By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
REEDS SPRING — Seneca three-peated as Big Eight Tournament champions while claiming four individual titles Friday.
Seneca totaled 398 points, breaking away in the final round from runner-up Marshfield, which had 370.5 points.
“Our team is very young. We only have three seniors,” two-time 170-pound conference champion Gabe Commons said. “But we’ve held our own pretty well.”
Commons and Seneca teammate Brady Roark each repeated as champions, while the Indians’ Keaton Burleson and Andrew Manley also captured titles.
Roark chasing perfection
Roark stayed unbeaten and pinned his way to the 120 championship. He posted a fall in 1:41 against Marshfield’s Tanner Davidson in the final round.
Roark improved to 27-0.
“Going undefeated would be awesome. That’s something I’ve wanted to accomplish for a while,” said Roark, who lost just once on his way to a state championship as a sophomore a year ago and had three losses as a freshman two years ago. “I not only want to go undefeated, but leave no doubt about it.”
This was the first matchup between Roark and Davidson (27-6).
“Since I had never wrestled him before, I was excited for the matchup,” Roark said. “I like seeing new guys, new competition and different styles that I can work on. He’s a longer guy, so it was good to get a matchup with somebody like that.”
All but two of Roark’s wins have been by pin and the other were by technical fall.
“I always go into my matches wanting to end it early,” he said. “But I’m ready to go to battle for six minutes. Whoever is in front of me, I want to take them out.”
Roark’s last loss came against Nixa state champion Zan Fugitt at the Carl Junction Tournament a year ago. They split two matches last season. They won’t meet this time around.
“I always look forward to having a match with Zan,” Roark said. “I was bummed we didn’t get to see him this year.”
Commons defends title
Commons relished being in the role of spoiler, as he beat Reeds Spring’s Evan Wilson on his home mat 11-2 with the Wolves’ faithful cheering on their own.
“All the mat workers and everybody else out here, that’s their kid, so it can be a little hostile. I like that,” Commons said.
Commons (24-1) and Wilson (33-3) know each other well.
“I’ve wrestled him since youth wrestling and he’s usually held his own,” Commons said. “My shots were there tonight. I was able to get him off balance and get his lead foot going.”
Manley gains redemption
Manley (30-2) won the 138 title by pinning Marshfield’s Marcus Gritts (29-7) in 2:44. He was runner-up as a freshman at 132 last season.
“I shouldn’t have lost last year, so I had a bad taste in my mouth,” Manley said.
Burleson (16-4) also won his first title by taking the 113 championship. He pinned Cassville’s Kurt Deaver (13-6) in 4:46.
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Pair of Marshfield seniors triumph
No one celebrated with as much enthusiasm as 145 champion Damian Dockery, of Marshfield. After edging Rogersville’s Kit Farran 3-2 in their title tilt, Dockery ran across the mat and jumped into the arms of Jays coach Matt Holt.
“We’ve got a board at (our practice room) that says ‘Conference Champs’ on it and you get your name on it by winning at the conference tournament. This was my last chance to get on that board,” said Dockery, who was third at 132 a year ago. “This is a real accomplishment for me. It means a lot.”
Dockery was also proud of how he won, by keeping Farran (21-6) from an escape in the final seconds.
“He stood up and I thought about tripping him. But I decided to come around his waist and hold on for dear life,” Dockery said. “Usually, I’m not very good at holding them (down). That’s probably one of my weakest points. But it has really improved for me to win that match.”
Dockery (28-8) feels he finally has momentum on his side, after a disappointing fifth-place finish at the Kinloch Classic last month.
“I had a bad day, so coming here I was the underdog,” he said. “Kinloch was probably the worst I’ve ever wrestled. But I’m on the come-up now and I’m going to be making my way to that medals stand at State.”
The Jays’ Matthew Derecichel (23-8) also earned himself a spot on Marshfield’s Big Eight board as a senior. He beat Cassville’s Jake Anthonysz (26-6) 12-6 in the 160 final.
Wildcats’ Arguelles titleist
Cassville’s Akhilleus Arguelles captured the 132 championship, after not being able to take part in the Big Eight Tournament last year. He was academically ineligible for the second semester of last season.
Both Wildcats coach Nathan Fortner and Arguelles feel that adversity has spurred Arguelles to new heights.
“It sucked watching everyone having fun, winning at Districts and going to State and not being able to do it, too,” Arguelles said. “I learned to not just focus on sports, to focus on school and sports and balance everything. Before, I was like, ‘School doesn’t matter, my grades don’t matter, I’m just focusing on wrestling.’ It also made me realize how much wrestling means to me.”
Arguelles (28-7) won by majority decision 16-7 versus Seneca’s Brayden Thiel (17-6).
Arguelles credits attending a Purler Wrestling Camp in Moscow Mills over the summer for preparing him well for this season.
“That helped me get back in the rhythm of wrestling and get back in the routine of working out,” he said. “When wrestling season started, I was already in shape.”
Monett’s Merriman, Hartline triumph
Monett 285-pounder Harrison Merriman held off a strong challenge by Reeds Spring’s Eben Crain for a 6-3 win in their title tilt.
Crain unleashed a surge of energy in the final seconds of the match, but couldn’t muster any offense.
“I’m confident tying up,” Merriman said. “I knew I was going to be safe, but didn’t know what he was going to do. He’s one of the other heavyweights who moves pretty well. You can’t get too confident when you’re wrestling him because he can do anything at any time.”
Merriman was pleased he put himself in position to have a late lead
“Throughout the years, I’ve gotten more confident knowing I don’t have to attack (while ahead),” he said. “I can play defense for once and not risk anything.”
Merriman (22-1) and Crain (32-5) are familiar foes.
“That was like our eighth time wrestling each other in the last two years,” Merriman said. “The first two times I wrestled him, I think I pinned him in a minute. But the next time it was in the third (period) and the next time it was a decision. It’s been close ever since. It’s always going to be a tough match. I have to prepare my best. It’s exciting to know I have someone close by to give me that kind of competition.”
The Cubs’ Simon Hartline won the 106 title as a freshman. Hartline (28-2) pinned Reeds Spring’s Shane Pearson (26-7) in 1:16.
Mustangs claim three championships
Blaine Ortiz, Levi Smith and Sam Murphy gave McDonald County a trio of champions.
Ortiz (33-5) took the 126 title by pinning Marshfield’s Tommy Mynatt (21-9) in 3:09.
Smith (34-7) prevailed 5-2 against Rogersville’s Beau Thompson (21-12) at 152.
Murphy (36-1) claimed his second tourney title in as many weeks. After taking the 220 championship at the Branson Tournament last weekend, he beat Marshfield’s Erik Tomanek (32-3) by an 11-5 count to repeat as a Big Eight champion.
