COLUMBIA, Mo – Griffin Ray had 365 days to think, to grow, to mature.
The Hillsboro senior found trouble last year, served a brief suspension from his school and was dismissed from the wrestling team for the entirety of his junior season.
“I was doing some knucklehead things, trying to be someone I was not.” Ray said. “It was a period of time where I had to find out who I really was.”
He used the time away to make a change.
On Saturday, he became a champion.
Ray (165) was among four individual state champions crowned by Hillsboro, who unseated six-time defending team champion Whitfield to claim its first wrestling team state championship in school history at the Class 3 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena.
Carter Willis (106), Jackson Tucker (132) and Sam Richardson (157) also won state titles for the Hawks, who outscored Whitfield 179.5 to 144.5 to claim the first-place team plaque, a first in program history.
“I’m proud of the kids, and I’m happy for the families in our community,” Hillsboro coach Matt Mitchell said.
Ray (43-3) defeated Carl Junction sophomore Tony Stewart by second period pin by executing a unique move called a “spladle,” wrapping his leg around Stewart’s leg and rolling over the top of him. After the pin, Ray let out a massive yell that unleashed a year’s worth of feeling.
“It’s pretty emotional for me. I really want to break down in tears right now,” said Ray, who is committed to wrestle at Nebraska.
Ray spent his year away from the Hillsboro wrestling team working on his craft, trying to improve as a wrestler while shedding the immaturity that was holding him back.
“All I did was wrestle. I have some workout equipment and mats downstairs, and guys from St. Louis I worked with,” Ray said. “Wrestling really drove me through that period of time.”
When he rejoined the Hillsboro team this winter, he immediately realized what he had been missing.
“I was just excited to be back in the room,” Ray said. “I definitely wanted to take a leadership role and be a good teammate, and individually, I just wanted to battle. I missed it.”
Ray (43-3) lost only three matches this year. Two were decided in overtime against the two wrestlers who squared off in the Class 4 state title match at 165 pounds – Aidan Hernandez of Francis Howell Central and Eli Zar of Neosho.
“He had a great year, and he was determined to get back to this tournament,” Mitchell said. “He took some losses, but he grew as a wrestler. I was excited to see him finish this off with a state championship.”
During the state tournament, Ray did not surrender a point, winning by a first period pin and a 9-0 major decision before outdueling Willard junior Gary Walker 1-0 in the semifinal match. The championship match lulled through a scoreless first period before Ray spladled his way to the top of the podium.
“I was so hungry. This is the most I’ve ever wanted anything my entire life, Ray said. “It’s a childhood dream.”
Dreams also came true for three other Hillsboro wrestlers, each who captured their first state title.
Less than 30 seconds after Ray spladled his way to a championship, Richardson executed that exact move to pin Bolivar senior Riley Beckman on an adjacent mat.
“We started doing (the spladle) during youth. It just popped out of nowhere and we started using it,” Richardson said. “It works. If they give it to us, we’re going to hit it.”
Willis (43-3) began the championship round at 106 pounds with an 11-3 major decision over Whitfield freshman Jackson Bassett. He felt the need to start the Hawks on a roll with his early match.
“Going out there at winning that match meant a lot. It set the pace for the whole team,” Willis said.
| Photo by Ben Vessa
Tucker (43-1), who lost in the state title match last year to now four-time champion AJ Rallo of Whitfield, defeated North Point sophomore Chad Benwell by 14-6 major decision to claim the 132-pound title.
“I’ve been counting down the days until I had a second chance at it. When it was here, I made the most of it,” Tucker said.
Hillsboro placed third in 2021, second and 2022 and had its sights on rising one more step on the ladder this year. But any hopes of the Hawks flying under the radar as a team disappeared in the preseason when the Missouri Wrestling website ranked Hillsboro as the No. 1 team in Class 3 ahead of Whitfield, the winners of 11 state titles in 15 years.
“We tried to ignore that the best that we could,” Mitchell said. “It was always the thought that we hadn’t done it until we do it. They’re still the defending champs, and they win for a reason in high pressure situations.
Today we won a little bit more.”