After wrestling up numbers and honors, Rouse wants state title

When Jackson senior Cody Rouse finishes his wrestling career this weekend at the state tournament in Columbia, Mo., he will go down as one of the most decorated wrestlers in the program's history.

Rouse has one more medal to win in order to put an exclamation point on his standout career. With a 48-0 record this season at 152 pounds heading into today's matches, Rouse wants to bring home his first state title.

"That's the last one," Rouse said. "I have a lot more pressure on this one than my other ones. I try not to think about it."

Rouse will go into the state tournament as the wrestler to beat at 152 pounds in Class 4. Rouse was on the other side of a similar situation last year, facing undefeated Bobby Conn of Marquette in the championship at 145 pounds. Conn won that match.

"It was the same way last year when I wrestled Conn," Rouse said. "He was the undefeated wrestler. He had the mark on his back, and everyone was shooting for him. I try not to think about it like that. It's just something you have to deal with."

Rouse, who has signed to wrestle at Missouri Baptist, was a third-place finisher as a sophomore prior to his runner-up finish last year. Rouse, who has moved up a weight class each of the past three years, hopes he continues his gradual climb up the medal podium.

"I sure hope so. I hope that's how it works," Rouse said.

Rouse, who won the district tournament last weekend despite being sick, is healthy and ready to go for the state tournament. Some of Rouse's main competition likely will come from Bret Marshall of Liberty and Cameron Harms of Blue Springs.

"Now I'm feeling a lot better. What I couldn't do last week I'm going to break out this weekend, and hopefully I can get a state title under my belt," Rouse said.

Rouse already has put his name atop Jackson's all-time list for career wins, reaching 175 to surpass former teammate Brock Howard's mark of 168. With three more wins at state, which would put him in the final, he would have the school's single-season mark as well. He already has two of the school's top three marks on that list. His 48-match winning streak this season is the school's longest.

Rouse is second in the state all-time in wins -- behind the 183 posted by Tyler Hubbard of Blue Springs -- and could surpass the state's single-season mark of 50, a mark by set last year by Kramer Rampley of Jackson -- this weekend.

"One of my goals when I started was to win a state championship, but I never dreamed I'd come this far and be this successful," Rouse said. "As I've gone on, I've just pushed myself."

If Rouse makes it to the medal round, he will become the fourth Jackson wrestler to earn all-state honors three times. None of the other three came back with a state title.

"They always say statistics can speak for themselves," Jackson coach Steve Wachter said. "Statistically, he's definitely done it, and as the coaching staff, he's one of the best we've had here."