After his team lost its dual to St. Charles last week in the Gateway Athletic Conference North quadwrangler at Winfield, the Warrenton wrestling team needed help if it was going to win its first GAC …
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After his team lost its dual to St. Charles last week in the Gateway Athletic Conference North quadwrangler at Winfield, the Warrenton wrestling team needed help if it was going to win its first GAC North title.
After the loss, Head Coach Kevin Fowler’s advice to his team was simple.
“I told them St. Charles West was going to beat St. Charles, so they need to be ready,” he said. “And they were. They stepped up against St. Charles West and did well.”
Warrenton watched as St. Charles West beat St. Charles, 44-36, opening the door for Warrenton in its final dual against St. Charles West.
“It’s a huge step for us,” Fowler said of his team’s 45-33 win over the Warriors to capture a conference championship. “Now that we’ve got one, kids realize it can be done. And in high school athletics, one of the biggest keys is believing you can do something.”
St. Charles West picked up the first four wins of the dual in the lower weight classes, but 145-pounder James Biship started a five-match winning streak for Warrenton.
Jerrett Villinger (152), Dan Filipek (160), Drake Meine (170) and Jacob Manion (195) followed Biship with wins of their own.
Brendon Cotner fell to previous state qualifier Marcus Paddack in the heavyweight division, but Warrenton freshman Brent Wielms (113) pinned James Stocker in the final match in 1:59.
“It’s always nice to see a younger guy come through,” Fowler said. “He’s brand new to our program and he has been thrown into some varsity competition to help us out, and he did that against West.”
Five Warrenton wrestlers pinned their St. Charles West opponents.
Villinger and Meine finished their matches in under 40 seconds each.
The Warriors also picked up a 53-23 win over Winfield, and Fowler hopes the conference championship leads to more success down the road.
“Anytime you can make history, it’s important for those that come behind you,” he said. “It’s easier for kids and coaches to buy in in the future because they know that if you do buy in, good things can happen. It’s always nice to check things off the bucket list.”
Drake Meine takes down an opponent during the GAC Tournament Jan. 8.
Bill Barrett photo.
