Three Jackson wrestlers advance

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Jackson kept alive Class 3 state title hopes for three of its five wrestlers after juniors Brock Howard and Kremer Rampley and senior Matt Kahle picked up first-round wins Thursday at the Missouri Wrestling Championships at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.

Howard, a junior, won his 125-pound match over sophomore Cody Huke of Lee's Summit. Howard, a two-time all-state wrestler, improved to 44-1 with a 12-6 decision over Huke (19-18).

Rampley (42-5), a 145-pound junior transfer from Poplar Bluff, posted a 10-3 decision over junior Kevin Lawson (22-4) of DeSmet.

Kahle (39-8) capped Jackson's first-round winners with a 4-2 decision over junior Ryan Hanify (23-5) of Washington in the 189 class.

First-round losses came at 140, where Jackson sophomore Cody Rouse (42-4) dropped a 3-0 decision to Park Hill senior Kellen Delaney (40-4), and at 152, where Jackson junior Greg Ludwig (29-19) lost a 9-2 decision to Caleb Downs (29-10), a junior from Buchanan.

Rouse came back by pinning Mike Tracy of Francis Howell Central at the 2:11 mark of their first-round wrestleback. Ludwig was eliminated with a 9-8 wrestleback loss to Ritenour's Jeff Neagle.

Central took two wrestlers, 160-pounder Trever Duncan and 152-pounder Corey Huskey, and both lost opening-round matches in Class 2.

Duncan lost a 10-8 decision to Chris Lingle of Excelsior Springs, a match that featured two seniors coming in with just three losses apiece. Lingle (41-3) came into the match ranked No. 1 in the state and Duncan (41-4) entered at No. 2.

"It was just the luck of the draw," Central coach Josh Crowell said. "For the wrestling fan, they sure got their bang for the buck."

Huskey (28-19), a sophomore, dropped a 10-5 decision to Waynesville senior Butch Egnor (32-5).

"The best they can finish is third, but it's possible," Crowell said. "They just have to refocus their goals real quick."

Both wrestlers came back with wrestleback victories: Duncan posted a 12-2 major decision over Devin White of Nevada; Huskey decisioned Kevin Turner of Excelsior Springs 7-2.