Waukee Northwest heavyweight Jamal Neeway ready to keep climbing the ranks
Every point mattered between Waukee Northwest and Johnston on Thursday night, with four top 50 wrestlers competing in the dual and a host of others looking to make a name for themselves.
The match began at 190 pounds between Waukee Northwest's Abraham Parker and Johnston's Kolby Gibbons. Tied at two apiece, Gibbons picked up a three-point near fall to secure a win over Parker. Rolling into the next match at 215, Johnston's Mason Roethler trailed 3-0 early on. After taking a 4-3 advantage with a pair of takedowns, Roethler's momentum built up into an eventual pin and a 9-0 lead for Johnston to start the night.
Both of the opening matches were determined by single moments. In a dual that was so close on paper, dropping two bouts in that fashion easily could have been a gut punch for Waukee Northwest against a great opponent.
Rolling into the next match at heavyweight, there was a sudden shift in the energy inside Waukee Northwest's gymnasium. As Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode" came on over the speakers, Waukee Northwest junior Jamal Neeway came out and made his way to the scorer's table to check in for the match. The home crowd, previously silenced by the hot start from Johnston, seemed to lock back in for Neeway as he was showered with "Let's go Jamal!" from many fans in attendance.
In a back-and-forth battle with Johnston junior Nick Darling, Neeway continued to look for his chance. With the match hanging in the balance, Neeway took his shot and planted Darling on his back. The Dragons' junior flailed from left to right, looking for a way out and off of his shoulders, but Neeway held on for the fall to cut the team's deficit to just three.
"I just kept wrestling through the position and stayed chest to chest like my coaches taught me," Neeway said.
Neeway's win was the beginning of a seven-match win streak for the Wolves, earning 33 team points in that stretch, which was just enough to outlast Johnston on the night and win the dual, 33-32.
It was a prime example of the role Neeway, who prides himself on being the spark plug of the lineup, takes on for Waukee Northwest. Seniors Carter Freeman (Northern Iowa commit) and Koufax Christensen (Oklahoma commit), who have six state titles between them, embrace the lead-by-example approach. Not often the vocal, motivating type, so Neeway makes sure to be the life force of the team and tells them to "stand on business" heading into competitions.
As a team that has a "workman mentality" according to coach Chad Vollmecke, Neeway's energy is a massive addition to a roster that also needs a presence to keep it light.
"He drives me crazy, but I love him to death," Vollmecke said. "He brings energy all the time."
Neeway hasn't been wrestling long, picking it up in eighth or ninth grade after fellow teammate Lincoln Hutt told him in his German language class he should join the team. Since then, the heavyweight wrestler has fallen in love with the sport.
"I like the competitiveness," Neeway said. "I like my ability to go out there, wrestle and have fun. I don't really stress much."
Neeway is just starting to get his feet wet in the wrestling realm. In his sophomore season, the Wolves' heavyweight was a state qualifier and the No. 16 seed at the IHSAA championships after recording a 22-10 record in the regular season. He ended the tournament with a 3-2 record. This spring, he took his talents to the Iowa State Freestyle and Greco Championships, finishing fourth in both events against the best of the best in the state.
Despite just getting his start, the potential is starting to flash.
"His ceiling is super high," Vollmecke said. "The kid's got the athletic ability and he's just learning about wrestling. He hasn't been wrestling super long in his life, so his ceiling is super high. He could do really great things."
For Neeway, he hopes to continue wrestling past high school. Where that will be and what he is looking for in a college is still up in the air, but in the meantime, he's excited to continue his rise among the state's heavyweights.
"I just want to climb as high as I can," Neeway said. "Keep wrestling ranked wrestlers above me and just keep climbing if I can."
Full results from Waukee Northwest's win over Johnston
106 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Carew Christensen over Johnston's Ike Bierman (21-6, win by tech. fall)
113 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Joey Cahilll over Johnston's Etahn Huebbe (3-2, win by decision)
120 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Drake Phillips over Johnston's Isaiah Madison (8-3, win by decision)
126 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Koufax Christensen over Johnston's Shandrel Thompson (win by fall)
132 pounds - Waukee Northwest's John King over Johnston's Owen Gilbert (18-2, win by tech. fall)
138 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Carter Freeman over Johnston's Wes Weiford (17-2, win tech. fall)
144 pounds - Johnston's Carson Cromwell over Waukee Northwest's Ben Gallagher (23-8, win by tech. fall)
150 pounds - Johnston's Caden Leonard over Waukee Northwest's Lincoln Hutt (9-3, win by decision)
157 pounds - Johnston's Max Kelly over Waukee Northwest's Isaac Vollmecke (7-6, win by decision)
165 pounds - Johnston's Jacob Helgeson over Waukee Northwest's Gabe Rubino (win by fall)
175 pounds - Johnston's Braden Blackorby over Waukee Northwest's Bryce Williams (win by fall)
190 pounds - Johnston's Kolby Gibbons over Waukee Northwest's Abraham Parker (5-2, win by decision)
215 pounds - Johnston's Mason Roethler over Waukee Northwest's Henry Mohr (win by fall)
285 pounds - Waukee Northwest's Jamal Neeway over Johnston's Nick Darling (win by fall)
Final score - Waukee Northwest 33, Johnston 32
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Waukee Northwest heavyweight Jamal Neeway prepared for rise to the top
