, 0-12, and the team score closed to 13-7. At 140#’s it was Max Connelly of Santa Fe Trail giving up a late first period takedown to Missouri’s, William Forrest of Raymore-Peculiar. In the second, the only score was a reversal by Forrest. Connelly opted to wrestle from the neutral position. Max found all his attempts to be countered but finally did manage a takedown that took the action out-of-bounds. With 0.56 left in the bout the Kansan was trying to expose the Showme’s back and at 0.15 again they were out-of-bounds. The last seconds were fast and furious as a reversal by Forrest followed by a reversal by Connelly followed by an escape by Forrest made the final score, 4-7. Team score, 13-10.

Next up it was Atchison County Community High Schools, Cody Sprang, matched up with Winnetonka’s, 2-time State champ, Tyler Grayson. Let’s fast forward to the 2nd period, as the 1st was scoreless. Missouri opted down and quickly earned the escape. While there was no score in the first, clearly Grayson used the period to feel out Sprang. The rest of this bout was the Showme displaying excellent neutral skills, scoring takedowns and cutting the Kansan. The final score was 4-9. The match was now tied at 13.

Travis Eden, Santa Fe Trails 152#er was matched against Cameron Harms from Blue Springs. A scoreless first period came to a close and the second opened with Eden earning an escape. In the neutral position, again there was no scoring. In the third, it was the Showme scoring the escape and earned the 1-3 lead with a takedown at 1.40 left in the bout. Eden could not muster any offense as the bout ended. Kansas trails for the first time, 13-16.

160#’s was the next weight class and Tonganoxie’s Ross Starcher was pitted against the 3-time State champ, Brandon Simpson. Simpson, from Richmond, Missouri brought a 39-0 record into this bout and was a 2003 National Champion in Greco-Roman at Fargo, N.D. Starcher had to be impressed by Simpson’s accolades but he was clearly not intimidated. One had to wonder though as a takedown by Simpson led to a 3-point tilt as action in the first ended. Starcher selected bottom and gave up another tilt for 2. Starcher reversed Simpson and had him locked up for a turn when Simpson cried out in pain. An injury time out was started and the referee’s felt a near fall was eminent and awarded Starcher a 2-point near fall. There was 0.8 seconds remaining in the 2nd period as the action re-started. Ross elected to wrestle from top at the start of the 3rd. The whistle sounded as Simpson stood up, Starcher brought him back to the mat but Simpson again cried out. There was 1.45 left in the bout and Simpson used his allotment of injury-time. And being his second time out, it was Starcher’s option. Starcher opted top. Simpson stood and the action carried them out-of-bounds. At 0.55 the wrestlers re-started and again Simpson stood and the action led them out. This time, Starcher picked up a stall warning. At 0.42 the whistle blew and Ross gave up an eventual reverse. The Showme picked up a stall warning before he allowed the escape. Missouri extends it lead, 13-19.

Of course, the crowd really got vocal in the above bout. Looking at the “big picture” one had to imagine that Simpson had been in peril a few times in his lofty career. While the timing of his injury seemed to be advantageous for Simpson it also seemed to be real. But what the “injury” did do was bring out some ugliness on the Kansas side of the gym. I don’t find the antics of some on the Kansas side, taunting and ridiculing, to be in the spirit of scholastic competition.

Next up at 171#’s it was 2-time State champ from Shawnee Mission East, Ryan Sonderegger matched up against Missouri’s State champ, Michael Moore from Oak Grove. It was the Showme scoring a quick takedown and the Kansan fighting to keep off his back. The period ended with no further scoring. Moore opted down and scored the escape. Ryan was in deep on a single leg but Moore countered it very effectively. The third showed Sonderegger scoring the escape but Moore gaining the takedown. Missouri wins, 1-5. Team score, 13-22.

Our 2nd bout at 171 pitted Blake Malloy of Topeka Shawnee Heights and Louis Caputo of Blue Springs. Malloy is a State champ with a 43-1 record on the season and Caputo was 52-0 this year, a 3-time State champ, in 2003 was a Cadet National Champ in Greco at Fargo. Caputo controlled this bout from the opening whistle. Blake showed flashes of his quickness and skill but Caputo matched them. Caputo wins, 0-5. Team score, Kansas 13 Missouri 25.

Neil Cisper was the 2-time State champ from Saint Thomas Aquinas and he matched his skills against Taylor Moore of Oak Grove. The first period had Moore scoring the takedown but Cisper scoring the reversal. As the round ended Moore scored again on the escape. It was Moore escaping again as the second opened and Moore scoring the takedown. Cisper did gain the escape to close the second. Cisper scored the escape but Moore was quicker and stronger and scored the takedown to secure the win, 4-8. Team score, 13-28.

Our second bout at 189#’s had Topeka Shawnee Heights, Tyler Gonzales and Park Hill, Missouri’s Sean Miller. After a scoreless first period, Missouri opted bottom. Miller continued to hit stand ups and Gonzales could not counter. Gonzales gave up a stall warning and stall point before he allowed the escape. In the third, Gonzales opted down, and tried repeated reversals, which were countered by Miller. Gonzales did gain 1-point for the Showme’s locked hands but could not muster any more scoring. Team score, 13-31.

The team victory was locked up for Missouri and Kansas was wrestling for pride. At 215#’s it was Doug Thompson of Turner High and Mark Ellis of Raymore-Peculiar. These two warriors would wrestle a close and controversial bout. Through two periods, Thompson held a slight 7-5 lead. At the beginning of the 3rd, Thompson was on bottom and earned the reversal but Ellis earned an escape. Kansas has a 9-6 lead. Now, take a deep breath because the action is about to get fast. Ellis scores the takedown and immediately cuts Thompson loose. Ellis scores the takedown and immediately cuts Thompson loose. The score is now 11-10, Thompson. With 0.40 seconds remaining, Ellis scored the takedown again to take the lead, 11-12. With 0.22 seconds remaining the combatants have a re-start. The whistle blows the action ensues. Thompson is trying to score, Ellis is fighting off the switch attempt, the action is going out-of-bounds, the clock is winding down, and the whole place is on their feet. Thompson ends up on top, the assistant ref is waving off the score, the mat ref is holding up 2-points for the reversal. WOW! A big conference … Thompson wins! Team score, 16-31.

275 is the final bout. Bonner Springs, Brad Rittinghouse faces Blue Springs, Jason Baston. Baston was bigger, stronger, and quicker, which was not a good combination for Rittinghouse. Baston put on a takedown clinic and one this bout, 8-19. Final team score, Kansas 16, Missouri 35.

Final impressions! After last years lack luster performance, I will have to say that the Sunflowers did give a good accounting for themselves this year. We held our own in the lower weights but really struggled in the middle and upper weights. Why? The obvious reason is our lack of commitment to Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. Missouri middle and heavy’s had tons of summer accolades. Kansas handled the wrestlers with like credentials. Kansas struggled with those who had the extra mat time.

13th Annual Metro Classic
 Team Rosters