12th Annual Metro Classic
by Randy Hinderliter

There was one team in this dual-wrestling event that received a real spanking. Too bad that it was the Kansas boys with the sore tushy!

The Metro Classic is one of my favorite events. “The main purpose of the Metro Classic is to provide the opportunity to showcase the BEST senior wrestlers in the Kansas City Metro area.” For the past several years, the event has been held on the campus of Kansas City Kansas Community College.

This year there were 15 matches between the two States. The first bout was at 112-pounds. Tim Munyan from St. Thomas Aquinas, a runner-up in the 2004, 6A State was pitted against, Caleb Dixon. Dixon attends Platte County High School and was a State Champ this year. It was Dixon taking the early lead on a knee pick. The Showme was working the “surfboard and power-half.” Munyan did a great job fighting from his back for 40 seconds until the buzzer ended the period. Dixon’s choice was to work from the neutral position and he from there he would extend his lead. Munyan was taking some shots and Dixon was working the “spin behind.” Dixon “cut” Tim after each takedown and built a 3-13 lead as the second period ended. Tim hadn’t been able to work in the advantage position yet but would have his chance as he elected top. Tim was working the crossbody and the surfboard, frantically trying for a turn. At 1.12 left Munyan earned a stall warning from Dixon and with 0.30 left earned 1-point. The match was over and Tim Munyan lost by a score of 4-13.

At 119-pounds, it would be Cody Bell from Basehor-Linwood against Mark Carey from Raytown South. Bell was a 4th place finisher at the 4A State tourney and Carey was a runner-up in Missouri. After the start of this match, it was clear to see that Carey had a decisive quickness edge. In this match one would also see what would be a theme for the night. Missouri would take us down and immediately cut us loose. Carey did that to perfection in a series of low singles and low doubles. When Bell managed to down block, it was peak outs. Final score, 6-16. Team score, 0-8.

Team Kansas needed to slow down the momentum built by the Showme’s and looked to Olathe South’s’ Daniel Elsrode to do that. Daniel’s opponent was Ben Oglesby from Oak Grove. I had to double-check what weight class this was, because Oglesby looked huge! But it was, in fact, 125-pounds. This match started with both wrestlers getting in deep on the other. Missouri finally scored the takedown, late in the period. Oglesby opted down and Elsrode picked up a stall warning for failing to return Oglesby after a standup. The Showme managed a reversal and cut Daniel. It was another takedown for Oglesby before the end of the 2nd period. With the score, 1-6, Chino decided to return to his feet. Elsrode was in deep on Oglesby a few times but could not gain the takedown. Late in the match it was Oglesby scoring and the match ended, 1-8. Team score, 0-11.

The next match was contest at 130-pounds. Dustin Crotinger from Santa Fe Trail was matched against Jon Gerhold from Oak Park. Gerhold was short and powerful and used those assets to his advantage. Crotinger attempted to shoot but it was Gerhold with the front headlock. Gerhold milked the FHL to the near ankle for the takedown and immediately cut Dustin. In examining Gerhold’s credentials a bit further, it seems as though he set a school record with 242 takedowns on the year. The Showme continued to work the Front headlock and threw in a nice double leg and a snap and spin to show his versatility. Missouri wins by tech fall. Team score, 0-16.

Team Kansas had a gaping hole and needed to stop the bleeding. Matt Middleton did just that. The State champ from Bonner Springs would be facing a 4th place finisher from Platte County, Steve Fisher. One had to wonder as this 135-pound bout opened, as Fisher scored the first takedown on a Front headlock, go behind. But Middleton quickly reversed the position. An escape for Fisher followed the Sunflower’s first takedown of the night was scored by Matthew to end the period. The Showme opted down to start the second but found Middleton very adept at his riding skills. Middleton exposed Fisher for two and after a brief blood timeout exposed him again. Kansas would elect down but Missouri cut his loose. Matthew scored again on a sweet double-leg. Final score, 11-3. Team score, 4-16.

Hopes, were starting to lift a bit, as Team Kansas finally was on the board. But hopes … were dashed in the next match at 140-pounds. Leavenworth’s Patrick Keane faced Stephen Zamora of Oak Park in this bout. Keane started out hot and was in deep on Zamora but the Showme countered out of the takedown. Twice more, it was Keane in deep with Zamora scrambling out. Finally Zamora’s scrambling paid off as was credited with a takedown with 0.14 left in the first. Keane chose bottom and attempted a switch but a beautiful float over earned Zamora three near fall points. The Kansan regained his belly but found himself giving back points again as the Showme hooked up a arm bar and picked wrist. Missouri earns the fall and the bandage over the wound on Team Kansas was ripped off. Team score, 4-22.

The next bout was at 145-pounds where Ft. Scotts State Champ, Alvin Metcalf was slated against Raymore-Peculiar State Champ, Leremie Shaffer. In the early stages of this bout, both wrestlers were displaying the skills that made them champions. Each, countering and scrambling. The edge however went to Shaffer. The first period ended with Shaffer holding the lead, 2-4. Missouri elected to try his skills in the bottom position. Shaffer gained the reversal and then cut Metcalf loose. Metcalf gave up the takedown and two back points at the close of the second. Alvin opted down and a scramble led them out-of-bounds. After the re-start, Shaffer hooked up the ¾ nelson and quickly stacked Metcalf on the mat. Team score, 4-28.

It was a bad dream that you couldn’t wake up from and the hits kept coming. The lineup card didn’t offer any relief as Derek Lang from Baldwin was matched against Blake Peterson of St. Joseph Central. Lang finished 3rd this year in 4A State but Peterson was a State Champ with a 49-0 record. This match at 152-pounds was an impressive victory for Peterson. The final score of the bout was 2-14. Team score, 4-32.

Meeting at 160-pounds were Turner’s Mike Steinmetz and Oak Park’s D.L. Gleason. Both were runner-ups in their respective State tourneys. Both of these wrestlers start off very cautiously with no one scoring in the first period. Steinmetz was cut to go up, 1-0 at the start of the 2nd. Gleason was beginning to figure Steinmetz out and earned a takedown. For good measure, Mike was cut again and was taken down again as the period ended. Missouri worked the escape and then it was Gleason protecting the lead he had built. Steinmetz tried to summon up some magic but to no avail. Final score, 2-5. Team score, 4-35.

Also at 160 we would have a match between Conner Fitzgerald of Olathe South and Ryan Berry of Ray-Pec. Again, both of these wrestlers were runner-ups in their State. The early action had Fitz attempting a throw but Berry countered it to earn the first takedown. The second period began and Missouri earned the reversal. In the final period, Fitzgerald elected neutral. It was Fitz in on the single leg but Berry whipped him with a Front headlock to score a takedown with 3 near fall. Behind by a 0-9 count Conner did manage an escape and then caught Berry in a sudden head-and-arm. The ref awarded a 2-point near fall and Berry managed a reversal. A valiant effort but not enough, final, 5-11. Team score, 4-38.

At 171 we would find State champ versus State champ. In this bout, Paola’s Nathan Payne would have a go with Ray-Pec’s Cody Newman. If this match looked close on paper, it was even closer on the mat. In the final period it was all tied at 3’s. Nate had elected bottom and earned the lead with an escape. But Newman fought back and took the lead with a nice double-leg at 0.33. With 18 seconds left it was Payne again earning the escape. Overtime? Maybe … until the never-say-die … Nathan Payne scored a takedown with 1 second left. Bout score, 7-5, team score, 7-38.

In the second 171-pound match we would have Kyle Flory of Baldwin matched up with Robert Shadrach of Kearney. Shadrach was in control of this match throughout. He used a nice shuck to gain the first takedown and in the second-period earned a takedown with a 3-point nearfall. Flory tried to come back but a late takedown scored the victory for Missouri. Final score 3-9. Final score, 7-41.

Bradley Page from Paola was pitted against Stephen Murray from Kearney is this match at 189-pounds. Page was a late replacement for a scratch in the Kansas lineup. He fought hard but could not overcome the Showme. Final score, 3-10. Team score, 7-44.

Again we had State Champs facing each other as Shawnee-Mission North’s Raymond Carrera would meet Derek Lampkin of Lawson. And again, it looked to be a good match on paper but the paper was wrong. Early, Lampkin showed his dominance of his feet building a 3-8 lead with 4 takedowns. In the second, Lampkin earned two more takedowns but Carrera did reverse the last one. Raymond opted to wrestle from bottom and again earned a reversal. But Lampkin had a safe lead and cruised out clock to win 9-14. Team score, 7-47.

In the final match at 275-pounds, we had Garrett Jones of Blue Valley Northwest matched against Mike Gunselman of Park Hill. Hill would take the early advantage scoring a takedown. But Jones would fight back at the end of the second to tie the match at 4-4. Gunselman earned the escape early in the third and sealed the victory with a takedown. Jones did escape to make the final score, 5-7.

The final team score was 7-50! Team Missouri was dominant on their feet, beating the Kansan’s in takedowns, 50 to 5. A lot has been make of the fact that the Showme’s had one-week longer since their State tourney. In my opinion, that is just an excuse. I don’t feel it has been an issue in the past and shouldn’t be one now! It seems that Missouri made a serious commitment to the event and we … sadly … did not! That argument only holds water if; we were loosing matches in the third period.

Putting that aside, Team Kansas was out-hustled and out-muscled, on the mat. The Showme’s were quicker, better technicians, and better wrestlers than we were. We gave up fifty (50) takedowns and only scored five (5). I am sorry, but that has nothing to do with conditioning. Team Missouri’s accomplishments were outlined in their bios, and they did not stop with folkstyle. The Showme’s had a breadth of experience in Freestyle and Greco. We had only a handful with the degree of experience Missouri had.

The bad news … we need to get better … in every aspect of our wrestling. The good news … we CAN get better. But it takes dedication of wrestlers and coaches alike.