With enthusiasm and optimism, Reed Wilson watched as a Nixa eighth-grader as the Eagles’ Curtis Glossip enjoyed stellar success as a freshman last season.
Wilson and Glossip are longtime friends, having grown up together on the mat.
“I was so happy for him last year,” Wilson said, referring to Gossip's 34-13 record at 144 and fifth-place finish at State.
“It pushed me,” he added. “I think I'm going to have a good chance to qualify (for State) this year, too, and podium.”
Wilson falls in line with former Nixa greats Zan Fugitt and Peyton Moore as a multiple youth state champion. He won two 12-and-under state titles and one 14U state title.
Fugitt and Moore, who were both four-time State qualifiers, provided Wilson with valuable experience while he was in junior high.
“I would wrestle with them,” he said. “It wasn't even close, but that helped me out.”
The 138-pound Wilson has won five in a row to go to 13-7. He helped Nixa to a 42-30 dual win against Ozark on Thursday by posting a 16-0 win by technical fall versus the Tigers’ Talyn VanHorn.
Wilson made a good showing for himself while dealing with a bit of adversity. Shortly after the start of his match against VanHorn, he noticed he had a bloody nose. Officials never did deem it severe enough to stop the match.
“I was going to show them (my nose) and go get it fixed,” Wilson said. “I didn't want to get the match stopped (due to blood) if I had him on his back. But (Nixa coaches) told me not to worry about it.
“(The match) went how I wanted it to go,” he added. “I had (VanHorn) on his back a few times and thought I could have pinned him. I would have loved a pin. But I knew I was going to win, if I wrestled like me.”
Wilson admitted to feeling a bit of pressure to win in front of Nixa’s fans who helped make for a condensed and intense atmosphere in the school’s Commons Area.
“It was packed, so I had some nerves,” he said. “It felt good to get a takedown and hear everyone cheering. It hyped me up and made me want to go harder.”
