Wilson’s chance to repeat as wrestling state champ is denied, four Pirates bring home medals

February 20, 2022 | By Muddy River Sports

Hannibal’s Trevor Wilson, right, wrestles Neosho’s Eli Zar during the Class 3 170-pound state championship match Saturday night at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Neosho wrestler Eli Zar denied Hannibal’s Trevor Wilson a spot in history.

Zar used a late takedown in the third period to cement a 7-2 victory in the Class 3 170-pound state championship match Saturday night at Mizzou Arena, ruining Wilson’s chance to repeat as the state champion.

Wilson won his first three matches at the state tournament with two pins and a four-point decision in the semifinals, but against Zar, the Hannibal senior allowed a takedown with one second remaining in the first period to fall behind 2-0.

A reversal tied the match in the second period, but Zar escaped 10 seconds later and went into the third period 3-2. Wilson was hit with a penalty point for unnecessary roughness 13 seconds into the final period, and he allowed Zar to escape 11 seconds later for a 5-2 lead.

Zar’s takedown with 21 seconds to go gave him his 50th victory of the season and the title.

Wilson ends his historic career with a 40-4 record and more than 150 career victories.

He was one of four Hannibal wrestlers to bring home a medal.

At 120 pounds, sophomore Tristan Essig finished third after winning two matches Saturday. In the wrestleback semifinals, Essig scored a takedown in overtime to beat North Point’s Chad Benwell Jr. 2-0. In the third-place match, Essig used a takedown and an escape in the third period for a 4-2 victory over Farmington’s Presley Johnson.

Essig (41-5) had beaten Johnson 5-1 in the quarterfinals.

At 126 pounds, Hannibal’s Cody Culp had his run of three consecutive victories in the wrestlebacks end in the third-place match. After beating Smithville’s Kolby McClain 2-0 in the semifinals, Culp lost 6-3 to Webster’s Alex Turley for third place.

Culp finished his sophomore season with a 38-8 record.

At 106 pounds, the Pirates sophomore Reign Creech beat Willard’s Shawn Lang 4-2 in the consolation semifinals but fell 7-3 to Carl Junction’s Lucas Walker in the third-place match. Creech finished with a 36-9 record.