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With six returning state qualifiers, Tigers look a lot like last season's COC champions

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The timing is ideal for Ozark to make a trip to Iowa this weekend to take part in the Dan Gable Donnybrook Tournament, according to Tigers coach Tod Sundlie.

With Ozark featuring a slew of veteran starters, the Tigers will debut by competing in an elite 38-team field made up of powers from Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois.

It is Ozark's first entry in the tourney, named after the former Iowa coach who led the Hawkeyes to 15 national championships.

"We had people recommend (the tournament) to us and ask if we were interested," Sundlie said. "We're excited for it, to have something of that caliber early on. The competition is going to be great. Getting that kind of competition and exposure early is what we need. We have a lot of returners and they need to know where they're at right away and make adjustments."

Ozark's lineup looks a lot like it did last season, when the Tigers ended Neosho's streak of COC Tournament titles at nine by winning the league championship by 23 points.

Defending Class 4 152-pound state champion Braxton Strick headlines a list of 12 returning starters.

Strick is one of seven seniors back as starters. The others are Levi Maskrod, Brock Sundlie, Lucas Campbell, Eric Shepard, Kody Shepard and Peyton Greer.

Juniors who started last season are Daniel Laney and Johnny Williams.

Sophomore starters who return are Damien Moseley, Caden Harrington and Keaton Hurst.

There is a handful of backups returning, who at some point made their varsity debut last season.

"We had over 20 wrestlers contribute to our dual victories last season," Tod Sundlie said. "It's a deep room. That's excellent for any starter and any backup. You know you've got to continue to perform and have that edge about you because it's a long season."

Sundlie also strongly suspects Ozark will receive more than enough challenges throughout the season for the Tigers to stay plenty motivated.

"You look around the area and I think everyone is really good this year. That's exciting," Sundlie said. "I think about who everyone has returning and who has good, young wrestlers and our conference is very deep and our District is going to be fantastic. Everybody is better.

"I don't feel like we've earned the right to expect to walk through anything," he added. "We've got to continue to get better and have a lot of work to do."

Strick was 48-3 last season en route to his state title.

Moseley was 40-10 and finished fourth at State at 106. Hurst, Maskrod, Sundlie and Campbell also qualified for State. Harrington was one win from making State.

Sundlie also values the presence of returnees Jackson Speed and Mason Highley.

"They are there every day doing what they need to be doing," he said. "They add to the culture and energy level we try to maintain."

The Missouri State High Schools Activities Association has made changes in the middle and upper weight classes. The lineup of weight classes now includes 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215 and 285.

"They added a weight class in the middle and took one from the top," Sundlie said. "They are trying to fill weight classes where there are more kids. Bottom line, we all have to make adjustments, put our plan together and execute."


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