Grain Valley dominates Jaguars, Patriots

by Michael Smith

     This is the first year the Grain Valley wrestling team will compete at the Class 4 level for the district in state tournaments.
     The past few seasons, the Eagles have been competing in Class 3, but this time around, they are taking a big leap into facing bigger schools and tougher competition.
     They got a small taste of that Tuesday against Class 4 counterparts Truman and Blue Springs South in a home tri dual.
     In those matchups, Grain Valley showed it can compete with bigger schools as it dominated in a 63-12 victory against South and 78-3 drubbing of Truman.
     “We just jumped up to Class 4 and we are trying to send a message,” Grain Valley sophomore 113-pounder Gavin Parks said. “We belong here and we can get stuff done.”
     So far, Grain Valley head wrestling coach Jeff Bowman had been pleased with his squad had handled tougher competition.
     “We went to the KC Stampede earlier in the season and were able to wrestle some tough guys,” Bowman said. “We aren’t afraid of a tough competition. Today we were able to see where we were.”
     Ten Grain Valley wrestlers finished 2-0 on the day including freshman 138-pounder Kaden Crandall, who had one of his most impressive showings of the season. He got a first-period pin against South’s Christian Hill and fell behind 2-0 early before battling back and getting a late takedown to take a 4-2 decision against Truman’s Caden Deeny.
     “I fought hard, I came into today knowing it wasn’t going to be easy,” Crandall said. “I just wanted to wrestle my match and push myself to win those.”
     Bowman noted that Crandall has recovered from an early-season injury nicely and said he has been wrestling well in his first varsity season.
     “He started out the season with a neck injury, so he was hurt a little bit,” Bowman said. “He has done a really good job since then. He challenges the guys in the room. He has some funky, little things he likes to do in practice. But he’s fun to have on the team and I am looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
     The coach may feel that way about some of his longer tenured wrestlers as well, like Parks (113 pounds). He went 2-0 and got two pins, including one against longtime friend Logan Mainard of South.
     “Me and Logan go way back,” Parks said. “We have been practice partners since youth. The rivalry is fun. Any time we see each other, it’s going to be a good match. He did well. He’s getting better and I am getting better.”
     So is Tanner Barker (152), who is looking for his first state medal as a junior. He went 2-0 with pins against South’s Jacob Williams and Truman’s and Aiden Manka.
     “I love wrestling. There’s nothing to it. I just want to go out there and do what I love,” Barker said. “I love, love, love neutral. That’s where I score most of my points.”
     While Barker soundly defeated his opponents, junior Brock Smith (120) had to grind out one of his victories. After he got a first-period pin against Truman’s Ethan Grout, Smith had a tough match against South’s Tyler Fields. He broke a 3-3 tie with an escape and takedown in the third period to take a 6-3 decision.
     “I knew that match was going to be tough,” Smith said of his bout with Fields. “I saw him at MO West. I knew he was going to come at me hard. He kept stepping with his right, so I was able to take him down a couple of times and hold him down.”
     Other Eagles to finish 2-0 on the day were Dru Azcona (126), Colston Parks (106), Tyler Groves (132), Evan Reich (170), Kollin Hanshuld (145) and Justin Deweese (160).
 
     GIRLS: Ava Kusick, a 105 pounder, pinned Truman’s Jennalee Bailey in 3:18 in the Eagles’ only girls match of the day.

Grain Valley 182-pounder Collin Burd runs through the smoke machine before his match. 
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley freshman Kaden Crandall tries to keep Truman's Caden Deeny grounded. He won both of his matches Tuesday.
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley junior Dru Azcona uses an armbar to pin Truman's Elias Chapin.
​Photo credit: Michael Smith