Feb. 17, 2018
COLUMBIA, Mo. --- Sometimes, it actually is over before it's over.
Yogi couldn't be right all the time, after all.
In this case, the Mexico Bulldogs were even trailing at the time you knew it was over. That, perhaps, made this sweet and historic moment even sweeter.
When Mexico junior Dillon Nichols won the 138-pound individual title during the Missouri State Wrestling Championships on Saturday night at Mizzou Area, the Bulldogs had pulled within 5.5 points of overtaking Monett for the lead in the Class 2 race.
With Monett out of wrestlers in the championship round, Nichols handed it over to Mexico's impossibly good senior duo of Kellen Ekern and Terrese Aaron.
Forget it.
It was over.
Ekern pinned Priory's Greg Rolwes in the third period of their 170-pound final --- Ekern's third straight individual title --- to clinch the team state championship for the Bulldogs, the first in school history.
Not to be forgotten, Aaron added the exclamation point --- he won by fall, he finished his second undefeated championship season, and gave Mexico a 122-115.5 -point win over Monett.
State Champions ... it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Mexico coach Gayle Adams fought back tears as he talked about it.
"For all the hard work that we've all put in --- I'm a little emotional about it --- it means a lot to me, a lot to the school," Adams said, his voice cracking. "The community and the school support they've given us, it's just awesome."
This is Adam's ninth season's coaching the Bulldogs, the last six as head coach. But his roots in Mexico grow a lot deeper than that.
"My son came up through the program, I came up through the program," he said. "I'm a Bulldog through and through, that's what so awesome about it."
It started --- in reality, it started and ended --- with Nichols. In a hard-fought battle with Fulton senior Tucker Caswell, Nichols (45-3) edged Caswell (45-6), 3-2.
It was the third time the pair had met this season, and the third time Nichols won in a down-to-the-wire match.
"Dillon came out and wrestled really well," Adams said. "Tucker is a tough competitor, but Nichols stayed on the game plan, he looked good the whole match.
"Then, Kellen (49-1) and Terrese (50-0) just had to go out and do their jobs. We felt pretty good about it, they're both special."
Nichols knew what was at stake --- and what teammates were to follow.
"I understood that before going out there," he said. "I just tried my hardest to win."
The effort paid off with a state championship.
"To be the first team to do that," Nichols said, "that's pretty great. This just sets the goal for all the other kids who come through Mexico and wrestle."
A kid talking about kids to come ... you've gotta love it. Even better, this accomplishment.
"You know it is," Adams said. "This is for the kids and the school and the community, it's not for me."
That's so wrong, coach. It's for everyone.
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WHILE MEXICO WAS THE ONLY AREA TEAM to win a trophy for a top-four finish, several other wrestlers struck gold.
Leading that charge was Father Tolton, which captured three golds. And leading that Tolton charge were two future Missouri Tigers, both of whom are now four-time state champions --- only the 28th and 29th in state history.
To put it another way, Brock Mauller (152 pounds) and Jarrett Jacques (160) are simply amazing.
"They're wise beyond their years," Tolton coach James Williamson said. "It's been an honor and privilege to coach them in high school and now, it's time for them to spread their wings and fly.
"I'm excited for them to get to college and have five, great Division I coaches working with them every day. It's sad to see them go, but I'm really eager to see them take this to the next level and perform as Missouri Tigers."
The other Tolton title was provided by freshman Teague Travis at 120 pounds. Travis (46-1) narrowly missed a perfect season when he lost to Maysville's Dylan Wade earlier this year, but he avenged that loss in Friday night's semifinals on his way to the gold.
"I think that one loss was a good wake-up call for him," Williamson said. "What he did, it was an amazing performance for a 15 year-old young man.
"He's really going to set the tempo for us the next three years."
But Tolton's headline belongs to Mauller and Jacques, who follow in the footsteps of former teammate Jaydin Clayton --- a four-time undefeated state champion, one of only two in state history.
That brings us to Fulton freshman Sam Hrabovsky --- he now has a chance to join that rarified air.
Hrabovsky finished his season at a perfect 42-0 as he won the Class 2 state championship at 113 pounds with a 6-0 win over Monett's Matthew Bahl.
"This feels really good," Hrabovsky said, "it's what I wanted to do as a freshman in high school. It was a lot of hard work, but I got there."
Other local state champions were Trenton Dillon (Eldon), the school's first champion since 1933, and Jeremiah Kent (Hickman), who will join Mauller and Jacques at Mizzou this fall.
Making history: Mexico rallies
to nab first state wrestling crown
Father Tolton's Brock Mauller celebrates after winning his fourth career state championship Saturday night at Mizzou Arena.
Loeffler's Link
Mexico's Dillon Nichols (red singlet) works on Tucker Caswell of Fulton during their Class 2 138-pound championship match Saturday night at Mizzou Arena.