2011-12 Season Outlook
We bring you the 2011-12 outlook with the fast approaching season nearly here beginning with our first dual on Wednesday, November 2. This HOME meet will see the Panthers pitted against conference foe Pratt CC at 7:30pm. Three very good returners bring work ethic and the quality attitude to a substantial number of newcomers to provide the mold for another successful Neosho CCC wrestling season. This being the 14th season for our program, the Panthers have now accomplished an NJCAA National Championship in 2000, a Runner-Up finish in 2002, 7 Top 10 national finishes, 8 individual National Champions, and 46 NJCAA All Americans.
Back to the team for his final season is returning RSoph All American Jeff Vesta at 125. The Manhattan, KS native finished 4th in the nation this past season and accumulated a season that included an overall record of 33-11. He posted regular season tournament championships at the Baker Open, the Jet Invitational (OW), the Denker Open (OW), and the Kansas Cup. He also finished 2nd at the Central Missouri Open and 3rd at the Kaufman/Brand Open. His lone set back in tournament competition was the NJCAA West/Central Qualifying tournament where he finished 4th just allowing him to qualify for the national championships. Back at 125 again this season after red-shirting in 09-10, Jeff looks to make a bid to be Neosho’s 9th individual NJCAA National Champion. This past summer he finished 4th at the Junior FILA World Team Trials in freestyle.
Returning national qualifier Edwin Gutierrez of Dallas, TX will again compete at 174. He looks to improve on his 3rd place finish at the NJCAA West/Central Qualifying tournament after sitting out nearly 4 weeks in November and December last season for medical reasons. Edwin also finished 3rd at the Jet Invitational and accumulated an overall record of 18-16. His relentless work ethic should produce even better statistics this season. Edwin should also repeat as an Academic All American.
Our third returner is Justin Merritt from Claremore, OK. Like Gutierrez, Justin returns as an Academic All American and will repeat this accomplishment. Merritt made a big cut to 184 for the Panthers last year to fill in this open spot. He will compete at 197 this year and looks to help lead us in the upper weights.
A weight by weight outlook and in no particular order of wrestlers at each weight:
125: Antoine Jones of Kansas City, MO has shown very good promise here and adds some depth in case Vesta goes down or needs a break.
133: Le’Roy Barnes of Belton, MO is the front runner here. Le’Roy is a 2X Missouri State placer and then won the State Greco Championship this summer along with a 3rd place freestyle state placing. He also won the Brute National Championship at 130 in April last spring. Timothy Shannon will add depth and competition here. He is from Ardmore, OK who placed 3rd twice at the OK State Tournament. Zach Vesta, younger brother of Jeff, finished 5th at the 6A Kansas State Championships last season and looks to be a solid addition to the team and potentially will red-shirt.
141: This weight was a question mark, but two guys hold this spot down. Javon Haines of Leavenworth, KS and Karl Murry of Kansas City, MO will battle it out here to see who starts. Both are quality athletes who will hold this weight for the Panthers. Haines finished 2nd in the 6A Kansas State Championships last season and is the brother of former Neosho wrestler David Bunch and USA World Team member Shawn Bunch. Murry hails from Raytown South H.S. where he was a state qualifier.
149: Trent Robb of Perry, KS and Ray Smith of Kansas City, MO will compete for this starting spot. Trent finished 6th in the Kansas State Tournament last season and shows promise. Ray Smith transferred in from U. of Northern Colorado and should be eligible second semester.
157: Jonathan Barnat of Tulsa, OK is the front runner here. Jonathan was a 4X Oklahoma State Qualifier and is a hard worker. If he can make the cut, Marcus Sullivan of nearby Iola, KS should help to make this an even deeper weight. Marcus was a 4A Regional Champion last year and state tournament qualifier for the 2nd year H.S. program.
165: Cody Hill of Blanchard, OK gets the nod here. He placed 3 times at the OK State Tournament with an injury keeping him from a state title and 4th consecutive post season honor. Desmond Block of Lawton, OK finished 3rd in the Oklahoma State Championships last season and shows promise. Dealing with an injury, Corey Snow of Collinsville, OK makes this a deep weight. Finishing 3rd at the Oklahoma State tournament as a junior, Snow was hampered by an injury his senior season. Any of these 3 could possibly move to 174 if needed adding depth as far up as 184.
174: As mentioned earlier, Gutierrez looks to hold the starting spot here. Much needed depth will be provided by newcomers Jacob Morris of Stafford, KS who was a state qualifier and Austin Ogden of Topeka who finished 6th in the Kansas State tournament last year.
184: Freshman Chad Wampler of Haslet, TX looks to be the starter here with much needed competition coming from Paxton Budd of Clearwater, KS second semester. Wampler finished as a Texas State Championship runner-up and Budd was a Kansas State tournament qualifier in 2010.
197: Two time Oklahoma State placer Cole Carr of Sperry will make things difficult for returner Justin Merritt to start again if he can make the cut. Merritt is coming off a very good experience year and noticeably very good off season. Carr finished 3rd at state last season and 4th as a junior, but still has a significant amount of weight to lose yet for 197. However, when this happens this weight will be competitive.
285: Big Wake, Adam Wakefield of Pittsburgh, PA will hold down this spot. He is 6’8” tall and hovers around 300 lbs. After contemplating football last year, Big Wake finished twice as a regional placer in the always tough PA post season. Helping Wakefield this year at 285 will be freshman Kyle Stroot of Clearwater, KS.
Coach Petterson’s view: “We feel pretty good about this group of guys. They have good leadership, attitudes, and overall good work ethic. Those combinations with the talent already in place, along with the development in 3-5 weights can definitely guide us to rise up at the end of the year when it needs to happen. It all remains to be seen in our wrestle off matches in October, guys getting down to weight, and injuries. We are excited to have a whole new assistant coaching staff that will provide needed guidance both on and off the mat at all three weight divisions (lower, middle, and upper wts.). Cole Johnson will mentor the middle weights, Sean White will push the lower weights, and Chanute native Sonny Manley will groom Big Wake at Hwt. I feel good about having this in place and the challenge our coaching staff will provide.”