Mules grapplers continue to evolve in the process

You know you have become a bigger deal when you are invited to participate in one of the bigger tournaments of the year.

That’s where the Poplar Bluff wrestling program stands as they get ready to head to Francis Howell High School in St. Charles for the Kyle Thresher tournament.

It could be a good omen to return to the same city where the Mules finished second in a loaded 27-team field a few weeks ago.

“We are getting into the final stretch of the regular season — it is the girls last regular season tournament and the boys second the last tournament of the season,” Poplar Bluff head coach Kelton Thompson said. “The team has made great progress throughout this season. This weekend will be a great test for everyone as it is the toughest tournament in the state. All weight classes will have several state champions and state medalists from all four wrestling classes.

“It is basically an all-class state tournament. It is a straight 32-man double elimination tournament bracket. This weekend I want to see us continue to improve on our critical positions. I also want to see us open up more and wrestle with more confidence. I do not want our kids putting any extra pressure on themselves just because they have a high-level opponent. I am stressing to just go wrestle your match hard for 6 plus minutes and good things will happen.”

The program has taken a big step forward after last year’s campaign that seemed to set the bar for Thompson and crew.

“We are competing at a high level in the weight classes where we have experience and buy-in,” Thompson said. “We have wrestled a very tough schedule this year in route to get us prepared for the district and state tournament. Right now, we are fine-tuning techniques and getting mentally prepared for the post-season push.

“I think we are seeing improvement in all three wrestling positions right now. In the neutral position, we are giving up fewer points and putting out better takedown attempts overall. In the bottom position, we are making progress on minimizing exposure and getting back to our feet. And in the top position, we are getting pins and near fall points. We are still fine-tuning little details but overall much progress is being made at all levels.”

Sophomore Zoe Freeman has seen the girls continue to take the big steps needed to be a threat in their own right, even if they don’t have a full lineup.

“In the beginning of the season things started rough because we had a lot of new people and people that hadn’t really seen the world of wrestling yet,” Freeman said. “After finally getting passed that dilemma, they figured out how to drill and practice. The girls who last year were barely winning matches are going out there and winning matches they wouldn’t have won last year.

“You have to learn the mentality and then the technique comes after it. We all have a good bond and are communicating with each other to keep each other on track.”

Freeman believes she has a good shot to win the 170-pound weight class state title after dominating the majority of her schedule so far.

“I started out and wasn’t sure I could do it, but after getting over the mental battle I think I have a good chance,” Freeman said.

The elevation in ability is so universal it is hard to pinpoint many grapplers in particular for increased performance, but junior Jack Ernest (157 pounds) has made his impressions.

“Jack started wrestling as a freshman and only won one match on IV and as a sophomore Jack was above .500 on JV,” Thompson said. “This year he is a very tough varsity starter for us. This is a credit to his commitment to our offseason program and his focus on the small details in practice.”

For Dace Wisdom and the rest of the Mules these last few weeks will be about putting those details to work and seeing Poplar Bluff wrestling take the next step.

“We have a lot better program going on and we are starting to fix the small things,” Wisdom said. “We are getting better than in previous years and it’s the hard work and mental game we have going on now.

“Since we started doing well last year, we are getting more into technique. Our confidence has definitely gotten higher.”

Wisdom said that last year, the Mules competed and succeeded in being conditioned well and being gritty essentially adding the mental aspect to their approach.

They went from scrappy competitors to mental battlers. They will see how things are trending in St Charles once again.

“We are all feeling pretty good,” Wisdom said. “We are going to go in there, do our best, and see what happens.”