2016-17 wrestling preview: Buffalo

buffalo-wrestling

Of all the news that caused trembles in southwest Missouri wrestling last season, one caught the eyes of many: The Buffalo Bison got bumped down from Class 2 to Class 1.

Put another way, the Class 1 District 2 Tournament should be a must-see.

In it will be the Bison, the reigning Central Ozark Conference-Small Division champions who sent a school-record seven wrestlers to state last season, as well as defending state champion Seneca. Versailles, which finished fourth last year, and 2014 Class 1 state champion Blair Oaks also will be there.

“I’d like to say (moving down) will give us the opportunity to qualify more kids to state and I’d like to say it will help win a district title, but there’s some tough competition,” Buffalo coach Nate Kenady said.

Buffalo enters somewhat of a new era with Kenady promoted to head coach after two seasons as an assistant, but the team returns all of its state qualifiers and may have added some new pieces, too.

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Sophomores Ethan Smith and Floyd Miller both placed fifth at 106 and 152 last season, while senior Trenton Houston (138), senior Blake Williamson (195), senior Austin Reed (170), Colten Kenady (182) and heavyweight Shane Sisco will look to return after moving up in weight classes. All the seniors should reach 100 career wins, too, this season.

To Coach Kenady, that’s a reflection of the work done by former coach Eric Nolan, who after four seasons was hired at Springdale Har-Ber High School in northwest Arkansas. The season before Nolan arrived, Buffalo finished with only six wrestlers.

Now Kenady anticipates about 35 turning out and fielding most weight classes. And many returnees have put in the work this spring and summer.

“Smith is one of our small guys but doesn’t have a small heart. With him and Floyd, there’s not enough I can say. They took care of business in the offseason and on the mat. For them to place at state as freshman, for the pressure they had, they didn’t get rattled.”

The Bison should benefit from their working relationship with Kenady, a three-time state qualifier and one-time state medalist in the Colorado high school ranks who began helping Buffalo’s middle school program about a dozen years ago.

“We definitely want to repeat (as COC champs),” Kenady said. “But whenever you win, you get a target on your back. There are teams working to take that away from us.”

The rest of the projected lineup includes freshman Lizzie Miller at 106, Smith either at 113 or 120, freshman and successful USA Kids Wrestling competitor Blake Daher at 126, Marcus Autry at 145, Charles Middleton at 152, Ashton Vogler at 160, Colten Kenady at 182 and freshman Levi Kenady at 220.

“I think the kids hungry to get back to state,” Kenady said. “Hopefully we improve on what we did last year and hopefully bring home some hardware. They feel like they can make some noise in Class 1.”

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