Cassville senior wrestler Colton Roark has a strict routine for wrestling and for life. “I’ve been hunting non-stop recently,” said Colton. “Waking up at like 4:30 every morning, going hunting. Last dear season, I killed a pretty good little ten-point.”
A year ago, Colton had his sights set on something bigger than a trophy buck. After finishing all-state his freshman and sophomore seasons, Colton wanted to win an elusive state title. But midway through the season, head coach Nathan Fortner had a tough conversation with Colton. “I didn’t think he was on the right path to do that,” said Fortner.
It was Colton’s response that impressed his coach more than any pin on the mat. “From January on the kid won every sprint,” Fortner said. “He was winning every go in the room. He really turned it it up and it showed at the state level.”
And at that state tournament it was a surreal moment for Colton. “I was laying up in the stands, like all day, waiting to go wrestle,” Colton said. “You go down to warm up for it, and I didn’t even warm up. I kind of just took it all in. I was talking to my coach the whole time and went out and did my thing. It was amazing.”
The hunt was over as Colton broke through on the podium to win his first state title. In the fall, Colton switched gears, aiming for first‑team all‑state as a receiver. 1,333 combined rushing and receiving yards and 19 touchdowns later, he bagged that prize too. That caught the attention of college football coaches too. Now, he’s back on the mat to defend his state title. Still, he’s not done hunting. “This year I’ve been chasing this, like, 170- inch deer,” Colton said. “But I can’t get him. He keeps running away. He keeps leaving.”
Hopefully for the deer’s sake, Colton’s not as good at those hunts.
