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by Michael Smith Grain Valley senior Justin Deweese has been a consistent wrestler for the Grain Valley wrestling program. He had a breakthrough season as a sophomore, placing third in the 160-pound weight class in the Class 4 District 4 tournament, which qualified him for the state tournament for the first time. That season, he had 32 wins. A year ago, he qualified for the state tournament for the second time and ended his 2022-23 campaign with 28 victories. As a freshman he had 20 wins while bouncing back and forth between the junior varsity and varsity squads. In Saturday’s tri dual against Fort Osage and Blue Springs South, he reached a significant milestone. He notched his 100th career win after he pinned South’s August Kienast in 3 minutes and 10 seconds as he helped Grain Valley take a 42-36 victory against the Jaguars Wednesday at Blue Springs South High School. The Eagles lost their other dual against Fort Osage 51-21. Deweese (165 pounds) was one of four Eagles to finish 2-0 on the day. He also had a pin of Fort Osage’s Paxton Onka in 45 seconds. “You just have to work hard for it if you really want it,” Deweese said of the milestone. Grain Valley head coach Donald Horner said Deweese has put in the work to reach this milestone. “I am always happy for him,” Horner said. “He’s definitely been someone we can depend on. He shows up every day at practice and goes to every dual and every tournament. He never complains and does all the right things. “He has a great sweep single. He gets his head inside and really cuts the corner and he’s extremely tough on top.” That showed in both of Deweese’s matches. “I got my legs in and got the half,” Deweese said of his pin against Kienast. “I got around his head and got my hips out and was able to get the pin.” Like Deweese, senior Jace Worthington (175) was dominant. He pinned South’s Bryden Greenfield in 32 seconds and Fort Osage’s Eden Reed in 51 seconds. “I was really trying to push the pace for my last dual as a high school wrestler,” Worthington said. “I wanted to make it memorable.” Other Eagles wrestlers who completed the day unbeaten were sophomore Zac Bleess (120), who earned a 6-3 victory against Fort’s Tony Martinez and had a forfeit win against South; and Gavin Barker (215) had two wins by forfeit. Girls Like the boys team, the girls split their duals at Blue Springs South High School, defeating the Jaguars 42-21 and falling to the Indians 50-23. Senior Keya Butler (145), who is wrestling this season for the first time ever, was one of four Grain Valley girls wrestlers to finish the day 2-0. She had a pin and a forfeit victory. “I was kind of nervous, but I have been doing pretty good,” Butler said. “It was really hard at first and I thought I was never going to get anyone pinned but I learned to trust myself and the season has gone pretty well.” Sophomore Adalia Del Real (155) had a pair of impressive wins Wednesday as she pinned both Fort’s Princess Mueller and South’s Kadence Burnside. “I mainly worked the cradles today and I also used to use a basic half (nelson),” Del Real said. Sevreign Aumua (140) and Jayden Moehle also ended the day unbeaten. Aumua had a 16-1 tech fall and a forfeit win and Moehle had a pin and a forfeit victory. Grain Valley senior Justin Deweese notched his 100th career win after pinning Blue Springs South senior August Kienast in 3:10 at a tri dual Wednesday at Blue Springs South High School. He also pinned Fort Osage 's Paxton Onka. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley girls basketball team has a strength it likes to take advantage of. The Eagles are an above average 3-point shooting team and have multiple players who shoot well from the perimeter. That was on full display in Monday’s Suburban White Conference contest with William Chrisman. Grain Valley made 11 threes and had a stellar defensive performance in a 75-36 rout of the Bears at home. “I think our selection on the threes we were taking was good,” Grain Valley head coach Randy Draper said. “We are starting to play a little bit and we have been making some great strides the last two weeks.” Junior guard Camryn Kelly and sophomore swingman Addy Seifert both had four 3-pointers each, with the later having a team-high 17 points and the latter chipping in with 15. With Chrisman packing the paint, there were ample opportunities for the Eagles (12-6, 3-1 conference) to get open 3-point shots. Seyfert said the 3-point shot is something that she practices frequently. “We always talked about having a game where we would both be on with our shots,” Seyfert said of herself and Kelly. “We finally had that today and it feels good.” “It’s always part of our gameplan to shoot threes. We have good shooters on the team.” Kelly, who is adept at burying threes, was left wide open on a pair of occasions and made the Bears pay. “When people leave me open, I think, ‘All right. You’re giving me the opportunity to shoot it, I am going to.’ If you are going to lay off me like you’re not respecting my shot. I will prove that you need to guard me close.’” Grain Valley dominated throughout, leading Chrisman (6-11, 1-3) 24-12 at the end of the first period and extending the lead to 37-23 at halftime. Seyfert and Kelly combined for 18 points in the first 16 minutes to provide a boost for their team. The Eagles then really got going in the third when they made six treys as a team. Seyfert and Kelly had two each and senior Emma Jane Ogle and sophomore Pyper Hartigan each had one. The Eagles also had plenty of health from players aside from Kelly and Seyfert on offense. Freshman Madison Rust and sophomore Aspen Reed had eight points each, Ogle chipped in with seven and senior Meghan Knust and Hartigan added six each. Rust was inserted into the Grain Valley lineup during the Rolla Tournament in late December and has been a key contributor for the Eagles ever since. “Her maturity and her calmness she plays with helps the team slow down and get into the groove of the game,” Kelly said. “We can get kickouts with her on the floor because she’s so calm and collected when she handles the ball. She’s a great point guard and has a great IQ.” Grain Valley got it done on the defensive end, as well, forcing 23 Chrisman turnovers. “We didn’t block out as good as we needed to, but I was pleased with everything else.” Draper said. Caption: Sophomore swingman Addy Seyfert puts up a left-handed layup with Chrisman junior Zoey Vasquez following close behind during a 75-36 victory Monday at home. Seyfert made four 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the Eagles. Photo credit: Clara Jaques
by Michael Smith The 2023-24 version of the Grain Valley girls swim team is arguably the best in the six-year history of the program. Last Saturday, the Eagles had their biggest win in team history when they beat out 13 other teams to take first place with 454 points. Not only that, but nine school records have been broken this season and have times in 10 different events that would qualify for an entry into the Missouri State High School Girls Swimming and Diving Championships in February. While Grain Valley head coach Julie Reilly and her girls admit the team doesn’t have the numbers to compete for a state trophy, this could be a year the Eagles make some noise and have some girls earn all-state or honorable mention honors. “I think this group of girls is amazing,” Reilly said. “I don’t know if it’s the best, but it probably is. They all want it.” The 200 and 400 free relay teams are standing out for the Eagles as each of them are currently seeded seventh among all teams in the state in Class 1. The 200 free relay team of Katelyn Epple, Kalli Beard, Riley Wade and Jay’me Whitley currently have a season-best time of 1:44.75, which was the first-place time at the Belton Invitational. The 400 free relay team of Ellie Martin, Beard, Emily Holzworth and Epple had their season best time at the Belton Invitational with a time of 3:48.60. “I have a lot of faith in our relays,” Beard said. “They are my favorite events to swim in. We work really well together.” If the Eagles relay teams can stay in the top eight at the state meet, they would finish high enough for an all-state honor, given to the top eight finishers of each event. The Grain Valley 200 medley relay team is also an event it could excel at during the state competition. It’s currently seeded at No. 14 with a season-best time of 1:59.85. Reilly noted that continuity is a big factor in the success of the relay teams as many of the swimmers competed on the relay teams last season. Relays are events which require good teamwork and timing of dives once one swimmer is finished with their leg of the race. “We have had some time to build it up and they want it a little bit this year,” Reilly said. For the individual events, the Eagles have four swimmers who have times good enough to qualify for state in seven different events. The top 32 times qualify and swimmers can only compete in two individual events at the state meet. Beard currently has times good enough to qualify in the 50 free (25.82 seconds, No. 24 seed) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.89, No. 22 seed). Last season, Beard made it to the finals of the 100 butterfly at state and hopes to repeat that feat this season. “Hopefully I will rank higher than I did last season,” Beard said. Martin is in a good position to push for an all-state honorable mention time at state as she is in the top 20 in two different events. She is ranked 20th in the 200 individual medley with a season-best time of 2:18.25 and is the No. 15 seed in the 500 free with a time of 5:33.43. “I saw a lot of time drops at the Belton Invitational which helped move me up in the rankings,” Martin said. “I am really thinking I am going to improve as the season goes and I can’t wait to see what happens.” Epple said she didn’t make it to the finals for either of her events last season, but will push to do that this time around. She is currently ranked No. 31 in the 100 free with a time of 56.64 seconds and is 19th in the 200 free at 2:04. Wade also has a state consideration time in the 100 breaststroke as she is currently seeded 25th with a time of 1:15.07. “I think any of those girls could be top 16 or higher (at state),” Reilly said. “Our relays could be in the top 16 and two of them could end up in the top eight.” Grain Valley will compete in the Suburban White Conference Championships at 1 p.m. Feb. 3. From left, Grain Valley swimmers Katelyn Epple, Kalli Beard and Ellie Martin all have times in two events each that would qualify them for the state meet for the 2023-24 season. They are also a part of the Eagles 200 free and 400 free relay teams which are seeded seventh in the state. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley boys basketball team may have had their best offensive performance of the season. The Eagles took on Fort Osage in the third-place game of the Grain Valley Invitational and looked like a well-oiled machine on offense. Cuts and screens led to wide open shots behind the 3-point line or an open look right at the basket in the second half. Not only that, but seven players scored at least six points and three of them had double figures in Grain Valley’s 67-48 victory Friday at home. “Coach told us that this was the best team and the best offensive basketball we have played this season,” Grain Valley senior forward Stylz Blackmon said. “It was very entertaining for him to watch, he said. Just watching us being able to orchestrate our offense for an entire 32 minute game, is something he’s been waiting for us to do.” Grain Valley (10-7) was tied with the Indians 15-15 at the end of the first period and dominated from there. The Eagles outscored Fort Osage 20-10 in the second period to take a 35-25 lead into halftime. “They went to the zone at one point and we were able to dismantle that.” Blackmon dominated in the first half, scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points and junior Aaron Barr chipped in with nine points in the first 16 minutes. Grain Valley then started to run away with it in the third by extending the lead to 54-37. The team ran the offense well and used organized plays to find easy looks. In that period, a pick and pop set up by sophomore Eli Herbert led to a wide-open three from the right wing that he buried. Herbert also made an open layup on a back cut and a pin-down screen from Blackmon opened up a cutting lane for senior Logan Marcum, who put in an open layup. In the fourth, the Indians didn’t get any closer than 14 points as the Eagles continued to get it done on the offensive end. Senior Jackson Schoen threaded a bounced pass through a tight window to hit a cutting Herbert, who converted on a conventional 3-point play after making a layup. Senior Matthew Leonard also had an assist in which he found Schoen cutting baseline for an open layup. “We did a great job having balance,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We’ve found that groove and rhythm on how everyone is going to get theirs. We executed well. We laughed because we talked about how earlier in the year, we couldn’t even set up a play. “There was the back cut Eli got that led to the and-one, we have worked on that all year. (That play) hasn’t gone well in the past.” Andy Herbert noted his team looked better on defense in the second half and that was especially apparent on a play Leonard made midway through the fourth. He blocked the shot of Fort Osage’s 6-foot-2 forward Grayson Harris, rifled a pass to Marcum on the fast break, which led to another basket for the Eagles. “I don’t know how tall he is, he’s 5-8, 5-9 or 5-10,” Herbert said of Leonard, “but he’s an explosive athlete and he can get off the ground quickly and he’s smart. He’s the unsung hero of this group.” Barr and Herbert each added 13 points apiece for the Eagles and Marcum and sophomore forward Samuel Pendergrass added seven each. Grain Valley senior forward Stylz Blackmon goes up for a layup while his shot is being contested by a pair of Fort Osage defenders during a 67-48 victory Friday at home. Photo credit: Clara Jaques Grain Valley sophomore Eli Herbert drives baseline for a layup attempt. Photo credit: Clara Jaques
by Michael Smith Any basketball team led by veteran head coach Randy Draper is going to play fast. His teams often use a full-court press to force turnovers and often will push the pace on offense to score before the opposing defense can get set. That’s what happened in Friday’s non-conference matchup with Kearney as Grain Valley’s suffocating defense and fast-paced offense led to a 56-27 victory at Kearney High School. “That’s when we are at our best,” Draper said of when his team pushes the pace on offense. I love our defense, it adds to the pace of play.” Grain Valley led Kearney 16-2 at the end of the first period and cruised from there as Kelly scored eight of her game-high 17 points. The Eagles then scored seven points following Kearney turnovers in the second period which led to a 30-13 halftime lead. “We had a lot of backside help,” Kelly said. “Whether it was me or Finley (LaForge) helping trap Aspen in the middle there was always help when a girl would cut through the middle. Our posts Meghan (Knust) and Addy (Seyfert) were always there to come down and get any pass that’s thrown over.” “We also got into their heads by scoring and not letting them score.” In that period, freshman Madison Rust scored all nine of her points to provide her team a boost. Draper recently inserted her into the rotation and she has proven to be a quality player off the bench. “She’s a highly skilled player,” Draper said of Rust. “She is getting used to the pace of play and her ceiling is really high.” Grain Valley (9-5) really pushed the pace in the third period. In the first five possessions, the Eagles got a shot up in seven seconds or less following either a turnover or a defensive rebound. Sophomore swingman Aspen Reed was the beneficiary of that as she scored 10 points in the period to extend the lead to 49-23. “We had almost two weeks off at the beginning of the month,” Kelly said. “We have a drill where we have to get the ball down and back in 10 seconds and the ball can’t touch the ground. It contributes to our pace in games.” Draper then emptied the bench in the fourth quarter as all 12 players on the varsity roster received playing time. “Our bench did a really good job,” Draper said. “Our energy level was a lot better than it was the other night (a 54-43 loss to Platte County Tuesday). We needed to play like this.” Sophomore Aspen Reed, left, and junior Camryn Kelly combined to score 28 points in Grain Valley's 56-27 win against Kearney Friday at Kearney High School. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley freshman Addison Rust rises up for a jump shot while two Kearney defenders swarm her. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley sophomore Addy Seyfert drives by Kearney sophomore Brooke Paalhar, left, and senior Grace Bomar for a layup attempt. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith After a 5-game absence which landed him in the hospital for six days, sophomore guard Eli Herbert made his return. The star sharpshooter was a game-time decision to play and ended up starting in Friday’s non-conference matchup with Kearney on the road. He helped hold off a comeback attempt from the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter with a critical steal which led to a Grain Valley basket and he put in five points in the final eight minutes during a 66-57 victory. “It was great to have him back,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “It was good for our camaraderie and the guys were happy to have him back. He helped us handle the pressure and got us a couple of easy baskets.” And Eli was happy to be back, too. “It’s just nice to be out there,” Eli Herbert said. “It was about getting back to normalcy and being able to run up and down the court. Being able to play basketball is so much fun.” Eli Herbert is an important part of the Eagles as he’s their leading scorer and a good defender. His team went into the fourth period with a 51-35 lead. Kearney then caught fire and went on a 14-2 run to cut Grain Valley’s lead to 53-49 midway through the period. During that stretch, Kearney senior Devin Hanna scored eight points, including two three pointers, one of which capped the run. On the ensuing possession Grain Valley missed a shot and Kearney pushed the ball down court. Herbert then stripped a Kearney ball handler for a steal and rifled a pass to senior Logan Marcum for a fast-break layup, which pushed the lead back to six. A 3-pointer from Bulldog senior guard Cameron Webster then sliced the Eagles’ lead to 55-52, but that was as close as Kearney would get the rest of the way. With 1:03 left in the game, with Kearney using a full-court press, senior Jack Schoen threw a baseball pass to Herbert on the other side of the court. Hebert used head fake to deke two Bulldog defenders into contesting too early and he made a layup while being fouled. He pumped both his fists and screamed at the bench as Grain Valley went up 59-54. That seemed to help the Eagles regain momentum as that was the beginning of a 9-3 spurt that helped them put the game away. During the final minute, Herbert made 3 of 4 free throws and Marcum put in a fast-break layup and made two free throws of his own. “We kind of stopped playing defense,” Eli Herbert said of the fourth quarter. “Once we started to calm down and had a timeout, we did what we had done the entire game and everything worked out.” Before the fourth, Grain Valley got into an early hole when Kearney began the game with an 11-0 run, sparked by eight points from Webster. Senior forward Stylz Blackmon helped the Eagles get back in it as he dominated the paint and scored eight points as his team cut the lead to 16-15 going into the second. Grain Valley then took the lead early in the second period by forcing two Bulldog turnovers. Sophomore Samuel Pendergrass made a basket inside and senior guard Matthew Leonard, who had eight points, scored on a fast-break basket following a steal from junior Aaron Barr to make it 19-16. Leonard, who has been a defensive specialist and hadn’t shot the ball a lot in previous games, was much more aggressive in this contest, as he attacked the basket when he had an opportunity. “He had a fantastic demeanor,” Andy Herbert said of Leonard. “He was aggressive and this was the best game he’s played. He’s a team guy.” Grain Valley held a 28-26 half time lead and ballooned the advantage to 51-35 at the end of the third quarter. Barr scored nine of his 11 points in the period, all on 3-pointers and Blackmon bullied Kearney’s interior defenders for 10 of his team-high 20 points. “He’s such a tough matchup.” Andy Herbert said. “He stays after practice and works on some of those post moves you saw tonight. He, Eli, Raif (Graham) stayed and worked on it for a couple of hours the other day. He is starting to see the fruits of his labor.” Blackmon made a left-handed baby hook early in the quarter and split a double team on the low block for a conventional 3-point play as he was fouled on a layup. “I just trusted in my instincts,” Blackmon said. “Eli had me in the gym after practice the other night and we were working on strong finishes. Before, I was just moping my way up there. After practice, they had a dummy and they were hitting me with it and telling me to go through. “I centered my chest and just had my elbows locked. I just went through the contact, expecting it to be there and when I went up for the layup, it was there.” Sophomore Eli Herbert, left, made his return after missing five games when an illness and scored 10 points, while Stylz Blackmon poured in 20 as Grain Valley defeated Kearney 66-57 Friday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley sophomore Eli Herbert dribbles the ball while commanding the attention of two Kearney defenders. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith For the first 16 minutes of the game, the offense looked off for the Grain Valley boys basketball team. Turnovers and unorganized offense plagued the Eagles in the first half as they trailed Platte County 24-17 going into halftime in a Suburban White Conference showdown. Grain Valley’s offense finally got going in the third quarter and it got back into the game through forcing turnovers and scoring in transition. However, the Eagles couldn’t get over the hump as they fell 57-50 Tuesday at home. “It was like we were going in slow motion in the first half,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “Our trend the last few weeks … We just get off to terrible starts. Once our back is against the wall, we start playing well again.” At the start of the third period, Platte County guard Judah Vignery hit a 3-pointer on the Pirates second possession to go up 27-17. From there, Grain Valley (7-6, 1-2 conference) outscored the Pirates 18-9 to cut the lead to 36-35 going into the fourth. The Eagles got five points off turnovers, which included a fast-break layup from junior Aaron Barr and a conventional 3-point play from senior guard Logan Marcum. The Eagles also got a boost from one 3-pointer each from Marcum and Barr. The former’s trey cut Platte County’s lead to 34-33. The teams traded baskets on their final possessions which included a 18-foot jump shot from Vignery, that he shot with Marcum having a hand right in his face; and Grain Valley sophomore Samuel Pendergrass. “In the third quarter, we finally started moving,” Herbert said. “We were so stagnant in the first half. We got some activity and energy and our defense helped out offense and our offense helped our defense.” The Eagles kept it close for much of the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 44-43 once again after a pair of made free throws from senior guard Jack Schoen. However, they were unable to claim the lead at any point in the final period. A pair of baskets in the past from Platte junior guard Jaden Peterson, a driving layup from Vignery and four made free throws from Connor Currence fueled a 13-7 run to close the game for the Pirates. The Platte County offense was powered by Vignery, who scored a game-high 28 points. He is a 6-foot-4 guard, who was two quick on his drives to the basket and had enough length to shoot over the top of Grain Valley’s guards, who had a hard time contesting his shot. “He’s tough,” Herbert said of Vignery. “He’s going to make tough shots.” Barr led Grain Valley with 16 points and Marcum added 13. Grain Valley junior guard Aaron Barr scored a team-high 16 points in Grain Valley's 57-50 loss to Platte County Tuesday at home. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior guard Logan Marcum looks for an open teammate. He scored 13 points for the Eagles. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley boys basketball team has been missing a key part of their team for the past four games. Star guard Eli Herbert has been out of action since Dec. 29 due to an illness, which caused him to spend six days in a hospital. He was recently released and returned home on Monday and is recovering. In Thursday’s semifinal matchup with Ewing Marion Kauffman in the Pleasant Hill tournament, Herbert was on the bench in street clothes supporting his teammates. The Eagles were able to play quality basketball even without one of their leaders and their leading scorer. Grain Valley overcame a 35-29 halftime deficit and got a big boost from centers Stylz Blackmon and Sam Pendergrass offensively and turned up the defensive intensity during a 60-49 victory at Pleasant Hill High School. “We challenged our post men to be more active,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We challenged about little things, fundamental things. They did a great job of executing those things we talked about.” The Eagles will play in the championship game against Kansas City Central at 2 p.m. Saturday. Andy Herbert said he expects his son Eli to return at some point this season but doesn’t have an exact timetable. When Eli was playing, teams focused the bulk of their defensive attention to stopping Herbert and often double teamed him on the perimeter to force him to give up the basketball. Without their star guard, the Eagles have seen opposing defense switch their attention to stopping their two big man, Pendergrass and Blackmon. “We haven’t changed who we are and how we play,” Herbert said. “We’ve got plenty of guys who know how to score and do different things. It has changed the way teams have guarded us because they are not selling out to one person.” Ewing Kauffman was unable to do so as Blackmon scored a team-high 16 points and Pendergrass added 14 as they both had the size advantage inside. Grain Valley (7-5) outscored the Blue Knights 22-6 in the third quarter to take a 51-41 lead into the final period. Blackmon dominated in the paint, scoring 10 points in the quarter. He found success getting set in the high post or 15 feet from the basket on the baseline. He when would flash to the basket and a guard would find him on a pass over the top to get the senior a good look at the basket. “I think early on, we were trying to get me more involved and everyone else later on,” Blackmon said. “We knew there was a mismatch going into the game and we wanted to exploit that. They started doubling (me) and that opened up our offense.” Added Marcum: “When someone on the other team helps from the backside to double Stylz, the skip pass is always open. And that’s a long close out for the defense or it opens up a drive to the basket.” Pendergrass, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, used a similar strategy to get his baskets as Ewing Marion Kauffman didn’t have anyone with the size to contest his shots at the rim. The defense also proved to be much better for the Eagles in the second half. They forced six Blue Knight turnovers in the third quarter and held the opposition to just 6 for 29 shooting from the field (20.6 percent). “We had a spirited discussion at halftime to encourage more defense and they did a good job,” Herbert said. “They took the challenge and accepted it.” Senior guard Logan Marcum also had a big impact on the Eagles maintaining their lead in the fourth quarter as he scored five of his 13 points in the final eight minutes. Since Herbert has been out, Marcum said he’s tried to be more aggressive on offense. “It wasn’t a big adjustment, but I felt like I had to be a little more aggressive offensively,” Marcum said. “We’re losing a very good scorer on our team. Before we were trying to play through Stylz and Eli. Now we are trying to play through everyone together.” The Blue Knights pulled within seven points at one point in the fourth quarter but were unable to get any closer. Grain Valley senior Jack Schoen drives to the basket. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior center Stylz Blackmon looks to put up a shot against two defenders during Grain Valley's 60-49 win over Ewing Marion Kaufman Thursday in the semifinals of the Pleasant Hill Invitational. Blackmon put in a team-high 16 points for Grain Valley. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior guard Logan Marcum prepares to unleash a shot during halftime warmups. He scored 13 points. Photo credit: Michael Smith
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley boys wrestling team faced a strong test just two days before the big Suburban White Conference tournament this weekend. The Eagles fell to a tough Raymore-Peculiar team 45-28, but rebounded to take down Chrisman 66-18 Wednesday at William Chrisman High School. Sophomore Zac Bleess (120), ranked No. 2, was one of six Grain Valley wrestlers to finish 2-0. He pinned Chrisman’s Alex Hutson in the first period with a cradle and controlled a match with Ray-Pec’s Kamdon VonHolton from start to finish to win 11-4. He said he was not pleased with the way he wrestled despite finishing the day unbeaten. “I didn’t really wrestle my best today,” Bleess said. “My goal this week is to really focus on the basics and make sure I am wrestling to my potential. I frankly didn’t do good enough today.” Junior Colston Parks (113) is having the best season of his career thus far as he has a 18-3 record and is looking for his first trip to state. He pinned Ray-Pec’s Brayden Behning in 54 seconds and put away Chrisman’s Cameron Russell in the first period by fall. “My go-to (move) is the ball and chain,” Parks said. “I look to hook it in and go straight over the head.” Freshman Sjoeren Aumua (144) has had a standout campaign in 2023-24 as he continues to look impressive. He pinned Chrisman’s Preston Gunlock in the first period and grinded out a 9-4 win against the Panthers’ Connor Gatlin. “I feel like I am improving a lot more than last season,” Aumua said. “I am getting a lot more wins. Coach Horner teaches me a lot and does a lot for me.” Other Eagles to finish 2-0 were senior Gavin Parks (126), who had two wins by forfeit; junior Trenton Rock (132), who had two pins; and junior Gavin Barker (215), who earned an 8-0 major decision and received a forfeit win. Girls It was just three years ago when the Grain Valley wrestling program had just one wrestler. Then-freshman Sevreign Aumua, now senior, had to practice against other boys on the team at the time and didn’t have any girls teammates. Fast forward to 2024, Grain Valley girls wrestling team has eight in the lineup and have had some success this season. The Eagles showed what they could do in Wednesday’s tri dual. The Eagles topped the Bears 36-30 and Ray-Pec 36-18 to sweep the event. “Our girls have come a long way in such a short amount of time,” Grain Valley head coach Donald Horner said. “Sevi was all by herself before, the year after that it was just her and a buddy. Last year we only have five in the lineup; now we have eight. Our program is going in the right direction. We want to make sure this program keeps growing.” Junior Adalia Del Real (155 pounds) and sophomore Jayden Moehle (235) led the way for Grain Valley, getting two pins each. Moehle, ranked No. 4 in the Class 2 MissouriWrestling.com poll, used a power half to turn Chrisman’s Nina Porter and Ray-Pec’s Anna Fahrni to get a pair of first-period falls. Even after a pair of dominant wins, Moehle critiqued her performance. “I definitely need to work on my hand fighting,” Moehle said. “I haven’t been setting up my shots. That’s a big thing for me to improve.” Del Real, who is emerging as one of the Eagles’ top wrestlers, also ended both of her matches in the first period as she had an impressive showing. “I just used my slide bys to set up my shots,” Del Real said. “From there, I just went for the ankles. Other Grain Valley wrestlers to finish 2-0 on the day included senior Sevreign Aumua (140) and Valerie Bleess (110), both of whom had a pair of forfeit wins. Camary Schmalzbach (135) won her lone match against Ray-Pec’s Makayla Wilson as she got a pin in 27 seconds. Grain Valley junior Trenton Rock (132) works to turn William Chrisman Rony Guardiola. Grain Valley freshman Sjoeren Aumua walks off the mat while getting his hand raised after pinning William Chrisman's Preston Gunlock.
by Michael Smith To say the Grain Valley wrestling team was dominant would be an understatement. The Eagles hosted Suburban White Conference foe Raytown Wednesday at home and won 10 out of 12 contested matches as they cruised to a 64-15 victory. Both Grain Valley’s experienced wrestlers and newcomers mostly had strong performances. Three of the Eagles returning state qualifiers all won their matches, including senior Justin Deweese (165 pounds), who pinned Roman Butler in just 13 seconds with a cradle. “I was just trying to get in and out real quick,” Deweese said. “That might be my fastest pin.” Returning state medalists, sophomore Zac Bleess (120) and Gavin Parks (126) also had dominant wins. Bleess used a chicken wing to roll over Atilano Madrid to get a pin in 1:04 and Parks used a cradle to win by fall against Josiah Smith. Grain Valley also had a pair of wrestlers with limited varsity experience get some big wins. Senior Camden Nelson (157) did not wrestle his junior year after competing at the junior varsity level as a sophomore. He’s returned to the team for the 2023-24 season and is beginning to make an impact for the Eagles. On Wednesday, he used the barbwire technique to pin Edgar Orozco in 57 seconds. “I came off a little quick and almost got a takedown,” Nelson said. “I slowed myself down and worked my moves and was able to get the win in the end,” Nelson said. “I pinned him with a barbed wire, which is one of my favorite moves. It puts them in a position where they can’t move at all.” Grain Valley junior Trenton Rock (132) bounced between varsity and junior varsity during the 2022-23 campaign, but is now a full-time varsity competitor. He got an impressive win against one of Raytown’s better wrestlers as he pinned Kaseem Bedford in 2:52. “I think I did well in neutral and I got that first shot off,” Rock said. “I started working on my double wrists and was able to turn him using that.” Other Eagles to get victories were senior Ethan Jones (138), who used a waist lock to control Kalem Williamson and get a pin in 43 seconds; junior Colston Parks (113), who used a power half to turn David Ayala for a fall in 1:39; freshman Sjoeren Aumua (144), who took a 10-0 major decision over Paul Wolken; senior Jace Worthington (190), who blocked a double underhook Supplex attempt from Sam Pilkington and countered it for a pin in 2:20; and junior Gavin Barker (215), who had a close match with Josiah Pilkington before getting a pin with four seconds left in regulation after being up 5-2. “He was more of a defensive wrestler, so I was working on my offense,” Barker said. “When I kept on trying to get to my single (leg takedown), he kept on wiggling out of it, so I had to bail on the shot. I should have just went with it and took him down but I ended up getting it at the end. I used a outside head shot to get the pin.” Girls Junior Mackenzie Davis took care of business in the only contested match on the girls side. Davis (125) overcame a 6-3 deficit due to a stalling call on her opponent, Ulalia Butler, and she got an escape and late takedown to earn a 7-6 decision, helping the Eagles take a 45-6 win as a team. Val Bleess (110), Keya Butler (130), Camary Schmalzbach (135), Sevi Aumua (140), Addison Cross (145), Adalia Del Real (155) and Jayden Moehle (235) all won by forfeit for Grain Valley. Grain Valley sophomore Zac Bleess goes for a chicken wing from the top position against Atilano Madrid in Wednesday's Suburban White Conference dual against Raytown Wednesday at home. Grain Valley won the dual 64-15 and Bleess pinned Madrid in the first period. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior Trenton Rock runs though the tunnel as fireworks and smoke shoot out at his sides. Rock pinned his opponent, Kaseem Bedford, in the second period.
Photo credit: Michael Smith |
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