By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For five-straight seasons the Seneca wrestling team finished second or better at the Class 1 state championships, then made the jump to Class 2 and earned fifth.
The team improved on that last season, qualifying eight wrestlers for state and scoring 100 points to tie Monett for second place.
“Considering everything that was taking place last year I thought the kids did a really good job staying engaged throughout the year,” head coach Jeff Sill said. “The season went a little bit longer but we just had the right mix of kids that handled it the right way.”
The Indians return six of those qualifiers but must replace Zane Cotten, who finished second at 195 pounds and went 33-2, and Clayton Swadley, who qualified at 145 and finished 35-7.
The returners are highlighted by junior Brady Roark, who went 43-1 and won the 106-pound championship.
“Brady was on a mission after losing in the finals the last year at state,” Sill said. “All season he was working hard to get that gold medal around his neck and it all paid off. He beat some kids that beat him last year and he was able to put a really good state tournament run together.”
Three other returners placed at the state tournament. Senior Gabriel Commons went 44-4 and finished second at 170 pounds. Senior Kendon Pollard was 31-3 and took fifth at 126, and sophomore Andrew Manley was 41-10 at 132 and also placed fifth.
DOWNLOAD THE O-ZONE APP NOW!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR APPLE
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
“Gabriel really improved throughout the year and really worked towards his strengths,” Sill said. “I was excited to see him. He did a great job, came from behind in the semifinals match and put himself in the finals with a chance to get a state championship. Both Kendon and Andrew lost just one match at state and I would like their chances with the other state rules, how we usually do it, but because of the format, a one-day tournament, when they lost the best they could finish was fifth.”
Senior Brayden Thiel qualified at 120 and went 28-10 and senior Dane Napier qualified at 182 and was 27-18.
“Thiel’s got a little bit of an unorthodox style but he gets after it and wrestles really tough and brings a new dimension to our program,” Sill said. “He’s trying to put things together for his senior year. He wants that state medal around his neck. And Napier has been a grinder. He’s done whatever we asked of him, whatever’s best for the team and I was glad to see him at state. I think he’ll put a run together this year and have a chance to be on the podium.”
The only other sectional qualifiers last season who weren’t seniors were Dane Napier, Lincoln Renfroe, Alex Mejia and Jeremy Williams. Napier was a junior at 182 pounds and finished 27-16, while Renfroe was a sophomore at 152 and went 23-12.
Mejia and Williams are among at least seven others who will help fill out this year’s lineup. Mejia is a junior who made it to the sectional at 113 pounds and finished 18-8, and Williams is a senior who went to the sectional at 160 and went 15-25.
Junior Logan Barwick was 8-10 last year and has filled in from 145 to 160. Junior Jacob Gravner was 11-3 at 285. Junior Nick Stephens saw four matches at 220 pounds before breaking his collarbone, and junior Nash Crane was 5-5 at 220. Sophomore Keatin Burleson was 9-5 at 106 pounds.
The Indians have eight to 10 incoming freshmen who will help fill out the lower weights.
Seneca will open at Heritage in Rogers, Arkansas on Nov. 30 and will be in action six times before the end of December. The team will also head to Coppell, Texas for a tournament.
“We just try to get as many competitions as we can before Christmas,” Sill said. “The Coppell tournament will kind of get us ready for state. It’s a boy-girl tournament like state, they’re all competing together and that’s one of the reasons we’re doing that.”
Sill said interest continues to grow for girls wrestling and he expects eight to 10 wrestlers out this year. The team had seven on last year’s roster and only lost Maggie Meyer to graduation. She went 22-19 at 132 pounds.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE WINTER SPORTS PREVIEWS
Sophomore Isabella Renfro is the team’s only state qualifier from last year. She placed sixth at 174 and finished with a 34-10 record. Senior Kirsten Bruegel was the other sectional qualifier and she finished 28-5 at 151.
“Isabella and Kirsten do a good job recruiting, trying to get more girls to come out,” Sill said. “Isabella was a state placer last year as a freshman and she has expectations of being at the top of the podium this year. I’m excited to see what she has to do this year. Kirsten went to state the year before and won districts last year and we’re expecting her to step up and get a state medal this year.”
Sophomore Louzella Graham returns after winning eight matches at 125 pounds. Senior Britany Adcock returns after going 22-19 at 127 and junior Liberty Cornell returns after going 31-7 at 143 pounds.
Freshman Kahli Fields will be a newcomer this season but she has experience at the youth and junior high level.
