Mizzou wrestling puts on nice show at Park Hill High School with victory over Virginia
The Missouri wrestling team did not draw a capacity crowd to Park Hill High School for its dual against Virginia on Thursday night.
Nope. The Tigers attracted a crowd big enough to make the fire marshal nervous. The bleachers were stuffed to the rafters. Seating on either side of the mat was jam packed. The wrestling team from Randall High School in Amarillo, Texas, arrived a few minutes late and had nowhere to sit but in an aisle of the bleachers. Wrestlers from Van Horn, Rockhurst, Oak Park, Gardner Edgerton and several other schools were in attendance to watch as well.
It was just the sort of crowd Missouri coach Brian Smith envisioned when he decided to schedule a dual in Kansas City as a thank you to a bevy of seniors from the area.
“It all worked out, and, wow, the fans came out, man,” Smith said. “It was exciting to see the turnout, and seeing Daniel Lewis with 100 little kids wanting his autograph, that’s how you grow the sport in the state.”
Lewis, a Missouri senior who went to Blue Springs High, was in demand because he was the man of the hour. The No. 4-ranked wrestler in the country, Lewis needed a fall in the final bout of the night to help Missouri avoid an upset.
Lewis delivered in just under 90 seconds, pinning Virginia’s Drew Peck to give the sixth-ranked Tigers a dramatic 23-21 victory. Lewis improved to 11-1 on the year.
When the night started, Lewis wasn’t happy about having to wait until the last match. Afterward, he was happy to be the hammer Missouri needed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been the last dual of the night, and I wasn’t too happy about it. Seeing all the other guys, how the matches played out, it just got me more and more fired up,” Lewis said. “The auditorium being so hot and having food in me, I felt really good. Then watching what they did to us, they came out and wrestled and that really fired me up. When it came down to it, I was absolutely pumped up to step out there on the mat.”
Lewis took down Peck and went to work. The partisan crowd was calling for the fall long before the referee slapped the mat.
“My game plan hasn’t changed in four years. I get takedowns, I ride guys on top and I get pins. That’s always the game plan no matter who I’m wrestling, and that’s what I go out there and do,” Lewis said.
Missouri (6-0) had to battle back from an early 12-4 deficit. A 9-0 victory from senior and Park Hill alum John Erneste at 133 pounds, followed by an emphatic pin from third-ranked Jaydin Eierman at 141, put the Tigers back ahead 14-12.
Missouri built the lead up to 17-12 before consecutive losses at 157 and 165 set the stage for Lewis’ heroics.
“We kind of struggled in a couple matches, matches we thought we should’ve had. Heavyweight (Staley grad Zach Elam) just kind of let it slip away, and even at (1)57 (Jarrett Jacques), we’re winning before taking a shot and getting cradled,” Smith said. “They’re both true freshmen, and they’re going to learn from this experience and grow.”
Ultimately, Missouri sent the packed house home happy. And Erneste, ranked No. 9, got to fully enjoy his homecoming.
“I’ve never been in an atmosphere like this. It’s crazy having all the hometown people coming out, supporting us and packing this gym,” Erneste said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a louder ‘M-I-Z-Z-O-U after getting takedowns and getting those wins.”
The college match was preceded by a dual between Liberty and Park Hill. Liberty won 31-29.