Republic wrestlers have been getting ready for their upcoming wrestling season since right after their last one ended. The team skipped the customary post-season break, launching into 2024 preparations the week after the state tournament.
“We made the decision two years ago that we’re not waiting. We’re setting the tone immediately for what we are doing in the future,” head coach Eric Nolan said. “We basically started the week after the state tournament, opened the weight room up, got onto the mats as soon as we could.”
The team’s summer training included several clinics and team events, in addition to sessions in the weight room. High participation is a sign of the wrestling program’s health as Nolan enters his fourth season.
“I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” head coach Eric Nolan said. “Our practices are a lot closer to where we want them to be, and that’s been a process over the last few years, getting kids to understand proper practice habits and some of the little things.”
The Tigers’ ascent parallels success in other Republic sports, particularly football, creating what Nolan describes as a broader culture change.
“I think you often see that in schools where success is contagious,” Nolan said. “And whenever multiple coaches have high expectations and they put up results, it spreads and it helps everyone.”
Keaton Overcast leads a group of returning veterans. “Keaton, when you look at overall performance last year, I think he had more quality wins than most of our guys,” Nolan said. “He beat multiple state medalists, state qualifiers. He’s a gamer. He steps up in a lot of big matches. A lot of that’s what we’ve talked about since I’ve been here. Keaton’s bought in, and he’s taken advantage of almost all of our off-season opportunities.”
Corbin Massey started wrestling as a seventh-grader at Nolan’s urging. “I taught seventh grade social studies my first year. I had him in class. He had not previously wrestled. I talked him into it,” Nolan said. “As a freshman, he had a lot of success. A lot like Keaton, the thing I liked about Corbin last year is he had a bunch of bounce-back matches where he lost to a kid earlier in the year and then found a way to beat them later on in the year in really important, critical matches.”
Shea Rogers, a four-year varsity wrestler, returns at 126–132 pounds. Nolan thinks he’s ready to take a big step forward as a senior. “Shea looks like he’s been around forever,” Nolan said. “He’s right there on the verge. I think this year he seems really focused.”
Daniel Gonzalez steps into the 138 or 145 weight class after showing promise in 2023-24. “He had some big wins for us last year, quality wins, and won a couple matches at the district tournament,” Nolan said. “I know he spends a lot of time working out in the off-season as well, so a real talented, athletic wrestler, and I’m expecting big things out of him.”
Kaiden Patterson split time between JV and varsity last year, but hopes to change that this season. “You can tell he spent a lot of time in the weight room,” Nolan said. “He looks physically good, and he’s motivated this year to be a full-time varsity guy.”
At 175 or 190 pounds, Tanner Gonzalez returns from injury that ended his state qualification bid. “He’s gotten bigger, gotten stronger, put in the time on the wrestling mats,” Nolan said. “I think he would have had a strong chance of qualifying for state (if not for the injury).”
Chase Hicks aims to break through after three years of finishing one match short of state. “He’s another kid that had multiple quality wins last year, beat state qualifiers,” Nolan said. “It just didn’t work out for him at the district tournament. I think that that’s something that’s really motivating him right now, knowing what it feels like to be right there, knowing that he only has one shot.”
Cam Allen returns to the 165-pound class after a two-year absence. “He was varsity his freshman year, showed a lot of promise,” Nolan said. “I don’t envision him having a whole lot of rust to shake off. He’s just an athletic, tough kid, and we’re excited to have him back.”
Other returners include Kameron Sutton, who returns after wrestling well espeically during the second half of last season. Izaiah Hull hopes to build on a fourth-place finish at the Central Ozark Conference Tournament last season. Cooper White and Masen Hartsock have recovered from injuries, with White at 215 and Hartsock competing with Devon Stumpff at heavyweight. Nolan also points to sophomore Jaxston Feuerborn, noting he has “shown a lot of promise” after seeing varsity time last year, and will compete for time in the upper weights.
The Tigers finished just 12 points away from the league title last year, in a jumbled race at the Central Ozark Conference Tournament. “From top to bottom, we were one of the best teams in the conference,” Nolan said. “We didn’t have really any weak weights last year, and I take pride in that. I think that just shows that we’re doing some good things.
“Now, we need to try to fine-tune the guys we had, put them in position to get a state medal. I think that’s where we’re at right now. Last year, we didn’t have any state medalists, and we need that in our program.”
Republic opens its season at the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational on December 7.
