Former Mules give back on the wrestling mat

Two former Poplar Bluff High School wrestling standouts exemplify the true meaning of giving back.

Senior wrestler Kendric Gordon and sophomore wrestler Gatlin Taylor of Williams Baptist University returned home for the holidays. Instead of getting some relaxation away from the mat, both returned to their old stomping grounds to workout with the Mules wrestling team.

As a precaution to maintain their weight over the Thanksgiving break, Gordon and Taylor showed up bright and early to train alongside some of the Mules’ key returners while providing tools they’ve learned from wrestling at the collegiate level.

“I still like coming back and helping people who helped me out,” Taylor said. “One of my biggest perks of returning here is showing the kids what I’ve learned in college, and each time I’m here, I aim to make these guys better. They have some hard workers, and I wish them luck for their upcoming season.”

Senior PB wrestler Logan Hite and Kendric Gordon of the Williams Baptist University wrestling team trained during the Mules� practice over the Thanksgiving break.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

Fellow teammate Gordon agreed that having the opportunity to showcase his skills to the current wrestlers is special because it’s where everything began for him. He said he wouldn’t be in his position without the school and push from Mules coach (Kelton) Thompson, who helped him throughout his high school career.

“Wrestling at this school taught me a lot,” Gordon said. “Getting the chance to give back to where I came from is always a good thing. It’s just a blessing to share my knowledge with some of the younger guys, and hopefully, they can succeed with some of it.”

During their time on the Mules’ wrestling team, Taylor snagged a SEMO conference championship, became a state qualifier and finished fourth in Mules’ all-time wins with 133, while Gordan won a SEMO conference championship in 2019.

Taylor said he’s excited to begin his sophomore year with Williams Baptist and that practices have been good. He expects the team to be good this year, with eight seniors returning and a good young core of wrestlers ready to step up. He said one of the biggest differences he’s noticed from high school to college is the level of competition.

Former PB wrestler Gatlin Taylor worked on his takedown with a current PB wrestler at the Mules� practice over the Thanksgiving break.DAR/D'Courtland Christian

“High school wrestling in Missouri is extremely good, and when you step into the college level, you’re surrounded by the best of the best,” Taylor said. “If you’re lucky enough to wrestle in college, you must be ready to compete against top-tier talent at all times. I’m grateful for getting the help I had here at PB. I believe wrestling here helped me prepare for college, and it was with the help of coach Thompson and all the others.”

Gordon said his advice to anyone who aspires to wrestle at the college level is to keep their head down and work. He said the journey would be challenging but if they stayed positive and perfected their craft, they could do anything they set their mind to.

While Taylor still has many years of wrestling ahead of him, his ultimate dream is to return to PB to help the future generation of wrestlers.

“When it’s all said and done, I want to come back here one day and hopefully teach some people everything I’ve learned,” Taylor said. “Hopefully, after I finish college and learn more, I want to help coach here. I want to see PB wrestling grow and get better. We’ve already gotten so much better over the years, but I want to ensure it keeps growing so we can be one of the best schools down the road.”