Mules wrestling to open season at Bolivar

The grind towards the state tournament starts now as the Poplar Bluff High School Mules wrestling team returns to the mat for the upcoming season.

The Mules will begin their quest for a shot at state by competing in the Bolivar Wrestling Tournament on Saturday. After sending five wrestlers to state last season, the Mules are eager to jumpstart the season with the hopes of ascending the previous numbers.

Head coach Kelton Thompson will have many experienced wrestlers returning but will encourage the underclassmen to step forward this season as he aims to move a few from the junior varsity to the main stage.

“Our guys have put in a lot of work and had a really good offseason,” Thompson said. “We’re pretty young this year, but we have 10 to 12 guys that’s really been dialed in on getting better for the season. We expect a lot of the guys who struggled on JV last year to do really well for us, and I can’t wait to see them step up and slide into varsity roles as they come open.”

Thompson hasn’t figured out the Mules’ lineup for the season as of yet, but he expects his seniors and returners to carry the load as they find their stride. Returning for the Mules is senior Logan Hite, who made his second trip to state and hopes to achieve that and more this year.

Stepping onto the mat for the Lady Mules is two-time state medalist and SEMO conference champion Zoë Freeman. Freeman finished last season with a record of 34-6, with 28 pins, and placed fifth at the Missouri State Class 2 Championship in the 170-pound division.

“I’m pumped to see all these guys compete this year,” Thompson said. “Logan has been at this for a long time, so I’m ready to see him go chase the state title this year. Zoë is truly phenomenal. She works hard to perfect her craft, and I also want to see her standing at the top of the podium.

“Overall, everyone is making good progress every day. We got some decent crew of freshmen that came out, and they’re working hard and learning really well. So, we’re just excited to see where it goes.”

Thompson’s expectation for the team is to attempt to get better every day. He said their approach every year is the same. It’s a year of nonstop work until they reach the ultimate test of districts and the state tournament. Thompson said they will continue to fill the gaps as they progress through the season and hopefully increase their numbers of state qualifiers.

Besides Hite and Freeman being the lone returning state qualifiers, Thompson said the Mules’ wrestling team has a lot of solid pieces.

“This team is full of potential,” he said. “Guys like Jack Ernest, Kayden Walker, Garrett Dearborn, Grant Reynolds, Branson Crum, Ryan Black and many more have put in so much work this offseason. They’ve made big strides from where they were, so we will try to do everything we can to get them in the mix to compete at the district level.”