COLUMN: Student-led establishment of Kelly wrestling greatest sign of sport's health in Southeast Missouri

Wrestling has always been one of those sports that has struggled with maintaining participants, and its overall health ebbed and flowed with the times.

Jackson High School remains the standard in our area, always putting together full varsity lineups and sending a handful of wrestlers to the state tournament year after year. Its legacy stretches throughout the coaching ranks at Cape Central, as two of its head coaches in the 2020s were members of Jackson's 2015 team.

Notre Dame and Cape Central are currently enjoying youth movements that are giving them a chance to compete in dual meets. For Notre Dame, three of its four seniors saw the program grow with them throughout their four years on the mat.

However, the greatest sign of the sport's improving health in the area is the birth of the Kelly High School wrestling team in Benton. More importantly, its inception is not the creation of its coach.

Jerry Winberry is in his second academic year as Kelly's principal and has previously amassed 17 years of wrestling coaching experience within the region at Sikeston, Notre Dame, and New Madrid County Central. However, it was the vocal demands of his students that led to the creation of the wrestling program.

"I'd come to Kelly to be the high school principal, and I really didn't think that I was going to have the opportunity to ever coach again," Winberry said. "I've had several of the kids come up to me and say, 'Hey, when are we getting a wrestling program?' It just kind of started from there."

The students who wanted to establish the wrestling program were challenged to amass the number of potential participants and sign the petition to present it to the school board.

It was a challenge they accepted and accomplished.

"It was student-led," Winberry said. "They did a petition. They got a group of kids that went in front of the school board. They did everything themselves.

"It was very impressive to see those kids voice their opinions and show how much they wanted it and needed it," he said.

Wrestling has typically been the winter sport that fits best with football players looking for offseason training. Kelly football coach Lance Powers encouraged the addition of the program, telling the Sikeston Standard Democrat on May 4, "We are a growing school and we needed to add more opportunities for the students while they are here."

The Hawks first hit the mats in the Affton Esmond Ford Tournament on Dec. 7, when Bryden Hopkins placed third in the heavyweight division to walk away with a medal. Seth Shackles and Gabriel Finn, two underclassmen who are a part of the football team on the offensive and defensive lines, are leading the flock with 5-2 records and a pair of impressive showings at the recent quad-meet at Notre Dame Regional High School on Thursday. Shackles scored two pins against Notre Dame and Dexter, while Finn also had a 30-second pin against Dexter.

"They've taken on some leadership roles and kept the attitude good in the room," Winberry said. "They've kept the work ethic very good. The guys are working very hard in practice. They hold each other accountable, and I couldn't ask for anything more."

This is going to be a special first year for the Hawks, who are tabbed to host the Class 1 District 1 Tournament on Feb. 21-22. If at least one wrestler makes it through to the state tournament, it will be a massive success.

The Hawks will get a preview of how they can host a meet Tuesday with a quad-meet of their own with Sikeston and NMCC, two programs Winberry previously coached, and North County.

"I'm hoping that we have a good turnout," Winberry said. "We did the challenge matches in front of the community. We had a good turnout for that. So I'm expecting a packed house for our first week."