Summarizing
the Pirates' run to glory
By now you know the story: Platte County's Pirates have
claimed yet another state wrestling championship.
Platte County and Oak Grove both led all Class 1A-2A
schools by each sending 11 wrestlers to the state finals
in Columbia. The wrestlers from Platte County included
seniors Brett Rolofson, 103, Jake Fisher, 152, Robbie
Campbell, 160, Zach Sherman, 189, Chase Verdoorn, 215,
and Charles Grutzmacher, 275; juniors Jason Callaway,
112, Brock Wittmeyer, 145, and Nick Jaros, 171; and sophomores
Steve Fisher, 125, and Joe Hobbs, 130.
Rolofson opened the state competition for Platte County
as one of four number one seeded wrestlers in the 103-pound
weight class. Rolofson looked to repeat as a two-time
state champion. Rolofson was victorious in his first round,
pinning Jim Lasley, from the Missouri School for the Blind,
in 1:17.
Callaway was knocked off in the 112-pound class in his
first match. Callaway lost to Kolby Lankford, from Seneca
by a 6-5 decision. This sent Callaway into the losers’
bracket.
Steve Fisher was defeated in his first match of the 125-pound
weight class by a 9-6 decision to Drew Goding of Whitfield.
Fisher was also sent to the losers’ bracket.
Hobbs also was defeated in the first round of the 130-pound
match and was sent to the losers’ bracket. Hobbs
was pinned in 1:07 by Josh Edelstein of Warsaw.
Wittmeyer looked to compete for the 145-pound state championship,
as he had only one loss all season, and started his attempted
run by defeating Marcus Russell from Lafayette County
by an 8-2 decision. Wittmeyer thus advanced to the next
round.
Jake Fisher attempted to repeat as state champion, this
time in the 152-pound weight class. Fisher won his first
match against Lance Oliaro of Lexington by a fall in 1:13.
Fisher continued on to the second round.
Campbell began to make a run at the 160-pound title by
winning his first match against Alex Useted of Priory
by a 17-1 technical fall. Campbell advanced into the second
round.
Jaros also won his first match, advancing himself into
the second round in the 171-pound weight class. Jaros
defeated Ben Woods of Monett by a pin fall in 1:36.
Sherman began his run for his second state championship
by defeating Eric Mitchell of Knob Noster by a 17-1 technical
fall. This victory advanced Sherman into the next round
of the 189-pound class.
Verdoorn wrestled through his injuries in attempt to
win his third consecutive state championship. Verdoorn
advanced to the second round by pinning Melvin Barry of
Berkeley in 1:20, in the 215-pound weight class.
Grutzmacher concluded the first round for Platte County
by suffering a tough loss in the 275-pound match. Grutzmacher
was sent to the losers’ bracket after losing by a
decision to Nick Sprague of Pleasant Hill in overtime.
Rolofson started out the second round by defeating Stephen
Dawson of Penney with an 18-5 major decision. Rolofson
continued into the semifinals of the 103-pound weight
class.
Callaway picked up his second loss in the 112-pound class
to Lucas Gramke of Centralia by a pin that came at 2:54.
Callaway was knocked out of the state tournament; Gramke
went on to place third. Callaway finished the season with
a record of 29-13.
Steve Fisher was also eliminated from the competition
after suffering his second loss in the 125-pound weight
class. Fisher lost to Justin Hancock from Carrollton by
a 13-6 decision. Fisher finished his season with a record
of 23-20.
Hobbs lost to Jayson Gaston of Oak Grove by a 10-1 major
decision. Hobbs ended his season with a record of 19-23.
Wittmeyer broke the losing streak for Platte County by
defeating Sayre Auck of Centralia with a 17-2 technical
fall. Wittmeyer continued on within the 145-pound weight
class.
Jake Fisher picked up his second win of the 152-pound
weight class by pinning David Myers of Seneca in 2:47.
Fisher advanced to the next round.
Campbell advanced into the next round of the 160-pound
weight class after picking up a win over Billy Daleske
of Warsaw, with a 13-6 decision.
Jaros was shocked in the second round of the 171-pound
class after he picked up a loss to David Griffin of Centralia
by a 4-2 decision. Jaros was forced to now try and place
third after moving to the losers’ bracket.
Sherman picked up another win in the 189-pound weight
class, advancing him into the next round, after defeating
Tyler Billington of Butler by a 9-5 decision.
Verdoorn also advanced to the next round, after pinning
Kelsey Kelm of Centralia in 2:38, in the 215-pound weight
class.
Despite his first round loss, Grutzmacher won his wrestleback
and advanced to the next round in the losers’ bracket.
Grutzmacher defeated Tony Serna from the Missouri Military
Academy by a 4-2 decision.
In the third round, Rolofson won his semifinal match
to advance into the 103-pound weight class finals. Rolofson
defeated Eric Mosinger from John Burroughs with a pin
fall in 3:24. That was the first loss of the season for
Mosinger.
In the 145-pound weight class, Wittmeyer picked up his
second loss of the season and was sent into the losers’
bracket to try and contend for third place. Wittmeyer
lost to Ryan Hall of Oak Grove; Hall went on to win the
145-pound weight class.
Fisher advanced into the finals of the 152-pound weight
class after defeating Marc Macey of Richmond by a 14-2
major decision.
Campbell picked up his first loss of the tournament in
the 160-pound weight class to Chase Campbell from Pleasant
Hill. C. Campbell defeated R. Campbell by an 8-4 decision.
Jaros won his first wrestleback in the 171-pound weight
class after pinning Jacob Hackman from Boonville in 1:24.
Sherman advanced into the finals in the 189-pound weight
class after pinning Matt Dunajcik from MICDS in only 0:31
seconds.
In the next match of the round, Verdoorn advanced into
the finals of the 215-pound weight class after pinning
Chad Stein from Oak Grove in 2:35.
Grutzmacher won his next wrestleback, defeating Bryce
Klein from Richmond with a 5-3 decision in overtime, in
the 275-pound weight class.
Before the finals would take place, all of the wrestlers
who had suffered a loss would continue through the losers’
bracket until all of the matches had taken place.
In the 145-pound losers’ bracket, Wittmeyer pinned
Dusty Webb from Seneca in 2:25, to advance to the third
place match.
Campbell advanced to the third place match in the 160-pound
wrestlebacks after pinning Ian Baldwin from South Harrison
in 4:38.
After Campbell and Wittmeyer won their wrestlebacks,
Jaros continued to win his wrestlebacks, eventually making
it to the third place match of the 171-pound weight class
after pinning David Greathouse from Whitfield in just
0:40 seconds.
Grutzmacher lost to Nick Sprague from Pleasant Hill after
being pinned in 3:22. Despite the loss, Grutzmacher finished
fifth overall in the 275-pound weight class. Grutzmacher
finished the season with a record of 26-11.
After this round in the losers’ bracket, the third
place matches were scheduled to take place.
Wittmeyer took third place in the 145-pound weight class
after defeating Derek Bird from Maysville by a 7-3 decision.
Wittmeyer finished the season with a record of 39-2.
In the 160-pound weight class third place match, Campbell
lost to Spencer Bain from Lawson by a 14-3 major decision.
Campbell finished fourth overall and ended his season
with a record of 28-17.
Jaros finished third in the 171-pound weight class after
pinning Charlie Bacon from Trenton in 2:48. Jaros finished
the season with a record of 40-5.
After that all of the matches were complete except for
the finals, Platte County found themselves trailing Oak
Grove in team scores. The chances for Platte County to
win their third consecutive state title looked slim, since
the Pirates were already trailing Oak Grove in points,
but also because Oak Grove still had five wrestlers left
in the finals compared to only four wrestlers left for
Platte County.
In order to win state, the Pirates needed all of their
wrestlers to win their matches, and some of the Oak Grove
wrestlers to loss their matches.
Rolofson picked up a much-needed win for Platte County
and his second consecutive 103-pound state championship.
Rolofson defeated Richard Vaughn from Warsaw by a 3-1
decision. Rolofson finished the season with a record of
27-3.
The next Platte County wrestler to compete in a championship
match was Fisher in the 152-pound weight class. Fisher
won his second consecutive state title, and narrowed the
point spread between Platte County and Oak Grove, after
picking up a pin after 3:16 against Jonathon Fetters from
Pleasant Hill. Fisher finished the season with a record
of 43-1.
In the 171-pound weight class, Oak Grove had an opportunity
to seal the state championship, but Will Sears from Oak
Grove picked up only his fourth loss of the season, falling
to Carlos Torres from O’Hara.
Since Sears did not win the championship, Platte County
would win the state title if both Sherman and Verdoorn
would win their championship matches.
Knowing that he needed to win his match in order for
Platte County to have a shot at the championship, Sherman
defeated his opponent Justin Talley from Plattsburg by
a decision to win the his second consecutive state title,
this one coming in the 189-pound weight class. Sherman
finished the season with a record of 37-4.
After the victory by Sherman, Platte County trailed Oak
Grove by three points, and only one wrestler was left
between the two schools; that wrestler was Verdoorn.
Verdoorn was competing for his third consecutive state
title, and had not lost in over two years; all he needed
to do now was win the 215-pound weight class state championship.
If Verdoorn were to win the match, no matter how slim
the margin, the Pirates would receive their third consecutive
team title.
Despite not having lost a match in over two years, Verdoorn
was not guaranteed a victory as he had still not completely
healed from his injuries that kept him out of action through
most of this season. Early in the match, Verdoorn was
able to get in the lead over his opponent Derek Lampkin
from Lawson, and hold the lead through the entire match.
Verdoorn defeated Lampkin by a 9-6 decision for his third
consecutive state championship, and for Platte County’s
third consecutive Class 1A-2A Championship, edging Oak
Grove by the smallest margin of victory ever in Missouri.
Platte County finished first overall with 178.5 points,
and they were followed by Oak Grove with 177.5 points.
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