Panthers tackle deep Kansas City Stampede tourney

KANAS CITY, Mo. – The Creston/O-M Panthers battled it out across Friday and Saturday in the Kansas City Stampede wrestling tournament.

Out of 50 present teams, Creston/O-M finished 29th with 173 points. Liberty (Missouri) was first with 600.

A yearly trip for the Panthers, head coach Cody Downing explained the reasoning behind the trip against teams that travel across the country to compete.

“It’s one of those deals where we get asked a lot, ‘why do you go down there, why do you put yourselves through that type of competition,’” said Downing. “You go down there for your upper level guys. The seniors or upperclassmen that have high goals themselves and to get them these upper level competiton matches to prepare them for a tournament run late in the year.”

Of experienced wrestlers in the group, the Panthers’ Jackson Kinsella (Class 2A 185 No. 2) was one of the most successful against elevated competition, finishing fifth in the gold bracket.

Kinsella’s route through the tournament saw him face the No. 1 wrestler at 182 in the country in Tate Picklo of Mustang, Okla. His match was one Downing was proud of, but thinks had he fallen into the other half of the bracket, Kinsella may have been wrestling in the final agsinst Picklo instead of in the quarter-finals.

“I think maybe he got in his own head during that match. I thought we were better than what maybe Jackson wrestled that match,” said Downing. “Obviously the competition is great, ... I thought Jackson maybe didn’t wrestle as agressive as he normally would and that’s understandable, but to get to where he wants to be he needs to attack that match.

“That was his only loss and if he was on the other side of the bracket from that guy, maybe we had a shot to be in the final,” added Downing.

Kinsella fell to Picklo by fall at 3:59 in what was his only loss of the tournament. Kinsella battled back, winning the fifth place match to beat Eli Sheeran (Klein) by forfeit to finish 8-1.

Downing hopes that the success of Kinsella is something the younger wreslters can grow from and feels his success will lead to more of it later this season.

“You’re hoping that your young guys kind of pick up on what they do to and how they prepare and get an opportunity to watch a lot of great wrestling,” said Downing. “Overall, last year I was really shaking my head coming out last year. Overall I was pleased. ... If you get in that top-8 in this tournament, that speaks that you’ve got a good chance to have a great postseason.”

A match with such a high profile opponent for the Panthers, Downing hopes the younger members of the team were able to take away things from the match between Kinsella and Picklo.

“For them to see what the best wrestlers do and how they prepare and the way they move, ... it was a good experience for us,” Downing said.

For Creston/O-M’s other ranked wrestler in Sam Chapman (195 No. 4), Chapman’s strong start early in the season bodes well for him as the Panthers gear up for the back end of the season.

“I think we’re right where we need to be,” said Downing. “His loss against a good Red Oak opponent (Carter Maynes) earlier in the year is a match we should have got and I think we will get by the end of the year.”

Chapman lost his opening round match, but battled back in consolation. Fighting in the fifth place consolation bracket, Chapman fell to Connor Billingsly (Christian Brothers) on late points by Billingsly. An escape, a point for stalling and a takedown with under a minute on the clock in the third period went against Chapman resulting in a 6-4 decision loss.

Chapman then paired up in the ninth place semi final, winning 7-0 before taking the ninth place match off a 36 second pin on Kale Farrington (Randall).

“He does not have a bad loss this year. He’s competing in matches he should compete in,” said Downing. “He had a good tournament.”

The Panthers also had quality finishes from Andy Weis (220) and Garon Wurster (132) at the tournament also, placing fifth and seventh in the silver bracket, respectively.

“They both were the next two guys that stood out for us. They both had winning records and both had good tournaments,” Downing said.

With a large amount of quality wrestlers at the tournament, some Panther wrestlers took a beating in the first day, going winless and eliminated from competing in day two.

But, the Panthers have a long list of takeaways to go over as they enter a break with Downing harping on the potential for growth, and it being a realistic possibility for them down the road.

“What I want them to take away is they can be Jackson or Sam,” said Downing. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but we can be them in a few years. That’s what I want them to take away from it. Obviously we don’t want to be 29th at any tournament, but we’re right in the middle of the pack at one of the toughest tournaments in the nation. That’s what I want them to take away from it and to understand why we train how we do.”

Team results – 1. Liberty (Mo.) 600; 2. Baylor (Ten.) 561.5; 3. Tuttle (Okla.) 560.5; 4. Mustang 462; 5. Choctaw (Okla.) 432.5; 6. Staley (Mo.) 412.5; 7. Neosho (Mo.) 388; 8. Goddard (Kan.) 463.5; 9. Park Hill (Mo.) 457; 10. Collinsville (Okla.) 338; 29. Creston/O-M (IA) 173.

Creston/O-M results

106 – Justin Parsons 0-5 pool, DNP

113 – Owen Henderson 0-5 pool, DNP

120 – Trey Chesnut 0-4 pool, DNP

126 – Beau Thompson 1-2 pool; 2-2 bracket; Consol: 13. Thompson pinned Traven Hutton (Ark. City, Kan.) 3:42.

132 – Garon Wurster 2-1 pool; 4-2 bracket; Consol: 7. Wurster dec. Ayden Little (Edmund, Okla.) 5-4.

138 – Brayton Chesnut 1-3 pool; 2-2 bracket; Consol: 11. Chesnut dec. Gabe Dvis (Platte County, Mo.) 6-3; Kaden Bolton 1-3 pool; 1-3 bracket: 13. Wyatt Bahm (Ark. City, Kan.) pinned Bolton 3:23.

145 – Keaton Street 1-4; DNP

152 – Briley Hayes 1-3 pool; 1-1 bracket; 13. Hayes pinned Adam Simpson (Smithville, Mo.) 1:31.

160 – Austin Seaton 1-3 pool; 1-4 bracket; 1-3 bracket; 11. Kaden Trickey (Staley, Mo.) dec. Seaton 4-1.

170 – Hayden Greene 0-4 pool; DNP

182 – Jackson Kinsella 4-0 pool; 4-1 bracket; 5. Kinsella forfeit Eli Sheeren (Klein, Tex.).

195 – Sam Chapman 2-1 pool; 3-2 bracket; 9. Chapman pinned Kyle Farrington (Randall, Tex.) 0:36.

220 – Andy Weis 0-5 pool; 3-1 bracket; Consol: 5. Weis pinned Blaise Wood (Derby, Kan.) 0:55.

285 – Chris Wilson 1-4 pool; 2-2 bracket; Consol: 11. Wilson dec. Logan Berry (Lebanon, Mo.) 3-2