Juniors Hitt, Murphy state champs
COLUMBIA — The McDonald County Mustangs finished their best wrestling season in school history with two individuals claiming state championships and a fifth-place Class 3 team finish at the 2023 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had four state medalists in the same year and the best team finish we’ve had,” said Josh Factor after wrapping up his 14th year (19th overall) as head coach at MCHS. “Obviously (fifth place) is not something we’re satisfied with — we definitely wanted to bring home the trophy, but we fell a little short — but that’s all part of the sport. You win some and you lose some.”
Juniors Jayce Hitt (285 pounds) and Samuel Murphy (215) won all of their matches at state to earn the program’s second and third state titles. Their finishes came just moments apart and on mats next to one another.
“It’s amazing,” said Hitt, who finished the season undefeated at 26-0. “To do it with my wrestling partner is an awesome feeling, and to have all the guys out here … we’ve had the biggest group ever to come out and support us at state and it’s awesome.”
Murphy, who ends his season with a 44-1 mark, said, “It feels awesome. Absolutely amazing. No words to describe it, really.”
Factor said, “That’s the first time we’ve ever had two state champions in the same year, so now we can add two more to the one we already had. Hopefully, this is going to be a pattern and something that will motivate our wrestlers in the future.”
The program’s first state champion was Oscar Ortiz, who won in 2018. He is the older brother of Mustang senior Blaine Ortiz and is a member of the current Mustang coaching staff.
McDonald County finished four points behind fourth-place finisher Hannibal (92 points). Hillsboro (179.5 finished first, Whitfield (144.5) second and Belton (94.5) third. Carl Junction (83) took sixth, followed by Helia Catholic (82.5), Bolivar (77), Willard (76) and North Point (66).
“We’ve had maybe two years where we sent seven to state, but this is the first time to send eight,” said Factor. “These guys really came together as a team. They feed off one another and, when they start winning, it’s contagious. I think that carried over to what happened today.”
Hitt capped his undefeated title season by pinning DeSoto’s Isaac Foeller in 1:42.
“I knew going into that match what move I was going to hit,” he said of the decisive pin. “I didn’t pull it out the whole tournament so I could save it for him. It’s one I’ve been doing the whole season and I knew it would work on him and, when I did, it was over at that moment.”
The junior said he got a mental boost from the fact he was undefeated going into the title match, while his opponent had one loss.
“It’s really cool because he had lost once this year and he’s a really good wrestler, so for him to know I didn’t have any losses and that he had one was a real confidence booster,” he said.
Hitt opened the weekend by pinning Winnetonka’s Zylen Robinson-Saddler (32-19) in 1:44. He then advanced through the quarterfinals by winning by fall at 0:54 over Parkway West’s Nicholas Picaud (21-6) and the semifinals by posting a 7-3 decision over Grandview’s Derek Joiner (28-2).
“He did have some injuries he battled through during the season,” Factor said of Hitt. “A lot of his matches were kind of limited in terms of his record, but going out there and finishing the season at 26-0 as a junior and winning his first state championship, I mean the sky’s the limit for him.”
Murphy’s title came via a 6-1 sudden victory over Branson’s Cade Grimm (41-4). The win came a week after Murphy beat Grimm with a sudden victory in the district championship.
“We knew that kid from Branson was tough,” said Factor. “And then he got the defending state champ in the quarterfinals. He beat Samuel last year in the semifinals and that match last year left a bad taste in our mouths. He set a goal 365 days ago and worked toward it and, when those guys work hard like they did, it just goes to show what they can accomplish when they put in the work.”
In the quarterfinals, against Pacific’s Blake McKay (27-9), Murphy battled to win by fall at 4:41. He then advanced past Willard’s Alex Nunez in the semifinals on a 3-2 ultimate tie-breaker.
While those matches were battles, it was the opening-round match against Whitfield’s Adrian Harrold that got Murphy’s attention.
“The whole thing was tough,” he said. “That first match, I got taken down and that’s the first time I was taken down all year. It’s scary. But it was all awesome and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”
Blaine Ortiz (138) and Colter Vick (175) finished their senior seasons with medals for third- and fifthplace finishes, respectively.
Ortiz (43-7) won his opener by fall 3:25 over North Point’s Leo Buchheit before taking a 17-7 major decision victory in the quarterfinals over Belton’s Mario Nunez (32-22)
He then fell to Whitfield’s Alexander Rallo (44-5) by a 3-0 decision, only to bounce back with a 6-4 decision over Jefferson City’s Braden Werdehausen (37-6) in the consolation semifinals before stopping Bolivar’s Cooper Moore (32-6) with a sudden victory-1, 6-1, to capture the third-place medal.
“Coming into this tournament I knew (the semifinals) is where I’d be,” the senior said. “I knew I had a tough match. He’s a stud. But I’ve enjoyed my high school career. I wish I would have gotten it done, but I didn’t go as high as I wanted to. But it’s been a great four years and I’m ready to compete at the next level.”
Vick (35-14) won by fall (4:31) over Ft. Zumwalt South’s JD Dunn
(32-19) to open the tournament. He then posted a quarterfinal win by taking Hillsboro’s Eddie Hines (3311) in a fall (3:03).
Vick’s run was stopped in the semifinals by Helia Catholic’s Logan Montoya (48-1), who won in a fall (5:31).
DeSmet’s Rickson Taylor (39-6) then defeated Vick in a fall (1:48) in the consolation semifinals before the Mustang senior lost the match for fifth place by virtue of a 5-0 decision at the hands of Willard’s Jase Motlagh (34-11).
“It meant so much to me to even be here period after not being able to wrestle last year because of my back injury,” Vick said. “I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through this season at all, so to make it to the semis just meant the world to me. And being able to make it and place made the last 13 years all worth it. It’s been a constant struggle all year. I’m even hurting right now. But it’s worth it 100%.”
McDonald County senior Levi Smith (144), who finished a successful senior season with a 26-3 record, opened the state tournament winning by fall (4:58) over Farmington’s Trace Dunlap (30-14) before losing by fall (3:20) to Whitfield’s Rome Tate and then by a 4-2 decision over Jace Duemmel of Helias Catholic (42-6).
Sophomore Malosi Sosef (190), finished with a 28-12 season mark. He lost his state tournament opener by tech fall (1.5, 4:00 (15-0)) to Belton’s Luca Riley (52-4). Sosef came back to earn a 9-7 decision over Hillsboro’s Nicholas Green (29-12) in the Consolation Round 1 before losing in Consolation Round 2 to Rockwood Summit’s Caelin Stegmann (29-5) by fall (4:16).
Robinson Yoshino, a Mustang freshman at 113, closed his season with a 21-21 record. He lost his state opener to Smithville’s Tristan Waters (30-7) by fall (4:30), but bounced back to win his Consolation Round 1 battle with Farmington’s Oakley Johns (11-26) by fall (2:11). Yoshino then dropped his next match by fall (1:29) to Hannibal’s Reign Creech (35-7).
Mustang freshman Eberson Perez, wrestling at 106, lost his first match by fall (0:40) to Hillsboro’s Carter Wallis (43-3) and his Consolation Round 1 match to Helias Catholic’s Parker Lock (23-11) by fall (1:36), to finish with a 17-16 season mark.
“We came up short on making the final four as a team,” said Ortiz, “but we brought eight and that’s the most we’ve ever brought. That’s a great accomplishment as a team and it made me happy for my senior year.”
Vick added, “This team has been my family the past 13 years. All of them. I love them all. Just the fact I was able to be here with them, and that they were able to be here … it’s made the last year all worth it. I’m just so glad I was able to be a part of something so good and to be a part of this family.”
McDonald County’s two title winners said they would definitely miss this year’s senior wrestlers.
“I love this team and our
seniors,” said Hitt. “I love everyone on this team and it’s an awesome feeling knowing that all of us couldn’t come up here and wrestle to our best ability. An awesome feeling.”
Murphy said, “There are so many emotions and having to let go of these seniors … I love these guys and grew up with these guys. I got held back my eighth-grade year and so these have always been my guys.”
Factor said one of the many enjoyable aspects of the big weekend was looking up into the seats and seeing so many McDonald County supporters.
“Seeing the people who drove four and a half to five hours away from McDonald County to come up and support our kids was huge,” he said. “We had assistant superintendents up here who’d never been to a state tournament before, a great group of parents and friends and family members supporting these kids. It just goes to show you how this sport brings everybody together. We’re just happy to be a part of it.”
But the best part might have been just getting to see the culmination of the team’s hard work and success over the course of the season.
“It’s just a blessing. I just thank God every time I have the opportunity to coach these kids, and seeing them accomplish their goals,” he said. “Your heart pours out to them when they win and your heart pours out to them when they have a tough loss. Seeing all the work those guys put in in the offseason to get to where they are … it’s just a blessing to see them on top of that podium.”