All four wrestlers representing Warrensburg in the Class Three MSHSAA boys state tournament will continue their campaigns for podium places, including one with a shot for a state title.
Jaylen Civil will square off Saturday, Feb. 28 in a 138-pound semifinal against Julian Smith of Whitfield. Civil secured technical falls in both his wins Friday, first sending Hillsboro’s Gavyn Givens to the wrestlebacks in 99 seconds, followed by Carl Junction’s Jaxson Yaple with 22 seconds remaining, after Civil had already amassed a 25-10 advantage. Civil’s teammates Tate Cook and Dayton Dunn rebounded from quarterfinal losses, with Cook taking out Kylab Trice of Parkway Central in 4:30 to advance on the 150-pound bracket, while Dunn secured an 8-4 decision over Jacob Schatzman of Hillsboro. Justus Griffith dropped his first match, but won his two wrestleback contests to continue into Saturday. Heading into day two, Warrensburg is tied for 13th on 23.5 points. Helias Catholic will open the day with a ten-point lead over St Michael the Archangel atop the Class Three team standings, with Hannibal in eighth.
Marshall’s two wresters were two-and-done at Mizzou Arena. At 144 pounds, Ollin Chavez was pinned in 46 seconds by Jackson Bassett of Winfield, then dispatched when Zakary Kimmich of Webster Groves secured a fall in 1:53. Lane Dunfee was overwhelmed in the opening round of the 165-pound tournament with a technical fall in 1:42 by Eli Homan of Helias Catholic, then pinned in 90 seconds by Brian Schenck of Imperial Windsor.
The area’s lone wrestler in Class Four will also compete Saturday. Adarein Hawkins of Smith-Cotton dropped Braden Williams of Seckman to advance on the 126-pound bracket, but was sent to wrestlebacks with a 17-10 decision loss by Liberty’s Will Pfeifer. Hawkins then had a narrow 6-5 win over Staley’s Conner Anderson to set up his third-round wrestleback against Jordan Bell of St Pius X of Kansas City. In the team standings, Liberty has a one-point lead over Columbia Hickman.
Smith-Cotton’s two girls competing in the Class Two tournament will not advance to Saturday’s action. Katherine Madrid was sent to the wrestlebacks at 115 pounds after a first-round technical fall by Rory Flores of Wildwood Lafayette, then eliminated with a major decision by Hazelwood West’s Yanni Smith. Shelby Woolery dropped her first match at 130 pounds to Kaitlyn Sparkman of Francis Howell Central, but advanced to the second consolation round by way of a disqualification. Woolery’s time at Columbia closed when she was brought down in 94 seconds by Destany Oster of Waynesville.