Senior Night: Mules sweep past Kennett, ND

Senior night is a wonderful opportunity to thank seniors for their efforts. Every year, student-athletes eagerly anticipate this tradition, and on Tuesday, members of the Poplar Bluff High School wrestling team received their flowers for their hard work and dedication to the team.

After snagging split wins in last week’s triangle wrestling match, the Poplar Bluff Mules welcomed the Kennett Indians and the Notre Dame Bulldogs for some tough competition on the mat.

With family and friends in the stands for senior night, the Mules didn’t waste any time finishing the competition. The Mules kicked off the matchup with an impressive 53-30 win over Notre Dame and kept that winning momentum going with a 49-18 victory over Kennett for a clean sweep on the evening.

Seniors honored were Ryan Black, manger Emma DeGaris, Jack Ernest and Logan Hite.

Hite’s been locked in his entire senior year. Though he’s constantly focused on being the best, he appreciates moments such as this, where he can reflect on his accomplishments with the Mules.

“It’s always a great feeling to be honored in front of the school and family,” Hite said. “I can’t believe I’m finally a senior. Time has definitely flown past from when I first stepped onto the mat. I’ve seen so much improvement with my overall game. I can’t believe we’re halfway through the year, but it feels like we just started. I’m going to enjoy this moment.”

So far, Hite has not taken a loss all season, but what keeps him motivated as the competition gets harder?

“I just love to compete,” Hite said. “My drive to win keeps me going. I’m looking to place really high at state, and that’s pretty much my goal right now. I just have to keep working, and I know I will get there.”

Fellow senior Jack Ernest has the same goal for his final season with the Mules. He said becoming a state qualifier for the first time would be a dream come true for him. Though he’s excited to be a senior, he said there are some things he will miss about being on the wrestling team.

“Everything really just hit me today that this is my senior season,” Ernest said. “It’s only a month and a half to the season is over, so I’m enjoying every minute. I will miss practicing with these guys and being around all the friends I’ve made over the last four years of being with this program.”

With a roster full of young wrestlers, head coach Kelton Thompson said it was important that the seniors led by example. He’s pleased to share that all his expectations from his senior group have gone as planned with helping the newbies adjust.

“This is a real special group because they all have different stories with how they ended up here,” Thompson said. “They’re all great kids and were family for life. Logan has wrestled most of his life and spent many hours on the mat. He’s one of the most dedicated kids I’ve ever been around. Jack and Ryan didn’t wrestle until high school, but they are a true testament to buying into what we’re trying to do here with our wrestling philosophy. They both have become pretty good wrestlers.”

Though manager DeGaris hasn’t touched the mat for the Mules, Thompson said she’s made a good impact on the team with her hard work.

“She’s fantastic,” Thompson said. “We really lean on her for a lot of stuff. She does a really good job handling everything we ask of her. This is just a good crew all around. I’m super proud of them all for continuing to improve as we go on. I’m pretty pumped for them to finish the rest of the season on a high.”