COLUMBIA - Four area wrestlers will compete for a state title today in the Class 1 and 2 state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena.
The Eldon Mustangs have two wrestlers in title matches, as Dawson Brandt and Isaiah Simmons each finished 2-0 in Friday's action.
Brandt, a senior, started with a win by fall in 1:47 against St. Joseph Lafayette's Dakwan Zamor at 182 pounds during the morning session in the Class 2 quarterfinals. In the evening, he picked up a 6-4 win against Sullivan's Evan Shetley, who is ranked No. 2. Brandt never trailed in the match and scored a takedown late in the third period to secure the win.
Simmons, a senior, won by fall in 1:37 against Cameron's Coleman Oxford in the quarterfinals at 113, then followed that up with a 6-4 overtime win against Moberly's Zach Lewis, who is ranked No. 1. Simmons trailed 4-1 after one period, tied the match at 4 through three and scored the winning takedown midway through the overtime period.
Fatima sophomore Lucas Laux will compete in a title match for the second straight season to lead the Comets.
Laux won both of his matches by fall, pinning New Madrid County Central's Austin Perry in 2:36 in the Class 1 quarterfinals at 120. He then pinned Lathrop's Drystan Dotson in 3:58 to get back to the title match. Laux and Dotson were tied at 2 after one period, but Laux got an escape and then a takedown before finishing with the second-period pin.
Versailles senior Michael Trotter started the day with a win by fall in 4:41 against Lawson's Cade Killingsworth in the Class 1 quarterfinals at 182. Trotter then won a 10-4 decision against Marceline's Seth Cupp, opening the match with six straight points.
The championship matches are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today.
Up first will be Simmons (29-2), who is ranked No. 4 at 113 in Class 2 and finished fourth last season at 120. He will face Excelsior Springs junior Ethan Day (38-5), who is ranked No. 3.
Laux (44-2), who is ranked No. 2 at 120 in Class 1 and finished second last season at 113, will take on Whitfield sophomore Logan Ferrero (37-6), who is ranked No. 1 and was last year's state champion at 106.
Trotter (41-3), who is ranked No. 3 at 182 in Class 1 and finished fifth last season in that same weight class, will battle Lathrop senior Justin Wright (43-2), the top-ranked wrestler at 182 and last year's runner-up at 170.
Brandt (51-2), who is ranked No. 3 at 182 in Class 2 and finished fourth last season in that same weight class, will go against St. Clair senior Ryan Herman (50-0), who is ranked No. 1 and placed third last season at 152.
Seven more area wrestlers secured state medals Friday and will compete in the fourth-round wrestlebacks, which begin at 9:30 a.m. today.
Fatima has three wrestlers still alive in the wrestleback rounds, giving the Comets four state medalists out of five state qualifiers. Jason Strope and Blake Wiles each went 2-1 on Friday, while Martin went 2-0.
Strope, a sophomore, lost 5-4 to Whitfield's Evan Binder in the quarterfinals at 106. He responded with a win by technical fall in 3:55 against Gateway's Adrian Rizvic, followed by a pin in 2:50 against Mid-Buchanan's Dallas Grippando in the bubble match.
Strope (40-6), ranked No. 5, will face Rock Port's Ethan Wood in his first match today.
Wiles, a sophomore, lost 9-3 to Polo's Wyatt Segar in the quarterfinals at 132, followed by back-to-back wins. He won by fall in 2:36 against McCluer South-Berkeley's Jynelle Evans and then won 7-4 against Lawson's Kyle Sizemore.
Wiles (35-9) faces Knob Noster's Conner Johnston in the fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Martin, a senior, won both his matches in the wrestlebacks at 138. He won by medical forfeit against North Callaway's Jadon Henry and then won 2-1 against Butler's Zack Wicks to secure a medal.
Martin (18-8) will go against Adrian's Cole Ritter in his next match.
School of the Osage had a pair of freshmen wrestlers come up short in the Class 2 semifinals.
Ryan Schepers won by technical fall in 5:18 against St. James' Frank Parsons in the quarterfinals at 120, then dropped a 6-3 decision to top-ranked Sam Hrabovsky of Fulton in the semifinals.
Chase Cordia picked up a 7-5 win against Dexter's Travis Waldner, the second-ranked wrestler's first loss of the season. Cordia, however, dropped a 15-5 major decision to St. Joseph Benton's Cristian Dixon, ranked No. 1 at 138.
Schepers (40-4) will begin today's action against Kirksville's Logan Blickhan, while Cordia (38-6) is matched up against Excelsior Springs' Hunter Williams.
Eldon junior Kaden Dillon won 6-4 against second-ranked Chance Richards of Moberly in the quarterfinals at 195, but he followed that with a 12-8 loss to Lutheran: St. Charles' Anthony Heard.
Dillon (38-5) wrestles next against Monett's Wesley Merriman in the fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Versailles junior Riley Rademann also secured a state medal Friday at 195. He won 8-3 against Maysville's Cole Gripka in the quarterfinals and lost 7-2 to Father Tolton's Montgomery Mills in the semifinals.
Rademann (42-7) will face Trenton's Jadan Wright next.
Five area wrestlers had their seasons come to an end in Friday's competition.
Fatima sophomore Zak Tune won by fall (2:36) against Brookfield's Jaden Abongo at 113, but he followed that with a loss by fall in 4:50 to Palmyra's Braydan Stevens. Tune finished the season with a 28-9 record.
Tipton's lone state qualifier, Drew Loganbill, went 0-1 Friday in the Class 1 state tournament at 138. He lost by fall (3:37) to Butler's Zack Wicks in the second-round wrestlebacks, ending the season at 25-17.
Versailles had three wrestlers lose their second match of the state tournament on Day 2.
In the second-round wrestlebacks, freshman Levi Rand lost 10-8 to Plattsburg's Joseph Hofmeister at 113, while senior Clayton Coleman lost by fall (:37) to New Madrid County Central's Austin Perry at 120. Rand ends the season with a 32-5 record, while Coleman finished at 16-14.
Junior Payton LaFoy went 0-2 on Friday for the Tigers. At 126, he lost 6-0 to Mid-Buchanan's Tim Speer in the quarterfinals, followed by a 6-4 loss to Gallatin's Aydan Wayne in the second-round wrestlebacks. LaFoy had a season record of 32-13.