NEOSHO — Ozark dethroned Neosho as COC Tournament champions Saturday, with the Tigers totaling 178.5 points and topping the rest of the field by 23 points.
Neosho had won nine straight tournament titles.
Braxton Strick highlighted Ozark’s championship effort by taking the 152-pound championship in dominant fashion. Strick became a three-time COC Tournament, thanks a 10-1 win by majority decision against Carthage’s Braxton Tate in their title tilt.
Strick, who earlier posted three pins, upped his record to 38-3.
Ozark received runner-up finishes from Damien Moseley at 106, Caden Harrington at 113, Keaton Hurst at 120, Nolan Moeller at 138 and Lucas Campbell at 145.
In the finals, Moseley (33-78) fell 6-2 to Carl Junction’s Lucas Walker, Hurst lost 8-0 to Carl Junction’s Sam Melton, Hurst (25-14) was pinned by Nixa’s Zan Fugitt, Moeller was edged 4-3 by Carthage’s Eli Sneed and Cambell fell 15-4 to Willard’s Caleb Caldwell.
Ozark’s Johnny Williams finished third at 182 by beating Willard’s Tanner Moulden 12-6. Williams improved to 23-16.
The Tigers’ Daniel Laney (126), Levi Maskrod (132) and Eric Shepard (160) were fourth.
In addition to Fugitt, Nixa received first-place finished from Peyton Moore (126) and Brennan Carey (195).
Fugitt improved to 37-1 while topping the tourney with five pins in a combined time of 6:18.
Moore went to 28-4. He picked up three pins, including a fall in:59 versus Carthage’s Bradyn Tate in their title tilt.
Carey collected a 9-3 victory against Branson’s Cade Grimm in their championship match and upped his record to 25-8.
The Eagles’ Aidan Ward downed Maskrod for third place at 132. Ward (19-7) has taken two of their three matchups this season.
Nixa’s Logan Flemming was fourth at 106, as was the Eagles’ Garrett Davidson at 285.
Nixa was third in the team standings.
On the girls side, Nixa rolled to the team tile with 238.5 points, beating the rest of the field by more than 100 points.
The Lady Eagles’ champs included Ashyln Eli at 100, Kendall Young at 115, Olivia Wilson at 120, Brenya Crahan at 125, Kelsey Watts at 130, Taelor Dorr at 149, Calyese Dupree at 149, Jessie Nelson at 174, Larissa Downs at 194 and Harmony Rust at 235.
Eli (30-0) pinned Ozark’s Adilyn Hoelzie in :33 and :18 in their two matches.
Young improved to 14-7 by winning all five of her matches.
Wilson (14-13) recorded four wins. Crahan (25-1) gained two wins by fall. Watts (10-10) had two pins. Dorr (13-9) went 2-0. Dupree (31-3) had three pins in three matches. Nelson (14-12) also had two pins in three matches. Downs (11-12) picked up a pair of pins. Rust (21-3) also had two pins.
Ozark’s Alivia Myers (19-10) became the Lady Tigers’ first conference champ, as she took the 110 title. Myers posted pins in :32 and 1:36 versus Neosho’s Abby Manwiller in their two matches.
Ozark’s Clarice Wheeler captured the 135 championship. Wheeler (12-4) had three second-period pins.
