Since making their high school debuts in 2019, Nixa 2021 and 2022 state champion Zan Fugitt and Ozark 2022 state champ Braxton Strick combined have 248 victories against 20 losses.
Over the past three years, Fugitt is 131-3 and Strick 133-5.
Both have lost to only one, count 'em one, SWMO opponent during their entire careers.
They will each go for their fourth District championship later this month, as Ozark hosts the Class 4 District 3 15-team field Feb. 17-18.
The numbers obviously reflect how consistently outstanding Fugitt and Strick have been. They have all but been immune to the upset.
It would be easy for Fugitt and Strick to enter the good majority of their matches a bit on the overconfident and/or complacent side. But the self-discipline that has carried them to the pinnacle of their sport also keeps them focused on the task at hand.
"I never underestimate anyone and try to control the whole match," Fugitt said. "Mentally, you've got to prepare and be ready to have a gritty match, no matter who your opponent is. You can't overlook anyone in combat sports, anything can happen."
"Respect to all (opponents) for stepping out there. If you're a wrestler, I respect you," Strick said. "Anyone can beat you anytime, any place, any day. You've got to go out and give 100 percent all the time."
Experience has shaped their mindset and at times provided lessons learned the hard way. While upsets have been very few, if any, each has one loss they recall with regret that serves as motivation to this day.
Fugitt's career record of 172-8 includes marks of 38-1 as a senior this winter, 47-1 as a junior, 42-1 as a sophomore and 45-5 as a freshman.
When asked if there was any one match he would like to have back, Fugitt didn't take long to answer
"State finals my freshman year," he said. "That's the only match."
A 4-3 loss to Colton King, of DeSmet, in the 2020 Class 4 106-pound championship match may be all that keeps Fugitt from being a four-time state champion. As a senior, King had three years on Fugitt. King is now a junior 126-pounder at Central Methodist.
Fugitt can look back on two of his losses his freshman year with pride. He was defeated twice by Cael Keck, of Park Hill. In fact, Keck handed Fugitt the two most lopsided losses of his career by counts of 11-3 at the Kansas City Stampede and 9-1 at the Winnetonka Tournament. But Fugitt responded by edging Keck 5-4 in their state semifinal match.
Keck now wrestles at Arkansas Little Rock.
Fugitt's first career loss came at the hands of Seneca's Brady Roark 5-4.
Fugitt and Roark split their two matches as sophomores. Fugitt pinned Roark in 1:22 at the Carl Junction Duals, only to have Roark come back to beat him 3-1 a week later at the Duncan Southern Oklahoma Invitational.
It's the last loss for Fugitt against a Missouri opponent.
Roark has gone on to be a Class 2 two-time state champ and has a 126-match winning streak. He'll continue his career at South Dakota State.
Fugitt's lone loss as a junior and only loss as a senior came against Illinois opponents in semifinal round matches at the Walsh (Ohio) Ironman.
As a junior, he fell to Ben Davino of St. Charles East, Illinois. Davino captured a state title last year and won a Walsh Ironman championship this season at 126.
Fugitt fell 6-5 to Sergio Lemley, of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, at the Walsh Ironman this season. Lemley is also a two-time state champ and has committed to Michigan.
Fugitt looks back on the loss to Lemley with mixed feelings.
"The Ironman this year was definitely a winnable match," he said. "It definitely wasn't an upset, but it was a close match I could have won. He was the No. 1-ranked kid in the country, so I knew it was obviously going to be a tough match.
"My goal was to put him on the ropes. I felt I did a good job of that," he added. "I didn't get the win and it was obviously my fault. But I was right there. It gave me a mental note that I'm there with the best guys in the country."
Strick's career record of 178-12 includes marks of 43-2 as a senior this winter, 46-2 as a junior, 44-1 as a sophomore and 45-7 as a freshman.
Strick's lone loss against a SWMO foe came his freshman year, when he bowed to Rolla's Zach Fennell 3-2 at 126 pounds. Fennell, a three-time state place-winner, had the edge in experience as a senior.
Strick's freshman season saw him dealt three losses by Staley's Khyler Brewer, who went on to claim a state title and now is wrestling at Arkansas Little Rock.
Strick went on to place third at State as a freshman, second as a sophomore and won the Class 4 152 championship a year ago.
Like Fugitt, Strick wishes his state championship match loss had a different outcome. He fell to Liberty's Nate Lenger, 3-1, in the Class 4 138 final, but points out it certainly was no upset.
"State finals sophomore year," Strick said when asked about a past loss that he would most like to have back. "But that kid was pretty good."
Lenger is now wrestling at Augustana (South Dakota).
Over his junior and senior seasons, Strick has lost to just one Missouri opponent. Last year, he fell 3-1 to Aidan Hernandez, of Francis Howell Central, in a Winnetonka semifinal, but beat Hernandez 9-1 in state semifinal round.
This season, Strick is 43-2. His losses were a 5-2 decision to Grant Kress, a junior from Linn-Mar (iowa), and a 3-2 decision to KJ Evans, of Heritage Hall (Oklahoma).
Kress has yet to lose this season. Evans is a two-time state champ and, like Fugitt, an Oklahoma signee.
Looking ahead to Districts, Fugitt may face Lebanon's Canon Roark (31-5) or Carthage's Bradyn Tate (40-4), while Strick's challengers could be Carthage's Grey Petticrew (26-8) or Neosho's Chase Kivett (22-16).
