Headed toward the final stretch of his senior season, Nixa’s Malachi Rider compares his Missouri counterparts favorably to the competition he saw in Kentucky.
Rider won two state championships at Paducah Tilghman in the Bluegrass State his sophomore and junior years, before transferring to Nixa last summer.
Prior to his time in Kentucky, Rider wrestled in his native Colorado.
“Every match (in Missouri), every kid is pretty decent,” Rider said after picking up an 11-2 win against Ozark’s Dayton Moison in the Eagles’ 42-30 dual victory versus the Tigers on Thursday.
“In Kentucky, you either wrestled a really bad kid or a really good kid,” he added. “In Colorado and here, everyone is pretty decent. There's more wrestlers in those states.”
Rider gave Moison, a junior, props for going the distance.
“Technique-wise, I beat him up pretty bad. But I give credit to him for hanging in,” Rider said. “He broke me a little bit, with him being so strong. Kid is definitely strong. He has some potential. Otherwise, I was scoring points. It was a good match for me to get better.”
Rider has found wrestling new opponents at new locales refreshing. It’s certainly kept him far from any signs of complacency.
“I've been having the mindset of, 'I moved here, I don't know anyone and don't care who I wrestle,’” he said. “I'm the underdog, which I like. I’ve got to go out and prove myself.”
Nixa led by as much as 26 points, 42-16, while halting a four-match losing streak against Ozark.
Dylan Rebura clinched the Eagles’ win by pinning Ozark’s Colton Powell in 1:23 at 190.
Rebura competed at 150 two years ago and normally is at 175.
“I'm wrestling at 190 because I'm a team player,” Rebura said. “I'm sitting around 175., so it's a little bump up for me. But I'm still stronger than most people at 190 and a lot more aggressive.
“I'm sure some people are surprised I’m at 190,” he added. “But I’m a hard worker, put anyone in front of me.”
A key win for Nixa came at 106, where CJ Cribbs pulled out a 7-6 victory against Ozark’s Frankie Pichler.
In edition to Rebura, the Eagles received pins from Logan Luder (126), Aiden Ward (138) and Curtis Glossip (165).
