Two Clayton Wrestlers Quality for State Tournament

Clayton Greyhounds wrestlers Caleb Grady and Ed Davis broke new ground this season.

Grady, a junior, and Davis, a sophomore, were the first wrestlers from Clayton to qualify for the state tournament in two years. In addition, this year marks the first time since 1999 that the Greyhounds have sent more than one competitor to state.

“This is a big boost for us, and getting two people through was a big plus,” Clayton wrestling coach Doug Verby said.  

The top four wrestlers in each district tournament in the state of Missouri qualify for the state tournament in Columbia, MO. Davis placed third in the 112-pound weight class Saturday in the Class 2 District 2 Tournament at John Burroughs High School, while Grady placed fourth at 125. Davis was 3-1 in the district tournament and Grady went 2-2. 

The Greyhounds finished ninth out of 14 teams at John Burroughs.

“This is what starts our success,” Verby said. “It’s a tribute to the hard work that the kids and coaches put in. Caleb is the hardest working guy on the team, and Ed is right up there with him. The other kids can see that the hard work and dedication pays off.” 

Grady has been wrestling at the varsity level for three years but has never qualified for state until this season. The junior has a 26-11 record.

“I’m really excited,” Grady said. “It’s going to be challenging, but it will be fun at the same time.”

Qualifying for state is a year-round job.

“Keeping fit in the off-season was a big part of it,” Grady said. “But a lot of it was work and determination in the wrestling season. In the past few years there’s been times when wrestling was a bit tiresome, but this year I’ve been able to push through that and keep working.”

The junior said that a first-round win over a Winfield High School wrestler who had defeated him earlier in the season took a load off of his mind. Ahead by one point, Grady won the match on a pin with two seconds left on the clock.

“It was nice to get that out of the way,” Grady said. “My next match was against the district champion," Kirksville’s Austin Roper.

The state wrestling tournament begins Thursday and concludes Saturday, and the junior has a goal in mind.

“I don’t want to get knocked out in the first round,” Grady said. “I want to win a match, and I know I’ll see some great wrestling.”

Naturally, Grady wants to return to state next year, but he thinks that wearing the mark of state qualifier will up the ante for those against whom he'll compete. In turn, he'll become a fiercer competitor.

“There’ll be a mental intimidation factor there,” he said.  

Not a one-sport athlete, Grady also runs track in the spring and plays soccer in the fall. The junior says playing three sports makes it easier to stay in shape throughout the year.

Like Grady, Davis is a three-sport athlete. He runs track and plays football. He said track helps him develop energy and strength, while football helps develop mental toughness. The sophomore has compiled a 27-14 record this season. 

“I think I’ve worked hard enough in practices and meets to get where I am now,” Davis said. “It’s a big accomplishment for me. I’m very proud of myself. I think it’s a big deal to be a state qualifier as a sophomore.” 

Davis said mental attitude played a big role in making it to state.

“It was keeping focused and going over the moves in my head,” he said. “And it was also having the ambition to get to state. I had some tough losses this season that I had to get over, losses I shouldn’t have had.”

Davis also said his first trip to state should be a learning experience.

“I want to find out what it’s like and have the feeling of being there as an underclassman,” he said. “I want to have a good experience. There are a lot of good wrestlers there, but I need to keep focused on what I need to do.”