By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
CARTHAGE — Kelton Shaffer and Chase Kivett feel the good vibes Neosho gained from a trip two weeks ago to Tucson, Arizona, for the Flowing Wells Invitational powered the Wildcats to their COC Tournament team championship Saturday.
“We got to tour the (Arizona) campus and do some sight-seeing. It was fun,” Shaffer said. “But we were there on a business trip, focused on wrestling. It improved our bonds and has helped us practice harder and compete harder.”
“We were already close and the Arizona trip made us even closer,” Kivett said. “It was fun for all of us.”
Neosho collected 256 points to outdistance the overall COC field by 44.5 points. No West Division foe was within 100 points of the Wildcats.
“This is where we want to be and need to be, at the top,” Shaffer said.
“We want to be nationally ranked. We’re not where we want to be yet,” Kivett said.
Shaffer and Kivett were among six Neosho individual champions. Joining them as champs were Tucker Feagans, Carter Howard, Lincoln Howard and Kaymon Rhone.
In the 138 final, Shaffer (29-7) collected a pin in 4:51 against Ozark’s Colton Wilson (25-2). Shaffer also beat Wilson in a district title tilt last year.
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Shaffer was leading 7-1 at the time of his pin. He shook off repeated attempts by Wilson to grab his ankles and force him off balance.
“I knew he’s a strong kid and very technical. I stuck to what I do best,” Shaffer said. “I worked on staying in good position. It takes practice. How you practice, you go back to that in those moments. I stayed confident, worked my game plan and was focused.”
Kivett (37-3) won a 15-3 major decision over Nixa’s Owen Diemoz (35-6) in the 190 title tilt.
“I could have done better on top and maybe got a pin. Honestly, I should have went harder for the tech fall,” Kivett said.
Feagans (11-2) won a major decision 15-7 over Nixa’s Cameron Madderra (27-15) at 126.
Feagan, who was a COC runner-up last season, only became eligible to take to the mat in late December.
“I haven’t wrestled much this season,” he said. “I’ve been working hard in practices, making sure I get to 100 percent.”
In the 157 final, Carter Howard (35-2) won 15-0 by tech. fall over Gunner Puryear (25-5).
In the 165 final, Lincoln Howard (34-4) pinned Carthage’s Lenny Escobar (21-9) in 2:27.
In the 175 title tilt, Rhone (22-4) won by tech. fall 15-0 over Willard’s Kade Shurtz (25-7).
Republic champ Overcast overcomes turf toe
Republic’s Keaton Overcast (25-1) and Waynesville’s Lincoln Stearns (24-2) combined for the most competitive championship match. Overcast gained a late takedown to claim a 12-11 victory in an epic 144 title tilt.
It was the first time they’ve ever met.
“I definitely knew who he was,” Overcast said. “He’s a stud. But I wasn’t nervous going into the match. Pressure is what I thrive on. That’s something I’ve had to teach myself.”
Overcast had to overcome a turf toe injury he suffered earlier in the week.
“Right now, after adrenaline (had worn off), it hurts bad,” Overcast said. “All day I was pushing through the pain. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind. I was still confident I was going to win, knowing how hard I’ve pushed myself in practice. I love pushing myself past my limits.”
Glendale’s Kelly rallies to win 132 championship
A third-period takedown propelled Glendale’s Ethan Kelly to the 132 championship. Kelly (34-3) picked up a 4-2 win against Neosho’s Brody Mitchell (29-11) in their title tilt.
Mitchell held a 2-1 lead, before Kelly took him to the mat with just over 1:00 remaining.
“I knew I was keeping the offense on him, and I was going to get the takedown,” Kelly said. “I kept moving and got my takedown. Staying level-headed is the most important thing in a match. If I would have been frustrated because I was losing, that’s when things would have gone bad.”
Kelly has savored feeling 100 percent his senior season, after coming back from two fractured vertebrae in his spine two years ago. A state-qualifier his freshman year, he missed all of his sophomore season.
“It was hard to come back from. But I knew I was going to be fine. There was nothing I could do about it, just keep going,” Kelly said. “Last year, I still had some rust to knock off and my junior year didn’t end the way I wanted it to. I didn’t qualify for state. This year, I’m going to win (at) districts and I’m coming for state.”
Freshman, sophomore win titles for Ozark
Ozark’s Parker Hansen (35-2) knocked off defending 106 champion Marztian Ioanis (32-6), of Neosho, in the 106 title tilt. Hansen took a tactical 7-3 decision.
A week earlier, Hansen beat Ioanis 12-0.
“At the dual, I scored off his offense. I did a lot of defense,” said Hansen, a freshman transfer from Nixa. “For this match, I wanted to be more offensive. But I think we both knew it was going to be a close, tight match, so we didn’t really go for big stuff. We wrestled the most technical way we possibly could.”
Tigers’ sophomore Isaiah Collins (35-8) won the heavyweight championship by a medical forfeit against Reed Jackson (32-9), of Glendale.
Last year, they were third and fourth at the tourney.
Lebanon’s Branch repeats as champion
Kaleb Branch added to his distinction in Lebanon annals. He became the Yellowjackets’ first COC champ a year ago and now is their only two-time COC champ.
Branch beat (19-5) beat Nixa’s Gavin McAtee (18-21) by a 9-4 count in the 120 final. Leading up to the title tilt, Branch won 6-3 against Ozark’s Grayson Clevenger (23-14).
“I could have probably done better today,” said Branch, who was also an Ozark Conference Tournament champ two years ago. “But I’m all right with how I did.”
Branch has completed a comeback from a dislocated knee he suffered  during a double dual with Ozark and Seckman on Dec. 9.
“I was out for a couple of weeks, but it’s gotten better since,” he said. “I’m glad to be back. My knee feels great. I usually have a knee pad on it, but then people try to shoot on it, so I took it off.”
Pair of champions for Chiefs
Kickapoo’s Garrett Cookman and Jahan Huynh both claimed their first COC championships in dominant fashion, with Cookman winning by pin at 113 and Huynh doing the same at 150.
Cookman (32-4) recorded a fall in 2:39 against Waynesville’s Jacob Nix (21-10).
Jahan (38-3) had the fastest pin in the finals, posting a fall in 1:03 against Ozark’s Talyn Van Horn (26-17).
Jahan won an Ozark Conference Tournament championship at 138 two years ago.
Willard’s Talbot sweeps his matches with pins
Willard senior Porter Talbot became a three-time COC champ by winning the 215 title. Tabot (28-1) pinned Nixa’s Weston Weldon (24-7) in 3:48.
Talbot posted pins in all three of his matches.
