Publisher’s Note: Photos and video will be posted here and on our Facebook page throughout both days of wrestling action. Girls and Boys Round 1 and quarterfinals are today. Placement matches are Thursday.
DAY 1 RESULTS
All six Cassville wrestlers will do battle on Thursday, and four have secured at least fourth-place medals. Faith James, Hailey Roark, Riley James and Colton Roark will all wrestle in the semifinals. Kaleb Artherton and Tristan Thompson will wrestle in the third round of consolation matches, each needing just one more win to secure a podium placement.
Girls – Class 1
Faith James, 135 pounds
Round 1: James pinned Lily Ahlvin (Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)) in 32 seconds on the first takedown of the bout.
Quarterfinal: James pinned Molly Stanton (Mid-Buchanan) in 3:44. Stanton took the early lead with a takedown, but James escaped, earned herself a takedown and nearfall to lead 6-3 after the first period. Stanton again struck first in the second with a takedown, but James repeated the escape and takedown, holding it for a pin. Highlights: https://fb.watch/qmdYNxSxqD/
Next match:
Semifinal: Faith James (Cassville) vs Trinity Butler (Festus), ~10:30 a.m. Thursday
Hailey Roark, 140 pounds
Round 1: Roark pinned Gracie Rindom (Lathrop) at the 3-minute mark. She was leading 9-0 at the time of the pin after a takedown and two nearfalls in the first and another takedown in the second. Highlight video: https://fb.watch/qmaIQemHUP/
Quarterfinal: Roark won a decision over Eddyson Reeves (Herculaneum), 6-2. At zeroes after the first period, Roark scored a reversal in the second. The match was tied at the start of the third with a reversal, but Roark reversed again and added a nearfall for good measure. Highlights (starting at 1:10): https://fb.watch/qmdYNxSxqD/
Next match:
Semifinal: Riley Howell (Brookfield) vs Hailey Roark (Cassville), ~10:30 a.m. Thursday
Boys – Class 2
Kaleb Artherton, 106 pounds
Round 1: Artherton pinned Tyler Dumas (Hallsville) in 2:29. He earned a takedown to start the match, then scored a nearfall. However, Dumas tied the score with a reversal and nearfall. After a stop in action, Dumas chose to go bottom, and Artherton worked his way in for the pin.
Quarterfinal: Artherton lost a decision to Wyett Shipman (Excelsior Springs), 6-0. Artherton fought hard and had some near-takedowns, but couldn’t find the board and suffered a takedown in each period.
Conso. Round 2: Artherton won a decision over Gavin Stone (Potosi), 13-7. Artherton led 7-2 after the first and 9-5 after the second. He sealed the win in the third with a takedown and late reversal.
Next match:
Conso. Round 2: Kaleb Artherton (Cassville) vs Lucas McMenemy (Clinton)
Riley James, 150 pounds
Round 1: James won a decision over Caden McLallen (Plattsburg), 9-2. After being taken down to start the match, James scored a reversal and nearfall, then benefitted from a stalling penalty, adding an escape and two more takedowns to secure the win.
Quarterfinal: James pinned Gage Gross (Ste. Genevieve) in 5:22. Undoubtedly the most exciting match of the day, James and Gross stayed tied or one point apart until near the end of round two, when Gross scored a takedown and nearfall that put James through concussion protocol after a collision of heads. After using 4:30 of his 5-minute injury timer, James trudged through the rest of the second to enter the third down 13-6. James scored an early reversal, then gave up an escape seemingly not hearing the whistle on top. No matter though, as he scored another takedown and executed a spladle pin to move on to the semifinals, despite being down in points 14-10 with only 38 seconds left in the bout.
Next match:
Semifinal: Jackson Snider (Logan-Rogersville) vs Riley James (Cassville)
Tristan Thompson, 157 pounds
Round 1: Thompson lost a decision to Gage Jones (Cameron), 7-5. Thompson scored the first takedown but soon suffered a nearfall, then managed an escape. After another takedown by Jones, Thompson trailed 4-3 at the end of one. The score remained unchanged through period two, and in the third from top, Thompson allowed his opponent up for a free point. The ploy worked, and Thompson tied the match with a takedown, but a reversal in the final minute provided Jones the 2-point win.
Conso. Round 1: Thompson won a decision over Keaton Reeves (Herculaneum), 4-2. Thompson kept his medal hopes alive with a first-period takedown and second-period reversal to preserve the victory.
Conso. Round 2: Thompson pinned Kaden Barnes (Fulton) in 42 seconds. Thompson scored a quick takedown and, with some coach encouragement, stacked his opponent within the first minute.
Next match:
Conso. Round 3: Mason Evans (Marshall) vs Tristan Thompson (Cassville)
Colton Roark, 165 pounds
Round 1: Roark pinned Isai Hernandez-Jarquin (Mexico) in 2:27. After a penalty on Hernandez-Jarquin, Roark went on the offensive with a takedown and nearfall to lead 5-1 after one. He scored a quick reversal in the second and finished the match with the pin.
Quarterfinal: Roark pinned Kaden Lee (Benton) in 5:11. Roark jumped to an early 7-0 lead with a takedown and two nearfalls. He allowed a reversal in the first, and gave up a penalty point in the second, but there was no questioning his dominance as he completed the pin up 7-3 with 49 seconds to go.
Next match:
Quarterfinal: Colton Roark (Cassville) vs Evan Winters (Ste. Genevieve)
