Kahok boys wrestlers start season off with several wins
by Mark Jurgena
The boys’ wrestling team from Collinsville High School saw success in their early season.
They began the year on Nov. 25 with a triangular beating both Sparta and Litchfield at Fletcher Gym to get the season off on the right foot.
Kahoks Connor Castens, Bryson Jone, Mason Hare, Cameron Minner, Mac Jobe, Montray Crume and Jack Shepherd all won both of their matches on the evening.
On Nov. 30 they were involved in a series of dual meets at O’Fallon.
Collinsville beat Springfield High 75-5 and Mattoon 54-21 but fell to St. Louis (CBC) 52-40.
Hare, Jobe, Crume and Scott Snyder all went undefeated on the day.
The Kahoks squared off with Edwardsville on the road at the Jon Davis Wrestling Center on Dec. 5. While CHS fell to the Tigers, Minner and Snyder won matches for the Kahoks.
Collinsville traveled to Central Illinois on Dec. 7 to participate in the Tyler Cox Invitational at Chatham (Glenwood) High School.
The Kahoks took home a seventh-place finish out of 19 teams with 122 points. Glenwood won the championship with 241 points with Grayslake (Central) piling up 189.5 and Washington was third at 173.5.
Minner was Collinsville’s lone champion for the day at 138 pounds. He beat Michael Mendoza of Washington by tech fall 23-6 for his title. He went 3-1 on the day with two pins.
Jordan Thigpen finished in second place at 120 pounds. He went 3-1 on the day, falling to Krish Sahu of Grayslake (Central) by a tech fall. Thigpen had two pins on the day.
Carter Bub took a third place finish at the meet at 150 pounds. He went 3-1 on the day including three pins. He pinned Jon Martin of Carbondale at the 3:24 mark.
Crume finished fourth on the day with a 2-2 record. He scored a pinfall and a major decision.
In his third place match, Crume was beaten in a sudden victory match against Macellx Boling of Charleston.
Shepherd was also fourth with a 2-2 record including a pin.
Collinsville won a huge dual match at O’Fallon by a 41-40 count on Dec. 11.
Snyder, Thigpen, C. Hare, M. Hare, Minner, Bub and Adrian Bucaro all won their matches by pin with the exception of M. Hare who won his contest by tech fall.
Underclass results
Carson Hare, Hayden Price and Ryan Moore all brought home first-place finishes at the Granite City freshman tournament on Dec. 5.
Three other freshmen brought back second-place medals. They include Jude Soltani and Kolby Pugh with Walt Shanklin taking third place.
At Collinsville’s Ryan Stolcis Memorial tournament on Dec. 14, three Kahoks finished first. They were Jeddiah O’Dell, Kenny Phegley and Cade Pfleger.
Taking second was Pugh and Bryson Jones.
Kahoks finishing third included C. Hare, Waltaveus Shanklin, Hayden Price and Michael Kamau.
Upcoming Schedule
Collinsville had a home match with Mascoutah and St. Charles, Mo. (Orchard Farm) on Monday however results were unavailable at press time.
They are back in action on Friday and Saturday at the Mascoutah Invitational.
May on his team
Coach May discussed what he believes has contributed to the fast start by his squad.
“I think culture, this is my third season and the senior boys have been with me all four years, I was an assistant their freshman year,” said May. “I think they are starting to see what we are doing and they like it. I have a lot of leaders on the team and they are very good role models for the underclassmen and everyone in the room is extremely motivating. I would say that’s our biggest change.”
