Class 2 wrestling roundup: Kennett senior finishes career with first state experience 

COLUMBIA, Mo. — It took Kennett senior Kevin Thompson all four years of wrestling to make it to the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships in Columbia, Mo.

He wasn’t about to let it end in a flash.

Thompson won two of three matches on Day 1 of the Class 2 state tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to advance to the second day of the tournament. He was defeated by Justin Wright of Excelsior Springs by a 5-0 decision in the third round of consolation on Thursday, Feb. 27, finishing his season with a 38-7 record.

“That’s really what I expected,” Thompson said. “Everybody’s good, got a winning record, everybody won a medal. I expected it to be huge.”

Thompson pinned John Jones of Knob Noster (41-9) in the third round after trailing for most of the match.

“I kept trying,” Thompson said. “I didn’t give up. I took him down three times but I didn’t get any points out of it. So I was like, let’s try one more time.”

After dropping a quarterfinal bout to Reggie Thomas (39-9) of STEAM Academy, he rose to the occasion in the consolation second round with a 4-1 win over Zeke Bethel of St. Clair.

Thompson’s high school career was split between two coaching staffs. For the last two years, he was coached by Jim Tidd and Andrew Webster, who were also his coaches on the football team.

“It’s been great, the chemistry together,” Thompson said. “He knows what’s wrong when I’m not feeling a bit right. He keeps me pushing through everything, and it helped me a lot.”

Thompson qualified for state for the first time with a run toward the Class 2 District 1 championship match last week in Park Hills, Mo., falling only to Ste. Genevieve’s Jacob Schweigert, who took a perfect 47-0 record to the state championship bout.

“I was happy when I got through,” Thompson said. “It’s a dream.”

While other programs prioritize success in weekend tournaments, the Kennett Indians fill their schedule with duel meets against nearby schools across the Bootheel. During Thompson’s four years, the Indians have won in the double digits for three seasons, including a school record 13-7-1 in his sophomore year.

“We take pride in duel meets,” Thompson said. “That’s what counts since we’re not invited to a lot of tournaments. We take pride in doing those because we’re so far down south in the state, and you really can’t get anything down there.”

Not without a fight

Notre Dame sent two wrestlers to the Class 2 state tournament experience on Wednesday, but neither of them advanced far enough into the second slate of matches.

Junior Parker Lemmons fell to Spencer Cunningham of Mic-Buchanan (28-3) by a 16-0 tech-fall and was pinned in the first round by Blane Fritchey of Seneca (43-10). The rising junior finished the season with his second state appearance and a 31-10 record.

Senior Cole Williams made his first appearance at the state and went out with the feeling of victory for one fleeting moment. In between his loss in the opening round and the second round of consolation, Williams defeated Martin Moore of Chillicothe by a 6-2 decision. He finished his final season with a 27-6 record.

What it’s all about

Much like Notre Dame, Dexter had two wrestlers in the state tournament, Prestyn Tidwell and Paxton White, but neither grappler advanced.

In the first consolation round, wrestlers fight like their athletic life depends on it. White and Talyn Balsley of California battled it out to the very end. White won by a 9-8 decision and by the slightest margin avoided Balsey being awarded the takedown points needed to win.

After the match, the two combatants embraced each other at the center of the circle, a sign of respect between two young warriors.