Tiger middle school wrestlers compete in Seneca

Nevada Middle School wrestler Asa Wilson (left) squares off with Seneca’s Evan Davidson, Nov. 28 at Nevada Middle School.

Ralph Pokorny | Daily Mail

Coming off a pair of home meets last week, the Nevada Middle School wrestling team was back in action over the weekend, competing at the Seneca Junior High Tournament.

Nevada placed seventh at the 14-team tournament, with Bolivar claiming the top prize, Monett finishing runner-up, and McDonald County rounding out the top three.

NMS results

• Mokey Dawn, placed second in 75 pound (A) weight class. Finished 2-1 overall.

• Ethan Dighero, placed third in 85 pound (A) weight class. Advanced to championship bracket, finished 3-1 overall.

• J.D. Downing, placed in the 90 pound (A) weight class. Advanced to championship bracket, finished 3-1 overall.

• Braylin Brooks’s placed seventh in the 95 (A) weight division, finished 1-4 overall.

• Zade Lee placed fifth in the 100 pound (A) weight division, finished 3-2 overall.

• Steven Zachary placed eighth in the 105 (A) weight division, finished 1-4 overall.

• Kaden Padgett placed seventh in the 110 (A) weight division, finished 2-2 overall.

• Michael Culpeper placed first in the 115 pound (A) weight division, finished 5-0, winning the championship match by 5-2 decision.

Nevada’s Case Sanderson locks up Seneca’s Aidan Brown with a Half-Nelson.

Ralph Pokorny | Daily Mail

• Gage Miller placed fourth in the 120 (A) weight division, finishing 2-2 overall.

• Skylur Mashek placed is third in the 180 pound (A) weight division. Advanced to championship bracket, finished 2-2 overall.

• Blake Cox placed first in the 80-85 pound (B) weight division, finishing 5-0 overall.

• Joe Fahenstock placed fourth in the 95 pound (B) weight division, finishing 1-3 overall.

• Daylan Harth’s placed sixth in the 100 (B) weight division, finishing 0-5 overall.

• Eli Mosher placed fourth in the 105 (B) weight division, finishing 0-3 overall. B 115A

• Case Sanderson placed second in the 115 (B) weight division, finishing 2-1 overall. B 120

• Tristen Shepherd placed fourth in the 120 (B) weight division, finishing 2-3 overall.

Nevada’s Mokey Dawn gets the drop on Seneca’s Alex Mejia-Jerez, Nov. 28 at Nevada Middle School.

Ralph Pokorny | Daily Mail

• Michael Treese placed third in the B-134 (B) weight division, finishing 0-2 overall. 3rd and has scored 7.00 team points.

• Kenneth Johnson placed fourth in the 148 (B) weight division, finishing 1-3 overall.

• Logan Smith placed third in the B-165 (A) weight division, finishing 1-2 overall.

• Tyler Vance placed fifth in the B-180 (A) weight division, finishing 0-4 overall.

• Walter Dulaney placed fourth in the B 215-265B weight division, finishing 0-3 overall.

Home meets

After opening the season with four consecutive road meets, the middle school Tigers were finally able to showcase their skills in front of their home crowd, hosting a pair of meets last week. The first meet was held Tuesday, Nov. 28, as the Tigers welcomed in Carl Junction and Seneca.

Nevada’s Kaden Padgett, looks to escape a headlock applied by Seneca’s David Cooper. Padgett’s father, Monte, who was in attendance, was a former Nevada High School state champion wrestler — claiming the crown in the 160 pound weight division in 1990.

Ralph Pokorny | Daily Mail

Nevada’s second and final home meet of the season, a quad match with Joplin South, Joplin East and Cassville was held two days later.

“Our (student-athletes) are working very hard, and their willingness to fight through tough positions and situations is something we are very proud of as a coaching staff,” said NMS wrestling coach Josh Smith. “Our kids never quit and they fight to the very end of a match. They have a lot of potential and, if they stay together and work hard as they continue their wrestling careers they will be very successful.”

Home meet with CJ and Seneca (NMS results)

The Nevada Tiger middle school wrestling team poses for a picture after competing at the 14-school Seneca Junior High Tournament. Pictured, front row from left: Ethan Dighero, Braylin Brooks, Joseph Fahenstock, Blake Cox, Mokey Dawn, and J.D. Downing. Middle row, l-r: Case Sanderson, Daylan Harth, Kaden Padgett, Michael Culpeper, Zade Lee, Michael Treese, and Steven Zachary. Back row, l-r: Coach Jerrod Alexander, Tristen Shepherd, Walter Dulaney, Eli Mosher, Logan Smith, Skylur Mashek, Gage Miller, Kenneth Johnson, Tyler Vance, and coach Josh Smith.

Submitted photo

• Zade Lee, 0-2; Asa Wilson, 2-0; Kaden Padgett, 1-1; Chance Dighero, 1-1; Tanner Klotz, 1-2; J.D. Downing, 0-2; Mokey Dawn, 0-2; Coulter Smith, 0-2; Michael Culpeper, 2-0; Case Sanderson, 1-0; Michael Treese, 2-0; Kennedy D’elia, 0-1; Kenneth Johnson, 0-1; Logan Smith, 0-3; Tyler Vance, 0-1; Braylin Brooks, 1-1; Gage Miller, 1-1; Tristen Shepherd, 0-1; Eli Mosher, 0-3; Daylan Harth, 0-2; Russell Brattin, 0-2; Joseph Fahenstock, 0-1; Ethan Dighero, 2-0.

Quad meet (NMS results)

• Michael Treese, 0-3; Michael Culpeper, 2-0; Kennedy D’elia, 0-2; Mokey Dawn, 2-0; Coulter Smith, 0-2; J.D. Downing, 2-0; Daylan Harth, 0-2; Zade Lee, 1-0; Braylin Brooks, 0-1; Chance Dighero, 1-1; Eli Mosher, 1-1; Asa Wilson, 1-1; Kaden Padgett, 0-1; Case Sanderson, 1-1; Gage Miller, 0-1; Logan Smith, 0-3; Tyler Vance, 0-3; Tristen Shepherd, 0-1; Kenneth Johnson, 0-1; Blake Cox, 1-1; Joseph Fahenstock, 1-1; Ethan Dighero, 3-0; Skylur Mashek, 2-0; Walter Dulaney, 0-1.

“Our (student-athletes) again wrestled hard from whistle-to-whistle,” noted Smith. “They were aggressive, and several won some big matches. Coach (Jerrod) Alexander and I are so proud of how this team responds to adversity and how well they fight through an entire match.”