TROJANS TAKE TITLE!

For a full year, Park Hill had the memory of a second place finish at the 2012 state wrestling championships. They not only finished second as a team, but also failed to bring home a single individual title. With Coach Bill Erneste providing them with a constant reminder of that experience all year, the Trojans set their frustration from a year ago free at the 2013 state wrestling meet by running away with the Class 4 team title and going three-for-three in title matches.

“Good is the enemy of great. So when we took second last year, we did pretty good, but for us that was a slap in the face,” Erneste said. “We didn’t get to put one name on our wall saying they were a state champ (last year) and I reminded them every day.”

Park Hill’s 156.5 points represented a comprehensive effort that included eight medal winners. Sean Hosford (106) and KeShawn Hayes (113), who were ranked at the top of their class for most of the season, won title matches to win individual state championships.

“I was here watching last year. It was hard to watch our finalists get second, but we worked hard this year and got it done,” said Hosford, whose confidence increased throughout his freshman season. “(In December) I started to realize I could hang with these guys and just went out and wrestled.”

“The very first day Sean Hosmer stepped in the room, you knew he was special. He’s tough, does things right, makes great grades, says ‘yes sir, no sir’,” Erneste said. “KeShawn, we always count on. He’s our go-to guy and can handle the pressure now.”

Perhaps one of the most crowd-thrilling match of the championship rounds was in the 152 weight class where Colston DiBlasi defeated previously undefeated Cain Salas of Blue Springs (5-1). Salas handedly beat DiBlasi twice during the season.

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world, knowing I’m the best in the state,” DiBlasi said. “I had my ups and downs. Last year I came in here seeded first and felt like everyone was gunning for me. So this year, I think coming in second or third helped me, because they were gunning for another guy.”

“Colston always thinks he can win big matches,” Erneste said. “You can tell when he was warming up; it was the kind of energy where you knew he was nervous, but more anxious than anything.”

In what was described by Erneste as an effort that represented a motivated and selfless family, Park Hill likely clinched their title where many teams could have crumbled. Several Trojans fell in quarter and semi-final matches, but battled back to claim medals. They included John Erneste (3^rd), Hunter Roberts (6^th), Canton Marriott (3^rd), Russ Coleman (6^th), and Malik Colding (3^rd).

“The thing about this team is that it truly is a family. For example, whenever something bad happens in your family, it brings you together. So when John (Erneste) and Russ (Coleman) lost, it just brought us together,” Erneste said. “When you wrestle on the backside you have to think about your team and family. I’m just as proud of the guys who won first as I am of the guys who were disappointed, but had the heart to fight back.”

That same sense of family was echoed by all of Park Hill’s title winners.

“Coach told us in our team meeting the guys on the back side are the ones who will win us the title. The guys in the finals just need to go out and win. That’s what all our finalists did; we went out there with that mentality and came out on top this time.

Erneste went on to talk about the difference between this year’s championship team and those of years past. This team more than any represented support and togetherness.

“Every year there’s a little something different. This year we had to keep them together. With a lot of teams, you have four or five really good guys and they carry the team,” Erneste said. “The reason this team won a state championship is because they carry each other. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

For a team that has won six team state championships in the last ten years and is a mainstay as one of Missouri’s top wrestling programs, Hayes probably stated it best for himself as well as his team.

“As wrestlers we just always want to be the best. Unless we win we’re not satisfied,” Hayes said. “This. It feels right and good.”

Park Hill ready for final 'practice' before state meet

Preparing for their final stretch of the season with districts this weekend followed by the state tournament February 14-16, Park Hill placed third at the Oak Grove Invitational last week with 157.5 team points. Sean Hosford, Ben Stafford, Colston DiBlasi, and Malik Colding brought home tournament titles while Hunter Roberts and August Sobbing brought home second place finishes. Anthony Enriquez finished third in the heavyweight division. The tune-up for the Trojans only featured a partial lineup as Coach Bill Erneste explained the importance of rest and health.

“We sat five kids out this weekend,” Erneste said. “If you even have a hang nail, I’m sitting you. I just want to make sure everyone is well-rested and we’re good to go (for districts). I want every kid as healthy as they can possibly be going into districts.”

While Park Hill ran away with the Class 4, District 4 title last year on their way to a second place finish at state, this year’s tournament will also include Blue Springs who was in a separate district last year. Both are ranked as the top two teams in the state. Erneste says it will be tough, but should set both schools up for success at the state tournament.

“Our district is incredible with the addition of Blue Springs. I love it, they love it,” Erneste said. “If we meet in the district finals that means we’d be on opposite sides of the state bracket. So we get to wrestle the rest of the state before we possibly wrestle them in the finals.”

Park Hill looks forward to and works towards this time of the year all season and approaches it as if it is just one more step towards their ultimate goal.

“The district tournament is our last practice before the state tournament,” Erneste said. “We treat everything like that leading up to state.”

Park Hill has been molding its lineup gradually throughout the season. For their top wrestlers, many of which have impressive experience at the state level, it all comes down to replicating what the Trojans have done all season. With that said, Park Hill knows there are no trophies for most-deserving, only for those that step up and earn.

“We’ve always been a work in progress and needed those ‘guns’ to step up. I can honestly say I couldn’t be more pleased with the year we’ve had,” Erneste said. “If you just got things because you deserved them, we’ve done a great job, but we also understand you don’t always get it, so you have to go out and take it.”

State ranked wrestlers for Park Hill who will be key parts to the Trojans performance at districts include Sean Hosford, KeShawn Hayes, John Erneste, Hunter Roberts, Canten Marriott, Russ Coleman, Colston DiBlasi, and Malik Colding. The Trojans will also be looking for contributions from Paxton DiBlasi, August Sobbing, and Anthony Enriquez.

Park Hill sees success in state wrestling tune-up

Park Hill coach Bill Erneste wanted his team to approach last week as a practice run for the state tournament. Three consecutive days of wrestling, first a dual against nationally ranked Kearney and then the two-day Winnetonka Tournament, would closely resemble the three day long state wrestling tournament next month. By winning both, the Trojans had one of their best weeks of the season and built a strong case for being at the top of the rankings in Class 4.

After Kearney came from behind to beat Park Hill earlier this season at the Park Hill Invitational, both schools came into Thursday night’s dual as two of the top teams in the state, and their fan bases were in for a classic matchup. Battling from dual to dual, at the end of the night the Trojans would claim redemption with a 32-20 win over the Bulldogs.

“If you win on the first night of the state tournament, you have one match and one match only. So Kearney was that first match. I couldn’t have been more proud of the fight in our kids, they showed a lot of heart,” Erneste said. “I think it was great for wrestling. You had the Kearney fans and Park Hill fans who packed the gym for two quality wrestling programs that are only 20 miles apart.”

Park Hill would use that victory as momentum the following two days at the Winnetonka Tournament where they placed eight wrestlers on their way to racking up 431 team points and the tournament championship. Sean Hosford, Ke-Shawn Hayes, and John Erneste brought home first place medals. Hunter Roberts, Canten Marriott, Russ Coleman, and Malik Colding placed second while Colston DiBlasi took third.

The title round featured some quality matchups with other top teams like Blue Springs and Seckman, possibly previews of state tournament matchups to come four weeks from now. Overall, the Trojans are satisfied with their past week, but know they aren’t a finished product yet and will be fine tuning in the time leading up to the district tournament on February 9^th.

“We’re on target,” Erneste said. “We want to use this for practice and so far we’ve had a good practice.”

The Trojans will compete in the St. Joe Benton and Oak Grove tournaments over the next two weekends.

Park Hill South has seen success this year with the help of a strong senior class. Until recently, the Panthers have been plagued with some early season injuries and were hoping the Winnetonka Tournament would be one of their first tournaments back at full strength. While the Panthers finished fourth out of the 15 team field, they would see the injury bug catch them again when Logan Gillespie (220) suffered a shoulder injury.

“We’ve been getting stronger as a team until today where we suffered a few injuries,” Park Hill South coach Dan Dunkin said.

The Panthers saw good results from several wrestlers over the weekend with Adam Weatherly and Chase Gray bringing home second place medals. Jimmy Carpenter and George Barth placed third while Alex Weatherly took fourth. Dunkin says the tournament was a good chance to go against some of the best teams in the state to see how they fared.

“We wanted to go against the top three teams in the state to see if we can hang with them, we’re there,” Dunkin said. “We’re going to give it a shot. I was just a little disappointed we couldn’t hang a little more, but we’re not scared though. I like how our kids are wrestling. We just need to be on the other side of the result.”

Dunkin believes postseason success will rely on healing up the rest of their injuries and adding that extra amount of push they’ll need to find themselves in a position to compete at districts and state.

“We need to heal up first, and then we’re going to get into better shape, review film, and do what we have to do,” Dunkin said.

Park Hill South will be competing in the Liberty Tournament this weekend.

Park Hill wrestling takes second in own tournament

After having to settle for third in the Park Hill Duals last year, the Park Hill wrestling program was looking to return to the title round this year for the chance to claim first place in their own tournament. Cruising through pool play, the only obstacle left in their way was the top-seeded and nationally ranked Kearney Bulldogs. Despite being the underdog, Park Hill would win several key matchups in the lower weight classes and continue to maintain a narrow into later matches. It would all come down to the final match though when Kearney was able to get a pin in the heavyweight class to pull the Bulldogs over the top 31-27 to clinch a first place finish, their second in as many years.

While the Trojans take consolation in nearly pulling off the upset against a talented Kearney program, second place is not something they are comfortable settling with because it doesn’t align with their ultimate goal.

“Every single match and tournament this year is the state tournament. What we did was we picked up right where we left last year and took second as a team,” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “What we wanted to do was beat Kearney here. We wrestled our tails off and did everything in our power, but Kearney was stronger today. was fun, but it’s only really fun when you come out with a W.”

Erneste says he saw positive signs from a number of wrestlers throughout the tournament, not only his more experienced and decorated wrestlers like Ke-Shawn Hayes and John Erneste, but also those who have fought their way into the lineup for the first time like Anthony Enriquez and August Sobbing.

“I was proud of a lot of individual performances today,” Erneste said. “The fight of our big guys was pleasing since a lot of our big guys are new to the lineup.”

For Park Hill it is all about moving forward though, as each tournament represents an opportunity to be approach as if it is the state tournament. Their next big competition will be this weekend at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio where some of the country’s best wrestlers will matchup.

“I like where we’re at on the staircase towards the goal of winning, but I’m never excited about taking second,” Erneste said. “We’ve got to get ready for the Ironman Tournament, our next chance at a ‘state tournament’.”

Winter Preview: Park Hill Wrestling

There’s something about taking second place as a team at last year’s state wrestling tournament that doesn’t sit well for Park Hill Wrestling, a program defined by its state title aspirations. Not only did the Trojans take second as a team, but they also failed to bring home an individual champion. This has left a fire in the belly of a squad returning seven previous state qualifiers. Coach Bill Erneste says his team is using that for motivation as they come into the 2012-2013 season once again looking for a chance at a state title.

“What we do is talk about taking second,” Erneste said. “We’ve been talking about what the difference is and whether we’re willing to do that little amount more to get to first. It’s our job to make that decision in our minds.”

John Erneste (120) and Russ Coleman (145) return after finishing as runners-up at state last season. Third place medal winner Ke-Shawn Hayes (113) along with fourth place state finishers Hunter Roberts (126) and Malik Colding (170) and fifth place finisher Colston DiBlasi (152) all come back. Also in the mix again this year will be senior Paxton DiBlasi who qualified for state in 2011 at 138.

Adding to the Trojans’ strength will be two freshmen in Canton Marriott and Shawn Hosford, who Erneste says are anything but your normal newcomers.

“We have two ‘impact freshmen’, because they are freshmen by age only,” Erneste said. “They’ve had success on the national level already. It’s nice to be able to have those kinds of kids coming in from our youth club.”

Filling in the rest of the lineup will be several wrestlers who have earned roster spots including August Sobbing and Anthony Enriquez.

Electing team captains for the first team this year, Park Hill will have solid and proven leadership at the helm, which gives Erneste reassuring confidence his team will remain focused on the task at hand.

“They voted Russ Coleman (three-time state finalist), Paxton DiBlasi, and John Erneste,” Erneste said. “I have to be honest; I haven’t had to yell much at practice with them. Everyone remembers what second feels like.”

With another year of experience and physical conditioning in their favor, the Trojans bring back more than a handful of strong guns capable of lifting Park Hill back to state championship status. The question is whether the motivation they take away from their second place finish last year will be enough to get them there.

“I like this year’s team, we’re excited,” Erneste said. “The coaches, the wrestlers, and the parents are all committed to it.”

Trojans bring home eight medals, but finish second behind Blue Springs

There are teams who would be tickled to death to take a second place team trophy — or second place individual medal — home from the state wrestling championships. Then there is Park Hill. The Trojans are a program which has won five state titles in recent years with multiple individual champions leading the way. That’s possibly why their second place team finish this year doesn’t come with the enthusiasm as it might with other schools.

“I always say that I love the state tournament and I hate the state tournament,” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “I love it because it gives kids the opportunities to achieve their dreams and goals. I hate the state tournament when they come up short.”


Finishing second with 144 team points to champion Blue Springs’ 164 points, Park Hill has plenty to be proud of, including the placement of eight out of their total 11 qualifiers in the top five of their respective weight brackets. The Trojans racked up team points early with 10 wrestlers winning in their opening round matches, giving Park Hill a lead early in the tournament, but were gradually passed by Blue Springs which had four finalists compete for titles.


“Overall, it was a decent weekend,” Erneste said. “I loved our team’s effort; we just need to continue to get better each year.” 

While sophomore John Erneste at 113 pounds and junior Russ Coleman at 132 won their first three matches, setting them up for state title bouts, other Trojan wrestlers who fell in quarter and semifinal matches battled back for strong finishes. They included third place finishes from KeShawn Hayes at 106 and Nolan Smith at 285, fourth place finishes from Hunter Roberts at 120 and Malik Colding at 160, and fifth place finishes from Colston DiBlasi at 126 and Connor Shene at 145. These finishes played a large part in the point accumulation that built up to their second place finish.


Park Hill was not able to bring home an individual champion as Erneste and Coleman fell in their respective matches. Erneste improved on his third place finish last year, while Coleman has been a runner-up the past two seasons, with a state title barely out of his reach once again.

“He takes second again,” Erneste said of Coleman. “The thing about Russ is, he’s a fighter. He’s the one kid I know, whose back is against the wall and comes out swinging. He’s going to work even harder and get even crazier in his training, because he knows he has one year left. It’s unacceptable in his mind, but he’s going to get better and win a state championship his senior year.”


“I’m very proud of John to get to the finals, it’s his first time there,” Erneste said of his son. “The progression keeps going, so we just need to work hard this summer, come back and swing again.”

For Park Hill who will return the core of their lineup next year, it will be about turning good to great and it will start from within by building their top wrestlers into what Erneste likes to call ‘guns’.

“All second place is, is a measuring stick. On our ride home, we’re already going to be thinking about next year. Blue Springs got it done, Park Hill didn’t,” Erneste said. “We had a few guns, we just didn’t have eight (like Blue Springs). We couldn’t match them gun to gun. Next year, we need to take some of our good wrestlers and make them guns. Then, we’ll be better.”

Time To Shine: Park Hill, PH South send 19 to state

For a second straight year, the only word to describe how the Park Hill and Park Hill South wrestling programs performed at the Class 4, District 4 tournament remains the same: domination. Park Hill, with 246 team points, ran away with first place while Park Hill South, with 164.5 team points, secured a safe second place finish ahead of Lee’s Summit West. The two teams will send an impressive collection of 19 wrestlers to the state tournament this weekend in Columbia with 11 coming from Park Hill and eight from Park Hill South. For both teams, it represents an improvement from their 2011 results as both are represented by two more qualifiers than last year, giving each a better chance at the ultimate goal, a state championship.

For Park Hill, the 11 wrestlers they’ll have wrestling at state puts them in a strong position for the Class 4 title come Saturday night. If a handful of returning qualifiers get the redemption they seek after second and third place finishes last year, Park Hill may even be the favorite. As has been the case most of the season, the Trojans were led strong and early by their lighter weight classes. Starting with freshman KeShawn Hayes at 106, Park Hill started the title round by winning first place medals in the first seven championship matches. Hayes, John Erneste (113), Hunter Roberts (120), Colston DiBlasi (126), Russ Coleman (132), Derrick Rens (138), and Connor Shene (145) were Park Hill’s individual district title winners and will receive high seeds in the state bracket.

“We’re pretty happy with the way things turned out,” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “You always want to advance all 14 of your guys, but for the 11 we qualified, they’re not satisfied yet. I always tell my guys to enjoy it because this is what they’ve been working towards.”

Several of Park Hill’s qualifiers battled back or upset higher seeded opponents to earn their ticket to state. Malik Colding (160) and Nolan Smith (285) had strong showings with third place finishes in their division while Nick Harper (152) and Nolan Anderson (170) qualified for state with fourth place finishes.

“I’d say we wrestled smart, not necessarily well,” Erneste said. “If we can combine those two this weekend, we’ll be in good shape.”

Park Hill has been in the figurative shadow of a strong Blue Springs team most of the season which before last weekend was the leading contender for the state title as the top ranked team in the state, but an upset or two in their district tournament last weekend left Blue Springs with eight wrestlers qualifying to advance, giving a possible advantage to Park Hill’s 11 going into the tournament’s opening rounds. Erneste still sees his team as one that has something to prove.

“I’d say they’re still the favorite (Blue Springs), they’ve got some strong guns that are probably going to do real well,” Erneste said.

For Park Hill South, the conference championship that came with such jubilation last year was repeated, but just a means to an end this season as the Panthers continue to be right on schedule for where they set their goal at the beginning of the season: a focus on the state tournament and returning home with state medals.

Captains Chase Gray (182) and Nick Gillespie (195) won district titles for Park Hill South.  Coach Dan Dunkin gave credit to both, saying both seem to always find a way to win no matter who the opponent may be.

“Chase has broken the career winning record for wins at Park Hill South in just three years. He’s a junior, so he has another year to completely blow it out of the water. He keeps finding ways to beat good kids. He’s not flashy, but doesn’t make any mistakes,” Dunkin said. “Nick can do a lot of different things, with bigger guys I think it’s hard to adjust to him.”

South had a handful of runners-up including George Barth (126), Jimmy Carpenter (132), Justin Haughenberry (145), and Adam Weatherly (152). Kenric Cook (170) took third while Alex Fortuna (113) qualified for state with a fourth place finish.

Park Hill South will see an improved state field position compared to last year where most of the wrestlers were athletes who squeaked in with state qualifications. This year, as demonstrated by their strong district finishes, the Panthers will see a more advantageous bracket with two one-seeds and four two-seeds.

“We’re going to get seeded a lot better. If we get down there, get some good spots, then anything can happen. There are a lot of good wrestlers out there,” Dunkin said. “A lot of our guys were there last year. The expectations are different and we can feel it.”

Trojans, Panthers ready for districts, state

Going into the district tournament this weekend followed by the state tournament the following weekend is always Park Hill wrestling coach Bill Erneste’s favorite time of the year. Not only is it when championships are won and lost, but it’s also when you see the progress made since last season, usually compared to how the team and individuals finished this time last year.

“This is the time of year I love, it’s the most exciting time to find out if all your hard work pays off,” Erneste said. “Some of these guys started working last March to prepare so they can do better than they did last year.”

Park Hill placed first in districts last year before going on to place third at state. This was after rebounding from a couple rough duals earlier in their schedule. Erneste sees similarities between last season and this season and feels good about having the right team in place for success.

“I would say last year’s team and this year’s team definitely have parallels,” Erneste said. “As long as we have the whole team put together exactly the way we want them, I’m going to be very pleased. That’s my only job this week, to get the horses to the show. Once we get there, it’s just time to perform.”

It’s rare for Erneste, when talking about his lineup, to single out any one wrestler. A common theme with this year’s team is a hunger for a title, evident in almost every wrestler’s story. Starting at the lower weights, Erneste describes freshman KeShawn Hayes’s several youth titles and desire to win one now at the varsity level, his son John wanting to compete for a title this year after a third place finish last year at state, and freshman Hunter Roberts who has had a lot of one point decisions this year, winning them all. Similar stories resonate up and down the Trojan roster, whether it be an underclassmen looking to establish themselves or a senior looking for their last chance to go out on top.

“The best way to describe our feelings going into districts and state is we have a careful confidence,” Erneste said. “We’re not going in there expecting people to bow down, but we’re going to be prepared. We’re not going to overlook anyone.”

Park Hill has won five state titles under Erneste’s watch and he says there is no one way to win a championship. Sometimes a highly talented team can help, but it starts with one basic formula.

“We’ve won five titles and all of them have been different. Sometimes you just win it with your guns,” Erneste said. “When we changed to the four class format, it started to come down to placing eight guys at state and putting four of them in the finals. That’s kind of how we’re looking at it this year.”

First and more importantly, is districts at Ray-Pec this weekend, where the Trojans hope to place and qualify as many wrestlers as possible to earn them a trip to the state tournament next weekend in Columbia. With everything on the line, the competition should be top notch.

“Anytime it’s a district tournament where if you win you’re moving on and if you lose you’re done, so there are going to be some good matches,” Erneste said.

Park Hill South Wrestling
Returning five state qualifiers from last year’s conference championship and district runner-up team, Park Hill South wrestling isn’t going into the district tournament this year as quite the underdog they were this time last year.

Captains Brett Rounkles, Nick Gillespie, and Chase Gray are looking to lead a Panthers team into districts this weekend with a chance to match and possibly beat their performance from last year. Joining them will be the remaining two qualifiers Alex Fortuna and Jimmy Carpenter.

As Park Hill South coach Dan Dunkin said at the beginning of the season, this is the time of year they focus on the most. While last year’s success was newfound, this year’s success, which they’ve shown in multiple capacities throughout the year, is geared towards the state tournament and advancing as many Panthers out of districts as possible.

Trojans squad will include five returning state qualifiers

Last year the Park Hill wrestling program opened up their season with several performances they weren’t satisfied with, but after recovering from some injuries and taking the right kind of lessons from those early obstacles, the Trojans went on to take first place in the district tournament, advancing nine wrestlers to the state tournament where they went on to take third place overall. For the 2011-2012 season, if it takes that kind of rough start to get where the Trojans did last year or better, they’re willing to roll with the punches.

“I considered it one of our better tournaments (state),” Park Hill coach Bill Erneste said. “I’d much rather struggle in the beginning than the end, the team peaked at the right time and I think we’re in similar territory again this year.”

Park Hill welcomes back state qualifiers Nolan Smith, Connor Shene, Russ Coleman, Paxton DiBlasi, and John Erneste this season along with junior Nick Harper who was one match away from a state appearance. Joining them will be Isaih Williams and Malik Coulding, two athletes who have moved up through the program and now hope to have their chance. The Trojans will feature three talented freshmen in the lower weight classes with Colston DiBlasi, Ke-Shawn Hayes, and Hunter Roberts. With the introduction of new expanded weight classes this year, many of the weights wrestlers will settle into have yet to be determined.

The Trojans will be tested early with three tough tournaments on their schedule including their own Park Hill Duals, the Walsh Jesuit Tournament, and the Kansas City Wrestling Classic. All three will give the Trojans steep competitive, but Erneste believes it gives them an advantage at the end of the season.

“The first three weeks are pretty brutal. I want to make sure our guns get tested before we get to state, so you have to make sure they’re there first,” Erneste said. “These national tournaments get them ready for state. I want the state tournament to feel to our guys as if it wasn’t the toughest tournament they wrestled in all year.”

Every Park Hill wrestler’s benchmark is a state championship and with their only state champ from last year Bricker Dixon graduating, there are several determined to step up to fulfill goals left unaccomplished last year. Smith finished fifth last year at state in the heavyweight division, Shene won a big match early at state but did not place, Erneste is looking to improve on his third place finish, and Coleman took second after battling through a knee injury before falling in the title match for the second year in a row.

“He (Coleman) hasn’t won it yet, that’s the number one thing for him, he wants his name on the wall, he’s not going to stop working, and not going to lose track of his goal,” Erneste said.

While the Trojans will be tested early against some of the region’s best, they know when it comes down to it the sport is often as much a battle waged against one’s self as it is their opponent.

“You’re going to see a lot of heart, that’s going to be the key to our season. I would say we are cautiously patient, but we think there is a bright light at the end,” Erneste said. “If they’re training the hardest they can and come into February with confidence, usually good things happen.”

Park Hill qualifies nine for state, wins district; Park Hill South is runner-up, sends six

The Park Hill wrestling team is in solid position to defend its back to back state championships.

The Trojans claimed six individual first place finishes at the Class Four District Four wrestling tournament last weekend at Lee’s Summit High School, racked up 224.5 team points, and brought another district title home.

Overall, Park Hill qualified nine wrestlers for this weekend's state tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. While Trojans head coach Bill Erneste said he's happy with a district title, he said his team has plenty of work left to do to win a third straight Class 4 state title.

"We are carefully excited about our district tournament," Erneste said. "We understand that the state tournament can’t be won at districts but it sure can be lost.  We feel in all reality that the district tournament is a very long seeding meeting and we like our seeds going into state.  Blue Springs and Francis Howell Central are definitely the front runners and we have to perform to catch either one of them."


While Park Hill's dominant district performance was no surprise, surprising was just one of the ways to describe Park Hill South’s second place finish with 134.5 team points coming from six state qualifying performances for the Panthers. South outperformed several traditionally successful programs including Rockhurst, Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit West, and Ray-Pec to add another chapter to a season that has taken the Panthers into somewhat unfamiliar territory as a team.

“This group of athletes has been team oriented all year,” Park Hill South coach Dan Dunkin said. “I think most coaches would agree that we're a good duel team. Collectively, it’s as good as this team has been.”

Park Hill’s John Erneste (103) and Michael Olsen (112), both freshmen, started off the championship rounds with first place trophies. Erneste is now 37-9 while Olsen is 38-8 on the year. Panthers Alex Fortuna and Bret Rounkles took fourth in those respective brackets. South’s Jimmy Carpenter (38-8) defeated Park Hill’s Paxton DiBlasi (17-14) in the 119 title match. Trojans Bricker Dixon (47-3), Russ Coleman (37-7), Preston Crous (47-2) qualified once again for the state meet with first place finishes in the 125, 130, and 145 weight classes while newcomer Derek Rens (10-1) took the title at 135. South’s Chase Gray (38-16) and Sam Eickhoff (31-5) were runners-up in the 171 and 215 weight classes while Nick Gillespie (21-16) placed fourth. Park Hill’s Nolan Smith took third at 285 to qualify (32-12). All in all, Park Hill and Park Hill South qualified 15 wrestlers (9 PH, 6 PHS).

After hard work and preparation all year, the three day test of individual skill and endurance known as the Missouri State Wrestling Championships will begin Thursday and conclude Saturday evening. The large brackets in each division mean initial seedings and placement are a factor in making it all the way to the final rounds. It could be argued Park Hill’s wrestlers hold more experience and higher rankings judging by the district results which will place them in better position to advance. South and their state qualifiers, on the other hand, will find themselves in some difficult situations if their wrestlers hope to advance.

“Who you run into matters,” Dunkin said. “Three of our wrestlers go against a one seed from another district in the first round, that's a tough first round draw. Two of our other wrestlers could possibly see the top ranked wrestler in the quarters. If our wrestles are going to do well, they're going to have to fight through tough bracket conditions.”

While overall record and rankings are an indication of a wrestler’s body of work throughout the season, those don’t necessarily matter at state because when it comes down to it, you have to win. Park Hill and Park Hill South have both taken their own unique paths through the regular season and will conclude it this weekend in Columbia, but one thing they have proven is their ability to get it done one way or another and both Dunkin and Park Hill coach Bill Erneste believe in their athletes ability to overcome adversity.

“Our wrestlers have been finding ways to win all year,” Dunkin said. “As a coach I don't like where we are in our brackets, but I'd never bet against our wrestlers.”

Park Hill’s nine experienced qualifiers will be an advantage for the defense of their state title, but Park Hill South’s young team is looking to improve on some unsatisfying results from last year and for another week add a first for their program. Six qualifiers are the most South has ever sent to State and if a handful of those are able to place, they’d be expanding their record book.

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 31 - Feb. 5

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
After weather caused the North Kansas City tournament to be moved back several days, the Lady Panthers of Park Hill South experienced a rough series of games last week as they went 0-3 in three consecutive days. A 59-43 loss to St. Joe Central in the opening round led to a rivalry matchup with Park Hill on Friday afternoon. The close matchups over the last two years between the two teams held true again as the game heading into overtime before Park Hill edged out a 53-50 win. Stephanie Griffith put in 12 points for the Panthers. Hoping to bounce back on Saturday, the Panthers lost another close one. This time to Oak Park 26-24. Park Hill South is now 7-12 with a home game against Kearney Thursday evening.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
Park Hill went 2-1 in their appearance in the North Kansas City Tournament. After falling in the opening game against the host team, Park Hill edged out an overtime victory against Park Hill South 53-50 as Michele Rupard had a career game with 22 points along with Kyleesha Weston's 20. Playing in the consolation game, Park Hill outscored St. Pius 56-39 to earn fifth place with Weston scoring 22 points and Dominique Broadus accounting for 17. The Lady Trojans are now 8-9 with a home game against St. Joe Central Thursday night.

Park Hill Wrestling
Park Hill placed fourth out of eight teams over the weekend at the Oak Grove Tournament after scoring 92.5 team points. John Erneste (103), Michael Olsen (112), Derek Rens (135), and Travis Marcum (285) all placed second. Conner Shene placed fourth in the 140 pound division. The Trojans now head into the district tournament this weekend at Lee's Summit High School. After winning their conference, assistant coach Joe Gonier says they have high expectations out of their wrestlers and team.

"We feel pretty good going into districts next week," Gonier said. "Our kids are wrestling well right now and we expect that to continue."

Park Hill Swimming
Breaking Lee's Summit West's streak of conference title streaks proved to be difficult for Park Hill last weekend as they finished second with 510 team points compared to the Titans 577. Park Hill junior Brynn Guardado repeated and held her conference title in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle. The state swim meet is next weekend, February 18-19th in St. Peters, MO.

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 17-21

Park Hill/Park Hill South Wrestling
Park Hill South dominated their mid-week dual against William Chrisman as they pulled out the team victory 54-15 with wins coming in the form of pins from Alex Fortuna (112), Jimmy Carpenter (125), George Barth (130), Chase Gray (171), and Sam Eickhoff (215).

The always competitive Winnetonka Tournament was held this past weekend. Park Hill and Park Hill South finished behind first place medal winner Blue Springs and their 320 team points. Park Hill finished second with 260.5 points while Park Hill South finished sixth with 201.5 points. Park Hill's Michael Olsen (112), Bricker Dixon (125), Preston Crouse (145), and Nolan Smith (285) won their respective weight divisions. Park Hill South's Jimmy Carpenter finished second in the 119 weight division.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
The Lady Panthers went 1-1 last week in the North Kansas City tournament with a loss to Oak Park and a victory against Belton. They came out slow in both the first and fourth quarters to Oak Park in a 46-27 loss. Samantha Roy lead the Panthers with five points. Against Belton, the Panthers led throughout and held the Pirates scoreless in the second quarter (18-0) and added another 14 points to their advantage in the third quarter (22-8) before going on to win 59-18. Tori Kerr led the Panthers with 14 points along with Haley Shelton's 13 and Courtney Claassen's 11. Now at 6-7, they play against Raytown South on Thursday.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
The Lady Trojans defeated the home town host Basehor-Linwood on day to advance to the tournament semi-final after a close 35-32 victory. Tied going into the fourth quarter, Park Hill led by Kyleesha Weston's all-tournament performance of 16 points edged the Bobcats by three to advance on to play Ottawa. Despite a 16-4 deficit against Platte County, Park Hill spent the entirety of the game battling back before falling 55-47. Weston led with 14 points in the loss. Another close game didn't turn in the Trojans favor as Ottawa stayed just in front of Park Hill throughout the game to slide to a 43-37 victory. Weston led once again with 23 points. At 6-8, they play North Kansas City Thursday night.

Winter Weekly Recap: Jan. 10-15

Park Hill Boys Basketball
The day off of school due to snow affected Lee's Summit West more last Tuesday as they hosted Park Hill in a suburban conference battle. Park Hill trailed by a score of 28-20 before mounting a 21-5 third quarter leading them to a key 62-49 victory. Connor Farmer has emerged as a scoring presence for the Trojans as he posted 17 points along with Chris Nsenki's 17. De'Aris Flint added 12. To close the week, Park Hill had a chance to knock off a talented Truman team, but were unable to gain any momentum as the Patriots outscored the Trojans in each quarter for a 60-5 win. At 11-4, Park Hill will be in a conference battle with Truman and Lee's Summit West down the stretch as their second meetings could make a difference in who claims the title. Park Hill will compete in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament this week followed by what is sure to be a great matchup at Liberty on Tuesday and rival Park Hill South on Friday.

Park Hill South Boys Basketball
After two tough losses the prior week, the Park Hill South Panthers came back strong last week as they scratched out a nail-biting victory against conference opponent Raytown South 50-49. Christian Hildebrandt scored 16 along with Adam Schemenauer's 13. Outmatched in almost every aspect, the Belton Pirates received a tough task in traveling to South last Friday night. Although, close in the beginning the Panthers held Belton to just 19 points the entire game. Hildebrandt scored 24 points in an impressive performance that outscored the entire Pirate roster. The Panthers are now 10-5 and are playing in the North Kansas City tournament this week before facing off against Oak Park Tuesday and Park Hill next Friday night.

Park Hill Girls Basketball
The Lady Trojans only game last week as a rough one as they suffered a defeat at home against Lee's Summit West 63-38. Facing a tough Titan team, the Trojans fell to a 36-13 halftime deficit after West outscored the Trojans 23-7 in the second quarter. Park Hill's top average scorers, Kyleesha Weston and Helena Hudson, weren't able to break double digits with nine and eight points, respectively. The Trojans were able to turnout a better second half, going toe to toe with Titans in the third and fourth quarters, b the damage was done. Park Hill is participating in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament this week. They are now 5-6.

Park Hill South Girls Basketball
The Park Hill South Girls lost a close one last Thursday night against Fort Osage 34-30. Taking a 12-11 halftime lead, the Panthers extended their lead to six going into the final quarter, but Fort Osage's 14 points compared to South's four in the fourth quarter hurt the Panthers most. Stephanie Griffith led South with seven points along with Courtney Shelton and Mallory Ross's five points.

Park Hill Wrestling
After some frustrating dual losses early in the season, the Park Hill wrestling team bounced back in a huge way last weekend as they brought home the Capital City Wrestling Title from Jefferson City. Competing in a field of 11 teams from across the state, Park Hill racked up 238.5 team points and won four of the five championship matches they wrestled in. First place medals were awarded to Michael Olsen (112), Bricker Dixon (125), Russel Coleman (130), and Preston Crouse (145). John Erneste lost a hard fought dual in overtime at 103 for a second place finish. They compete in the Winnetonka Tournament this weekend.

Park Hill Wrestling hopes loss is a turning point

Every season has a turning point or a series of turning points, where the result changes the course individuals and the team had been on previously. Sometimes it can be brought on by an internal conflict within the team that brings them together and other times it could be caused directly by what happens in the process of competition. It’s too early to tell, but after beating Lee’s Summit and St. Joe Central earlier in the week, the Park Hill wrestling team has come to what they hope is a turning point after a one point loss to Northland rival Staley in the second round of a tri-dual featuring St. Joe Benton last Thursday night.

After Russ Coleman started the Trojans off at 130 with a victory against Jeremy Goss, Park Hill would go on to loss six of the next seven matches falling further and further behind. The exception was Preston Crouse’s pin of David Montoya in 1:11 at the 145 level. The Trojans’ fortunes turned though, starting at the 215and heavyweight divisions with Travis Marcum and Nolan Smith who fought out match wins 4-1 and 4-0, respectively. John Erneste took care of business at 103 with a pin in 1:59 followed by Michael Olsen’s technical fall against Chris Allen at 112. With one match remaining, the Trojans wouldn’t want anyone other than defending state champion Bricker Dixon on the mat at 125 against Trevor Engle. A contentious match followed with blood being drawn from Staley’s Engle which caused a stop in competition. Ultimately, Dixon outlasted Engle 9-4, but left Park Hill on the short end of a 31-30 victory for Staley.

“We were looking forward to tonight’s dual. We knew Staley was tough,” coach Bill Erneste said. “One of the neat things about wrestling is that it’s the fairest sport in the world. Usually the hungry dog gets fed. They (Staley) knew tonight would make them better so congratulations to them.”

For Staley the victory was a sign of a strengthening program. For Park Hill, it serves as a source of motivation.

“We thought we were going to win, maybe some of our guys were complacent. The good thing about it is, we’ve got a lot of season left,” Erneste said. “Maybe this slap in our face will let us know we need to work harder.”

Still early in the season, the loss could also be a reminder of how big of a target Park Hill wrestling has on its back from building a consistently strong program year in, year out. But Erneste made clear, that last year isn’t this year, and those accomplishments won’t win them anything this season.

“We have the state trophy in the closet. The reason we have it in the closet is so that they can see it when they weigh in and know that it was last year, not this year,” Erneste said.

While seniors Crouse and Dixon along with Cody Goodwin are helping provide leadership in this early part of the season, Erneste says right now the team is going through a growing period and the younger wrestlers getting tougher including Michael Olsen, whose key technical fall setup Dixon’s final match, and John Erneste, who pinned a tough opponent in the sixth ranked Jonathon Melton.

“That’s big, but you can’t always count on the freshman,” Erneste said. “Have to have some other guys to get in there and help us.”

Park Hill will travel to Jefferson City this weekend to compete in the Capital City Classic. As the season begins its steep descent onto the district tournament, the Trojans hope to be able to combine their decorated seniors with their eager young underclassmen to form a group capable of scoring enough points as a team to once again compete against the state’s best at districts and state in February.

Preview: Park Hill wrestling looks to defend title, again

Park Hill Wrestling will return a strong group of wrestlers to the mat for the 2010-11 season to defend their back to back state titles. While they lost a solid group of wrestlers to graduation that racked up high point totals for the Trojans over four years and four individual state titles last year, the returning varsity wrestlers will now be expected to make up for those points as they step in to fill leadership roles on the team.

The Trojans’ sole returning state champion, Bricker Dixon, will move up weight divisions from 112 to 125. Paxton Diblasi moves up from 103 to fill the void left by Dixon at 112. A state-runner up at 130, Russ Coleman returns at a lower weight class of 119. Senior Preston Crouse moves from 140 to 145 pounds after a third-place state finish last year. State qualifier Nolan Smith returns in the heavyweight division. Park Hill will look to this core group of returning wrestlers to lead the way towards what they hope is another run at a third consecutive team state title.

“We’re looking forward to and expect a lot out of those guys this year,” assistant coach Joe Gonier said.

Other returning wrestlers with varsity competition under their belt include Cody Goodwin (135), Nick Harper (152), DJ Dietrich (171), and Eddie McDonald (189). Newcomers include John Erneste (103), Michael Olsen (112), Noland Anderson and Ryan Hosford (160), Isiah Williams (171), and Travis Marcum (215).

While Park Hill Wrestling has been a powerful force in the state of Missouri over the last decade, it’s hard to tell early in the season how new athletes will perform in different positions, particularly freshmen. Park Hill’s Youth Wrestling program has alleviated this obstacle with many underclassmen coming into high school prepared and already familiar with the program. The first part of the season gives them a chance to get a lot of different kids a chance to see where they fit best and are most comfortable.

“We try people out in different spots in the first third of the season to see how kids react, but as the season progresses the lineup gets more consistent as we move closer to districts,” Gonier said.

Judging from the past, most of those shakeups will allow the top wrestlers to emerge which will prepare them well for those crucial tournaments at the end of the season. While talk will continue of the possibility of a three-peat at February’s state wrestling meet, one thing Trojan Wrestling fans can count on in the meantime is the emergence of a new, young group of top wrestlers in the area.

Outstanding by not standing out at all

As I watched from the floor of Mizzou Arena the performances turned in by the Park Hill wrestlers last Saturday on the way to their second straight state title and talked to Coach Bill Erneste along with some of his senior leaders, I tried to think of an appropriate way to describe this year’s state champion. It wasn’t the ten state qualifiers coming out of districts or the seven who wrestled for first place. It wasn’t the pure dominance or technique they displayed in each and every match, although it was quite a display. After a while, the thing that stood out the most is that they didn’t stand out.

While you saw an occasional wrestler jump up and down or pump their fist in the air, you noticed every Park Hill wrestler, win or loss, shake their opponent’s hand and jog right off the mat. Erneste said you have to handle winning the same way you do losing and by taking the emotions out of the match then you know it will come down to game plan and hard work. This mentality brings out what seems like a rare quality in successful people, humility. While the Park Hill team has more to celebrate about than anybody in the state, they’re taking it in stride. It’s something that’s been instilled in them over time and is sure to help them accomplish their short-term goals on the mat, but also those outside the walls of any gym.

As senior Kaleb Friendley mentioned, these guys have been wrestling in the Park Hill youth program and going to school together since around fifth grade. They’ve grown up together and Park Hill wrestling is like a second family to them. It’s that sense of family which leads teammates to talk so highly of each other. John Eblen talked about how there are so many individuals that can do so much while Alan Waters mentioned the depth of the lineup and knowing they’d be able to get it done every tournament. Kaleb Friedley added that even though they have differently personalities they all meshed just the same.

The development and hard work has paid off for the four seniors who competed in championship matches Saturday. Waters and Eblen will wrestle at the University of Missouri next year, Friedley at Northwestern University, and Haden Bock at West Point, the nation’s top military academy.

So with state title trophy accounted for and a humble view of such an impressive accomplishment, the Trojans continue to look forward.
As Erneste said, “I like it when our guys go out and do a workmanlike performance, shake everyone’s hand like gentlemen and run off to the next obstacle.”

I’d say they’ve earned a well-deserved week off first though.

Waters makes his mark on history

If you’re not familiar with the sport of wrestling you could have missed a significant piece of history that took place last Saturday at the Missouri High School Wrestling Championships. After already securing a team title, senior Alan Waters jogged to the mat in preparation of his 125-pound state title match against Seckman’s Denny Kleinschrodt. But what astute observers in the arena would have realized is that this wasn’t going to be any regular wrestling match. Waters, a three-time state champion, wasn’t just wrestling this evening for his fourth consecutive individual state championship, but for the right to become a part of a wrestling fraternity reserved for those few who have accomplished the significant accomplishment. He’d become one of only 19 wrestlers since Vernon Whitney of Normandy won his fourth individual championship back in 1952.

The moment came in a flash, literally. Not too soon after the referee blow his whistle, Waters aggressively went after his opponent, took him to the ground and in a workmanlike fashion pinned Kleinschrodt in only a minute and four seconds. It took that small time frame to complete what had been a goal Waters set four years ago. Even with the success of achieving such a sought-after goal, the small amount of emotion displayed by Waters came when the referee lifted his hand in victory with what could be described as relief and satisfaction. As quickly as he jogged on, he jogged off, a Missouri four-time wrestling champion.

“I think Alan wanted it over. He wanted to get through the hype and finish out his career,” coach Bill Erneste said of Waters’ final match.

Waters, a standout on what is an impressive Trojan wrestling squad, finished his season at 47-0 and is described by his coach as calm and mild-mannered.

“You won’t see him real vocal and you’ll never see him real quiet,” Erneste said of Waters’ demeanor. “The way you saw him react after he won his fourth title, it was business-like.”

Waters thought the way he handled the victory was just as champion-like as the performance he put forward.

“After you win act like it’s any other match, don’t celebrate it,” Waters said of his approach to winning. “People that do backflips and everything act like they expected to lose. When you win, shake hands and walk off the mat.”

His fourth state title isn’t the end of his wrestling career as he’ll be attending the University of Missouri next year alongside teammate John Eblen as they look towards setting their sights on higher goals.

“I’m ready to move up to college, it’s a whole new level,” Waters said. “It’s close to home and I’ve got friends and family around.”

“The four championships were just a step towards being an All-American at MU and becoming a national champ,” Erneste said of the confidence he has for his top wrestler’s future success.

Park Hill Wrestlers bring home second straight state championship

After racking up 172.5 points in the first two days of the Missouri State Wrestling Championships in Columbia, Missouri last weekend, the Park Hill Trojans were well on their way to winning their second consecutive state title, but for eight of the ten wrestlers who qualified for the tournament, Saturday was about accomplishing goals they had set 365 days ago when they left Mizzou Arena with the 2009 Class 4 first place trophy. By day’s end, Park Hill had accumulated 202.5 team points, five state champions, two runners-up, and a third-place medal winner.

With seven wrestlers in the title match later in the evening, Preston Crouse (140) was able to secure third place with his victory over Lindbergh’s Michael Slyman by a score of 2-0. The win was the start of a successful day for Park Hill and coach Bill Erneste who says Crouse is a die-hard wrestler.

“Preston looks at wrestling like its fun, like its playing ball when you’re a little kid,” Erneste said. “I’ve never seen the guy sad or upset about anything. He realizes wrestling is a part of his life, but that it’s not his life.”

The championship matches for the Trojans began with a strong performance from John Eblen (189), who suffered a souring 1-0 lose in last year’s title match. Eblen left no doubt this time with a convincing 8-1 decision over Jared Johnson of Jefferson City.

“He thought about it every single day and all of his training and everything he did during the year was gearing for this,” Erneste said. “He had to wait 365 days to make up for that performance. He is truly a state champion.”

“It motivated me to be the best I could be,” said Eblen, who will be wrestling at the University of Missouri next year. “I wanted to show I could make a statement not just by a little bit, but by far.”

At 215, Haden Bock wasn’t able to overcome an early deficit in his title match as he took home a second consecutive second-place finish after falling to Holt’s Andrew Lazalier 11-4. Despite the loss, Bock has only good things to look forward to in the future.

“That’s one of the neat things about Haden, he’s going to West Point,” Erneste said. “Maybe he’s looking at being an All-American in college; he has bigger and better things down the road. The number one thing about Haden Bock is he’s always going to be successful.

The Trojans started a streak of three consecutive state title victories at the 112, 119, and 125 weight classes when Bricker Dixon won his first state title after finishing second the two previous years when he defeated Francis Howell’s Sean O’Leary 11-2. The junior won every match in the tournament by eight points or more.

“It was a workmanlike performance and I know he’s feeling pretty good about it, but I know on the way home he’s thinking about next year already,” Erneste said.

Skylar Wood (119) competed in one of the tournament’s most competitive matches as he went to four overtimes against Francis Howell Central’s John Wood before preventing an escape by holding on at the end of the fourth period to clinch the 2-1 victory.

“He’s got a heart the size of Texas,” Erneste said of Wood. “I knew the longer that match went it was going to come down to his heart and when that happens I’ll take him over anybody.”

The 130-pound title match featured three-time state champion Alan Waters attempting to add a fourth state title to his name against Seckman’s Denny Kleinschrodt. It didn’t take long as Waters pinned his opponent after an impressive 1:04 had passed in the first period. Waters is now only one of 19 wrestlers to win four state titles in the history of Missouri high school wrestling.

Freshman Russ Coleman (130) was given a loud ovation as he came into the title match as an underdog against defending champion Terrel Wilbourn of Francis Howell Central. Although competitive early, Coleman fell behind before eventually losing 14-6.

“He didn’t care and he expected to win,” Erneste said of Coleman’s odds. “If you saw the disappointment on his face, he came to Columbia to be a state champion.

Kaleb Friedley (145) won a state title two years ago, but the Trojans didn’t place first as a team. Then, last year he placed third while the Trojans won first. So Friedley was hoping to be on the right side of both titles as he won a tough match against Holt’s Greg Amos 1-0 for his second state title.

“It was kind of bittersweet,” Friedley said of his previous state tournaments. “It’s the best of both worlds now.”

Thus, concluded a dominate Park Hill wrestling season as they displaying near-perfection on their way to their second consecutive state title, fifth in eight years, with six individual champions.

“It’s special, every state championship team has something unique about it,” Erneste said. “I don’t think we’ve ever scored over 165 points in a state championship before.

Trojans Wrestlers dominate districts, set their sights on state championship

The culture of wrestling is unlike any other sport and where a team’s outcome relies heavily on individual performances, the team mentality can be as strong as any. Shortly after Park Hill Wrestling coach Bill Erneste’s team completed a highly successful district tournament which included eight first place finishes and ten qualifiers for the state tournament next weekend, it wasn’t those who would be competing for state titles on his mind, but those that wouldn’t.

“My number one thing is we left two seniors, Corey Sterling and Ryan Sutten,” Erneste said. “These two men are very special to me. I feel sorry for those two seniors because this is their last year and they’ve worked as hard as everyone else.”

They didn’t qualify all 14 wrestlers, but Park Hill was very pleased with their district performance of 250.5 team points, 98.5 points in front of runner-up Lee’s Summit. They’ll now look to the state wrestling tournament this weekend at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri where they hope to bring home their second consecutive Class Four team championship. The ten wrestlers going on to compete in the tournament is more than last year’s nine qualifiers and is tied for second this year with Lafayette. Francis Howell Central’s 11 qualifiers lead the field.

After Paxton DiBlasi took third at 103, the Trojans won four consecutive first place matches in the 112, 119, 125, and 130 weight classes. Bricker Dixon at 112 improved to 42-0 and sported a spirited buzz cut with the Park Hill logo trimmed on the side. After suffering his first loss of the year last week, Skylar Wood at 119 came back strong to finish ahead of the wrestler who dealt him his sole defeat and Alan Waters at 125 continued his pursuit of perfection to go 43-0 as he looks to be become part of a handful of wrestlers in state history to win four state championships.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing highlights of the weekend was in the 130 championship match between PH’s Russ Coleman and Lee’s Summit’s top-seeded Spencer Courier. Coleman, a freshman who just recently earned his varsity roster spot, was down 2-1 with under a minute to go before mounting a series of moves leading to a pin and bringing a Park Hill crowd to its feet with a standing ovation.

“He truly believes, never made an excuse and just battled,” said Erneste. “Russ Coleman is only a freshman by grade. He doesn’t say he’s hurt or walk away, he just keeps coming back at them.”

Preston Crouse (140), Kaleb Friedley (145), John Eblen (189), and Hayden Bock (215) earned district title medals after their victories while Nolan Smith took third at heavyweight.

“We’re going to train like we always do,” Erneste said of state preparations. “Our main key is to focus on the things we can control and make sure it’s done right.”

They’ve been favored since the beginning to take home the title, but the Trojans aren’t naïve about the competition they’ll be facing. Francis Howell Central and Blue Springs, along with familiar district teams like Lee’s Summit and Liberty are all vying to bring home hardware.

“Everyone keeps telling us we’re the front-runner and we like to know we’re the front-runner, but we’re battling and we know anything can happen. There are a lot of people that go to Columbia to win a state championship,” Erneste said. “We just want it to be us.”

Trojan Wrestlers 'on course' to title repeat

Park Hill Wrestling Coach Bill Erneste says he challenges his team to set their goals high and with that, they have high expectations. So to say Park Hill’s goal of winning its second consecutive state championship and placing as many wrestlers as possible at the state tournament later this month is a high expectation would be an understatement. As the Trojans going into what they call their state-third of the season, they’re happy with their progress, but mindful of the room to improve as everyday brings them closer to the opportunity to fulfill their goal.

“The first third of our season went well and we improved on a lot of the things we need to,” Erneste said of his team’s start.

Park Hill finished second at the Toshiba Wrestling Classic at the KCI Expo Center in December where they put an unprecedented six wrestlers in the finals with four netting first place as they competed against some of the top teams in the region. Then, last month they won the Capitol City Wrestling Invitational in Jefferson City followed by the Winnetonka Tournament where they were able to get ten kids into the top three with six of them gaining first place.

“I think we’re on course,” Erneste said. “But every single match you watch and you lose, you know you have to get that much better.”

Just by looking at the lineup Park Hill has, you can see how so much is expected out of this team. For example, Bricker Dixon in the 112 weight class is undefeated and hoping to avenge his second place finish last year. Skylar Wood at 119 has beat the second, third, fourth, and fifth ranked wrestlers in his class this season. Alan Waters at 125 is a three-time state champ hoping to earn his place in Missouri wrestling history by winning an illustrious fourth state title. Russ Coleman just earned his varsity spot at 130 and took first place in the Winnetonka tournament after a series of seven wrestle-offs between him and a teammate for the spot. Preston Crouse at 140 is currently ranked 3rd in the state. Kaleb Friedley has placed first and third in previous state tournaments, but not winning the Winnetonka Tournament leaves Erneste with the impression it has left a positive impression on him.

“Sometimes a kid needs to learn from a lose,” Erneste said. “He’s come back fresh and been a new kid.”

At 189, Johnny Eblen, who was disappointed when he finished second at state last year, has won every tournament except for one this year.

“His goal this year is to stand on the podium and not have to look up at anybody,” Erneste said of Eblen’s personal motivation.

Hayden Bock at 215 was also a second place finisher at state last year and has shown improvement as he gets his last chance to finish on top as a senior. Closing it out at the top in the heavyweight class is Nolan Smith, who has been a great surprise as a sophomore and is wrestling extremely well.

The Trojans were in top condition last week as they competed in and won a dual against William Chrisman in convincing fashion.
As they go into districts and state, the Trojans have begun a process of tapering. For them, it means making sure their bodies are in optimal shape for the most important matches of the season.

“If you’ve woke up every single day at 6am and done your ‘extra’, then went to practice after school for three hours, then it’s ok to go an hour and 30 minutes hard right after school and let everyone’s bodies to feel better,” Erneste said of their final preparations. “Then we’re going to line them up at state and see what they can do.”

The state tournament will be held in Columbia on the weekend of February 19th and 20th.