Britt defeats Bell in title match
Israel Potoczny israel@lebanondailyrecord.com
Feb 23, 2009
COLUMBIA — Justin Britt led the Lebanon Yellowjackets to a seventh-place finish at the Missouri Class 4 state meet on Saturday as the senior completed a wire-to-wire run as the state’s No. 1 ranked heavy weight by defeating McCluer’s Wesley Bell in the championship match, 5-1.
It was the closest match Britt had during an undefeated 46-0 season.
A three-time Ozark Conference champion, Britt placed sixth at the state meet to cap a 46-7 season as a junior and was 36-9 as a sophomore.
“He started shooting this year and heavy weights don’t get to see a whole lot of people of shooting on them,” head coach Randy Roark said. “He kind of perfected his shot.”
Roark said there was a target on Britt’s back as an undefeated wrestler who was ranked No. 1 from day 1.
“It is tough, because everybody knows they have to be their best to beat you,” Roark said. “He was quite a target ... all the talk of him on the internet. If you were going to beat him you had to bring your ‘A’ game and nobody did.”
Britt was one of six LHS wrestlers to advance to the state tournament. Not since 1995-1996 has LHS had so many wrestlers compete at the state tournament. Britt was one of three ‘Jackets to medal, as senior Trevor Byrd placed fourth and freshman Austin Brawner fifth.
“What is great about it is we’ve got four guys returning next year, already having the experience of state,” Roark said. “Next year when they get there, they won’t be as nervous.”
Byrd won his first match on Thursday, then fell to the eventual state champion, Jackson’s Blake Peiffer, in the quarterfinals. He had to avenge three earlier losses in wrestlebacks to advance to the medal round. Byrd defeated Park Hill’s Thomas Brown, who he had lost to in the finals of the Jefferson City Tournament on Jan. 17, then defeated Blake Schoeninger, of Holt, then defeated Isaac LeBlanc, of Fort Zumwalt West, who he had lost to in the district championship.
Byrd fell in the third-place to Park Hill South’s Ausin Baska in overtime, 5-3.
Brawner’s fifth-place finish is the highest place for an LHS freshman since Willie McCowan was fourth in 1995-1996.
“He is scrappy, he never gives up,” Roark said.
Juniors Zach Drinkall (189) and Kyle Hansen (125) made their first state appearance and Tyler Zimmerman (140) advanced to the quarterfinal round.
“They wrestled tough and won some matches,” Roark said.
Looking ahead to 2010
In 2008, Lebanon senior Trevor Byrd was stuck behind state medalist James Rabe at 215 pounds and got in just five varsity matches. He won just one, but the experience of going against a talented senior every day in practice helped spur a senior season that saw him finish 39-10 and place fourth at the state meet.
And that is how you build a winner.
Not only will LHS return state qualifiers Austin Brawner, Zach Drinkall, Kyle Hansen and Tyler Zimmerman, but they have wrestlers who are poised to bust out of Britt and Byrd’s shadow.
In 2010, expect Dave Stewart and Trevor’s younger brother Wyatt Byrd to use the experience they have gained going against talented senior counterparts in practice daily.
A junior heavy weight, Stewart was undefeated during the junior varsity season, and wrestled well in several varsity tournaments, while Wyatt Byrd lost only two matches at 215 pounds. Another junior, Corey Brown, lost three matches at 215 pounds, two coming to Lebanon opponents.
“If you’re a big guy, you better get tough or you’re not going to survive,” Roark said. “We are just loaded up top, so if you make it through the year — you’re going to be pretty tough.
“It will be a dogfight next year in those weights, there were three or four guys this year that were good enough to start.”
