The Mill Valley wrestling team may have finished 10th overall in Eudora’s Tournament of Champions on Saturday, but with four starters out, coach Travis Keal was pleased with the results.
“Our other kids stepped up and wrestled hard,” Keal said. “That’s what I talked about before the tournament: ‘We’re going to be minus four of our starters and someone is going to have to step up and make it a positive experience.’”
The Jaguars earned 152 points, falling behind Lawrence High School’s 156 points. Mill Valley’s lone first place finisher on Saturday was Landon Scott, wrestling in the 106-pound weight class and improving his record to 12-1. Both Derrick Paxton at 182 pounds and Jake Gramke at 196 pounds placed third. Also, a pair of sixth-place finishes came from the Burnett brothers, Seth (152) and Bryan (138). Adam Swearengin placed eighth at 220 pounds.
“We had a lot of guys step up and wrestle,“ Keal said. “We had some JV kids that won some matches and that was good experience for them. They helped the team score points.”
Keal said his squad is working extra hard on the mat to try to get in good position to score points.
“We just need to keep going and keep getting at it,” he said.
Three of the four starters absent on Saturday were state qualifiers for the Jaguars last season. Both Logan Marx and C.J. Beran were out sick and James Gray and Jake Ellis sustained injuries, making them all ineligible to compete.
“It’s just part of the wrestling season,” Keal said of his starters’ absence. “If they’re not better and well this weekend, they just won’t wrestle. February is more important to me.”
The Jaguars will be at Blue Valley High for a two-day tournament with Johnson County area schools this weekend.
“Hopefully we get some of those guys back and we can score a little higher as a team,” Keal said.
Angelique McNaughton 