2017 Wrestling Finalists

Payne Guilliams

Part of a another strong senior group for the Indians, Guilliams finished the year with a 40-6 record and was a SEMO Conference champion at 152 pounds. He qualified for the Class 4 state tournament for a second straight year and and went 4-1 there, finishing in fifth place.

Bryce Dickerson

Despite having to come back from yet another injury, undergoing major knee surgery in the fall, Dickerson qualified for state for a second consecutive year. He grabbed a conference title at 220 pounds and went 1-2 at the Class 4 state meet, including a loss to the eventual state runner-up and 2016 195-pound state champion. Dickerson finished with a 38-8 record.

Gus Guilliams

Guilliams lost just four bouts all year, two of which came at the Class 4 meet, where he saw his state experience come to an end in the third round of wrestlebacks. He was a SEMO Conference champ at 126 pounds. Guilliams was a three-time state qualifier for the Indians.

Josh Lewis

A three-time state qualifier for the Mules, Lewis closed out his high school career with a district championship and SEMO Conference title at heavyweight. He went 44-4 on the year and was upset in the final seconds of his state opener.

Josh Stinnett

No area wrestler — or athlete, for that matter — had a more harrowing ending to their season, but what Stinnett accomplished beforehand is impressive. The Bulldog standout finished third at 182 pounds in the Class 3 state tournament, forfeiting the third-place match after suffering a broken vertebrae seconds into the match. He was a SEMO Conference champion — a meet at which he was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. He finished the year 50-5.