By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Carthage’s Luke Gall continues to enjoy exceptional success early in his high school career, as the super sophomore captured the Class 4 Sectional 3 182-pound championship Saturday.
Gall (32-5) pulled out a 6-2 sudden victory in the title tilt against Raymore-Peculiar’s Coleton McElliot (30-6). He also went the distance for a 15-4 win against Jefferson City’s Michael Friederich in the semifinal round.
Gall didn’t want any part of wrestlebacks and thus said his semifinal match was actually more stressful for him.
“Going into overtime (in the final) was exhausting and I was gassed from the match before,” Gall said. “I think my nerves for the best of me in the semifinals and that’s why I got really tired. I usually don’t get nervous. But (Freiderich’s) record kind of scared me.”
By beating McElliot, Gall avenged a loss by pin to McElliott in December.
After receiving all-state honors as a linebacker in football last fall, Gall is headed to the State Wrestling Championships for the first time. His freshman season ended a year ago due to a broken arm.
“This was what I was hoping for. But I didn’t expect it at all,” Gall said of his early success. “When I started varsity my freshman year in the playoffs for football, I never expected to do that. Last year, after I broke my arm I came to watch Districts and thought to myself, ‘Man I don’t know if I’m going to make it to State.’ Now I’m winning Districts and Sectionals.”
Gall has good genetics on his side. His mother, Libby, was an all-conference volleyball and basketball as a prep at Poplar Bluff. His father, Jeff, qualified for state in wrestling as a prep at Olathe, Kansas, and played junior-college football for Coffevyille, Kansas.
“It’s a mixture of both, but we think it’s more on my mom’s side,” Luke said of his inherited talents. “We say that and my Dad gets jealous. I have an older brother who is 6-foot-3 and weighs 160 pounds, while I’m 5-11 and 185. We joke that I’m adopted. He got the height and I got the muscles.”
“When he showed up (in junior high), you could see he was built differently than most kids his age,” Tigers coach Kenny Brown said. “He’s a heck of an athlete and very dangerous on his feet.”
Looking ahead to State, Gall is focused on making the semifinal round.
“My goal is to place in the top four and then go from there,” he said. “If I get to the semifinals, my new goal obviously will be to make it to the finals. If I make the finals, my goal will be to win.”
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Ozark’s Rushing records upsets
Ozark’s Thomas Rushing (39-11) knocked off two District champions to earn the 170 championship.
Rushing avenged a loss to Kickapoo’s Tai Koyama (31-5) at Districts by beating him 13-6 in the semifinal round. Two weeks ago, Koyama pinned Rushing in 4:13.
“Redemption,” Rushing said. “I wanted to face him again. I kind of just wore him out and capitalized when he got out of position.”
“Thomas is gaining confidence and is tough to beat twice,” Ozark coach Tod Sundlie said. “(Koyama) took it to us at Districts, but Thomas has been tough in rematches.”
Rushing followed up with a 7-2 victory versus Jefferson City’s William Berendzen (39-3). He garnered a pair of takedowns in the final minute.
“We practice for those types of situations,” Rushing said. “You follow your level of training in practice. I felt like no matter what he tried to do, I could keep my position good enough to where my thought was either I score or nobody scores.”
Koyama went on to earn his first State berth by recording pins in the final round of wrestlebacks and the third-place match.
Republic’s Connor Sandridge (29-3), who was undefeated prior to Districts, was ousted in the second round of wrestlebacks.
Tigers’ Tennison takes showdown
Ozark’s Hunter Tennison (48-0) won a battle of unbeatens in the 285 final by pinning Ray-Pec’s Tyson King (15-1) in 3:28.
Last year at Districts, Tennison also got the best of King.
“He came out with more of a fight today than I remember from last year,” Tennison said. “I was able to work around him more than last year. I definitely feel I’m faster now and I’m more confident in my shots.”
Earlier in the day, Tennison posted pins in 1:09 and 1:33.
Tennison’s speed and strength have allowed him to make up for the 30-40 pounds of weight he routinely gives up to opponents.
“I knew by going to heavyweight and giving up weight that all my opponents were going to have bigger hips and bigger thighs,” Tennison said. “It’s something I’ve gotten used to. (Wrestlers) who are center-massed with big hips are very hard to move. Usually, the matches are just forward-backward movement. But if you can work around them and make them move, that’s when you can find their weaknesses.”
“Hunter’s got a freakish leverage strength,” Sundlie said. “It’s unique. Combine that with good feet and athleticism, that’s a pretty deadly combination.”
Ozark’s Strick stays unbeaten
Ozark’s Braxton Strick (42-0) was having so much fun on his way to the 138 championship that he lost track of the score. No matter, Strick whipped Jefferson City’s Joseph Kuster (41-2) 13-1.
“I was getting up there in points and didn’t realize it,” Strick said. “I looked over at the scoreboard at the start of the third period and it was 8-0. It was a blast. I had a great time.”
Strick didn’t have quite as much fun while winning his semifinal match versus Ray-Pec’s Jacob Quest (32-3) by only a 2-1 count.
“He didn’t do a whole lot, to be honest. He kind of just laid on the mat,” Strick said. “Sometimes, you’re going to have people do that. I knew the whole match I was going to be fine.”
Carthage’s King crowned
Carthage’s Davion King lived up to his reputation in more ways than one.
King (37-5) followed up his District title by winning the 145 championship. He pinned Ozark’s Riley Sundlie (28-14) in 2:41 in the final.
King battled a nosebleed during the title tilt, as well as during his semifinal match. That’s the norm for him. He estimates he’s endured a nosebleed on and away from the match more than 200 times in his lifetime.
“It usually happens when I get hit on the nose and it doesn’t take a whole lot,” King said. “I wore a face-mask from sixth through ninth grades. But it got in my way a lot. It would fall down over my face. I didn’t like it.”
King is looking forward to a strong showing at State.
“My technique is there,” he said. “I just need to work on getting in better shape.”
Nixa has three champs
Experience was on Nixa junior Peyton Moore’s side, as he pinned Jefferson City freshman Braden Werdehause in 2:41 for the 120 championship.
“It looked like he didn’t want any part of me. He was circling out of bounds half the time,” Moore said. “But he’ll be good, he’s only a freshman. There can be a little bit of an intimidation factor when you’re wrestling a kid who is older than you and has a good record.”
Each of Nixa’s three champions won by fall.
Zan Fugitt (39-1) claimed the 113 final by pinning Repubic’s Wyatt George (32-6) in :57. Fugitt has never lost to George dating back to their youth club days.
John Gholson (36-2) took the 220 title and needed only a combined 3:35 to post pins in his three matches. Gholson has won 17 matches in a row. His last 13 wins have been by fall.
Nixa’s Michael Turner (27-11) was pinned in 3:45 in the 195 final by Jefferson City’s Jakeil Hayes (41-2). Turner beat a District champ and District runner-up in the first two rounds to earn his first State berth.
The Eagles’ Deagan Fugitt (34-7) was pinned in 3:47 by Columbia Rock Bridge’s Carter McCallister (33-1) in the 126 final.
Austin edges Melton again
Waynesville’s William Austin (27-9) went the distance in all three of his matches en route to the 106 championship.
In the final, Austin beat Joplin’s Sam Melton (26-5) 3-1 in a matchup of freshmen. They also faced each other for a District title two weeks ago, with Austin winning 1-0.
“He’s my new rival,” Austin said. “It was a battle. Most of the time he’s on the offensive and I’m on the defensive because he is so fast.”
Maskrod, Moison going back to State
Ozark’s Elijah Maskrod met up with Carthage’s Dagan Sappington in the 132 final, just as was the case at Districts.
Maskrod beat Sappington 3-0 at Districts and pinned him in 4:58 in their rematch Saturday.
“I was trying to stay focused and wrestle my best each match,” Maskrod said. “But I had heard it was a good possibility we would meet again.”
Maskrod (39-11) is headed to State for the third straight year.
The Tigers’ Clayton Moison qualified for State for the fourth straight year. He had little trouble winning the 152 championship. In the final, Moison (17-1) downed Ray-Pec’s Kanen Huff (34-4) 8-1.
Ozark’s Riley Newsom (35-10) fell 7-3 in the 160 final to Rock Bridge’s Marquis McCaster (19-3).
