Missouri state wrestling: Palmyra’s Arch, Hannibal’s Wilson reach championship matches

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Collin Arch’s mission to be one of the greatest high school wrestlers in Missouri history remains on course.

Trevor Wilson’s pursuit of being one of Hannibal’s greatest grapplers ever is on task, too.

Saturday, they both hope to enjoy another crowning moment.

Arch, the Palmyra junior wrestling at 138 pounds, advanced to the Class 1 state championship match with his third consecutive pin this weekend at Mizzou Arena and will look to remain undefeated in his prep career by three-peating as a state champion.

Wilson, the 170-pound Pirates senior, will have the chance to repeat as a Class 3 state champion when a third-period reversal gave him a cushion in his state semifinal matchup.

Four others will medal as well after an eventful Friday at the boys state wrestling championships.

Arch locked up his spot in the title match by pinning Mid-Buchanan’s Clayton Rotterman in 1:10 in the semifinals and sticking Brookfield’s Devan Pam in 3:17 in the semifinals. Against Rotterman, Arch scored a takedown 19 seconds into the match, earned a three-point nearfall and got the pin 15 seconds later.

Against Pam, Arch led 7-1 after the first period thanks to two takedowns and a three-point nearfall. He chose to start the second period down, scored an escape, worked a takedown and got the pin in 3:17 to improve to 39-0 this season.

Arch will face Trenton junior Hunter McAtee (31-3) in the championship.

Wilson earned the chance to repeat with a couple of hard-fought victories. In the quarterfinals against Carl Junction’s Tony Stewart, Wilson led 3-0 going to the third period, but with Stewart starting down, he flipped him onto his back and got a three-point nearfall before getting the pin in 5:15.

In the semifinals, Wilson took the lead with a takedown of Whitfield’s Reece Callahan in the first period, extended the advantage with a two-point nearfall and a takedown in the second period and cemented the 8-4 victory with a reversal in the third period.

Wilson (40-3) will face Neosho junior Eli Zar (49-4) in the championship.

Two other Hannibal wrestlers lost in the semifinals.

Reign Creech, a sophomore at 106 pounds, beat Windsor’s Brayden Belding 7-0 in the quarterfinals but suffered a 16-0 technical fall loss to North Point’s Kaden Purler in the semifinals. Creech (35-8) is guaranteed a top-six finish and could finish as high as third.

Tristan Essig, a sophomore at 120 pounds reached the semifinals with a 5-1 victory over Farmington’s Presley Johnson. Facing Whitfield sophomore Porter Matecki in the semifinals, Essig allowed a second-period escape to decide the match as he fell 1-0. Essig (29-5) also is guaranteed a medal.

Palmyra senior Luke Triplett finds himself in the same position. Wrestling at 220 pounds, Triplett reached the semifinals with a pin of Adrian’s Jence Griffith in 3:53. Facing Trenton senior Caleb Johnson, Triplett led 1-0 heading to the third period before giving up an escape and a takedown. Triplett escaped with a minute remaining, but couldn’t score in falling 3-2.

Triplett (37-8) will wrestle twice Saturday before taking the podium.

Hannibal sophomore Cody Culp also guaranteed himself a top-six finish and medal by battling through the wrestlebacks. Culp lost a 6-2 decision in the quarterfinals at 126 pounds to Whitfield’s Alexander Rallo. He then pinned Washington’s Devin Deckelman in 1:34 and scored a 4-0 decision over McDonald’s Blaine Ortiz to get into the top six.

At 132 pounds in Class 1, Palmyra freshman Brayden Pillars advanced in wrestlebacks with a pin of Lathrop’s Keaton Coots in 4:36. Pillars (32-20) was eliminated with a 4-2 loss to Maysville’s Draken Bennett one match before the medal rounds.