Prairie State Profile: Youthful Panthers look to make state take notice in wrestling regional

The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight Illinois area student-athletes.

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The youth wrestling program designed to promote the sport and serve as a feeder program for Central’s high school team is working.

Saturday, the rest of the state will start to see how well it works.

The Central wrestling team will compete in the Class 1A Tremont Regional, one of 10 teams vying to push wrestlers through to the sectionals and set the course for a state appearance. With wrestlers in 10 of the 14 weight classes and five grapplers who have already won 30 or matches this season, the Panthers should be in the conversation for the regional team title.

And this is only the start of something special.

Kyus Mitchell, wrestling at 170 pounds, is the only senior in Central’s lineup. Hunter Bolton at 160 and Dalton Reische at 220 are the only juniors. The rest of the roster features underclassmen who are filled with vim and vigor.

It could make the Panthers contenders for years to come.

Those underclassmen should be contenders Saturday, too.

Sophomore Conner Griffin heads into the postseason with a 37-7 record at 152 pounds and has finished second twice and third once in his last three tournaments. Sophomore Jack Thompson is 37-6 at 113 pounds, won the championship at the Quincy Invitational and finished second and third at two other tournaments.

Sophomore Konnor Bush has finished fourth or better in his last three tournaments and carries a 31-13 record at 145 pounds. Sophomore Kanye Mitchell is coming off a second-place finish at the QND Invitational at 120 pounds and holds a 33-9 record.

Kyus Mitchell is the other 30-match winner, sporting a 31-11 record.

Also competing at Tremont will be Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West, and the Raiders’ Curtis Steinkamp should be a title contender at 126 pounds. The senior is 35-3 and coming off the championship at the QND Invitational.

In Class 3A action at Quincy High School, the Blue Devils will play host to the regionals and have several wrestlers vying for championships, including Kayden Garrett at 170 pounds and Bryor Newbold at 182.

Follow the Class 1A Tremont Regional online by clicking here.

Follow the Class 3A Quincy Regional online by clicking here.