Tigers host fourth annual Carthage Holiday Varsity Dual wrestling tournament
Dec. 26—CARTHAGE, Mo. — Coming off a 3-1 pre-Christmas record and third-place finishes in the two tournaments it has participated in, the Carthage Tigers wrestling team will host its own Holiday Varsity Dual Tournament starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Carthage High School Gymnasium.
Carthage wrestling coach Nate Kelly said six wrestling teams will participate in a new format that pits schools from the Kansas City area against Southwest Missouri schools with 14 wrestling matches taking place on two mats in the main Carthage gymnasium and one in the auxiliary gym.
Teams attending this year are Grain Valley, Liberty North and Raymore-Peculiar for the north division, and Nixa, Neosho and Carthage for the south division.
"Each 'south' school will have a dual versus each 'north' school, and the north and south schools with the best record for the day win the tournament plaque for their region," Kelly said. "The dual tournament style brings a fun team atmosphere because individuals have the opportunity to help their team even if they lose their match."
Kelly said the tournament format gives wrestlers from both regions a chance to see wrestlers they may not see again until district and state meets in February 2024.
He also said the scoring is different in a tournament versus a normal dual meet because even wrestlers who lose their match can gain points for their team depending on how well they wrestle in defeat.
"I hope to see some match-ups of tough wrestlers that we don't normally see in our season," Kelly said. "This tournament will give us a gauge on how we measure up against other class 4 schools that we will see at state."
Kelly said a number of Tiger wrestlers have been doing well this season and are setting themselves up for a run through the Central Ozark Conference and into state competition.
Senior Bradyn Tate, at 138 pounds, is 16-0 so far in 2024 and 120-26 in his career.
"He has been a leader to his team by holding himself and others to the Carthage standard," Kelly said.
"Junior Tanner Putt (106), is currently 12-1, and a career record of 48-20. He met his goal of qualifying for state last year and is working toward bigger and better this season."
Kelly also pointed to standout performances by senior Dylan Huntley, 10-4 on the season, and junior Davis Recinos and freshman Caden Groom, who are both 8-4 so far.
"We've got a lot of young players, juniors and especially freshmen who were on the junior varsity who have stepped up to the varsity this year," Kelly said. "They have really stepped up to the plate."
For more details on the Carthage wrestling schedule for the rest of the season, see this link: https://carthagetigers.net/sports/wrestling/schedule
