Following a perfect regular season dual meet schedule at 9-0, the Spartan wrestling team went into the district tournament with a great deal of confidence. At Hazelwood Central last Friday, the Spartans stormed the mats with winners of district championships in five of the 14 weight classes.

The team won the tournament with a complete score of 212 points, followed in second by a far-off Howell team with 164 total points. Individual district champions for the Spartans were freshman John Wood in the 119-pound weight class, sophomore Ben Henson in the 125-pound weight class, junior Terrell Wilbourn in the 130-pound weight class, junior Andy King in the 140-pound weight class, and senior Brandon Wilbourn in the 152-pound weight class.

Placing second in their respective weight classes were juniors Justin Dickey and Brian Paur along with senior Andrew Buffa. Freshmen Cole Anderson and Branden Howe and junior Matthew Greene also qualified for the state tournament. The Spartans had a total of 11 wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament in Columbia this weekend at the University of Missouri. Starting Thursday, it is all business, according to Brandon Wilbourn.

“It is time for us to go out and do what we have been preparing ourselves for the whole season,” said Wilbourn. “We have all made it this far as a team, and as a team, we are not about to lose. We are in it to win, and that is all we care about now.”