Holding down a top 10 Kentucky ranking nearly a year after placing 15th at the KHSAA state wrestling meet, Simon Kenton is viewed locally and statewide as an improved team.
The Pioneers have been lauded by local coaches for having a roster full of state-ranked wrestlers. They have an especially strong contingent in the lighter weight classes, including two of the best grapplers in Kentucky.
“Simon Kenton is always tough,” said no less of a local authority than Ryle’s Tim Ruschell, the dean of northern Kentucky wrestling head coaches. “A lot of good wrestlers over there this year.”
High places in rankings, high praise and plaudits are nice but what does coach Jarrod Peebles think about his Pioneers wrestling squad?
“I don’t think about expectations,” Peebles said. “I know what this team is capable of, and for the most part, they’ve done what I thought they could do.”
What Peebles thinks about are his wrestlers and how to make them better. He’s a Simon Kenton graduate and a former Pioneers wrestler-turned-coach with more than two decades of experience with the team in some capacity. He understands the process of improvement from the nascent stages as a beginning wrestler to his current tenure applying advanced theory as a head coach. Peebles has surrounded himself with like-minded and similarly experienced assistants.
“The Simon Kenton coaching staff has high standards of what we expect from our guys in the room on a daily basis,” Peebles said. “Work your tail off every practice, be coachable so you can grow as a wrestler, and focus about your performance and not the result. I think that as long as myself and the other coaches keep pushing that message on the team and they continue to buy in, we could have a good region tournament.”
The messaging is working.
“He keeps us working harder and harder,” senior Jonah McCloskey said of Peebles. “He and the coaches make us better with a lot of input.”
The Region 5 meet is Feb. 21-22 at Campbell County Middle School. The Pioneers placed fourth last season behind repeat champion Ryle, runner-up Walton-Verona and third-place Conner.
In the latest rankings provided Feb. 6 by Kentuckywrestling.com, Ryle is ranked fourth statewide and first in Region 5. The Raiders are followed regionally by state No. 6 Simon Kenton, No. 12 Walton-Verona, No. 17 Highlands and No. 23 Conner.
The Pioneers seem poised for better region and state finishes this time around and some proof is in the results. Simon Kenton recently placed fourth at the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association big-school state duals in Corbin, right behind third-place Ryle. It was the first time in six years the Pioneers qualified for the event. They were sectional runners-up to Ryle.
“I think a lot of kids have turned corners this year,” McCloskey said. “A lot of kids have made big leaps and that comes from good coaching and everybody pushing each other.”
Peebles agrees the Pioneers are improved, but the region and state meets have yet to be wrestled so the jury is out on ultimate improvements. Key details support the coach’s belief his squad is better.
“I think the biggest change I’ve seen from last season to this is each wrestler is improving their willingness to continue to wrestle for the entire match,” Peebles said. “The guys who are having the most success aren’t taking breaks during a match, continuing to wrestle through positions, even if we’re in a bad one. And probably above all else, not getting discouraged or doubting themselves if they get down in points early in the match. We’ve had quite a fair number of come-from-behind wins this season from my more experienced wrestlers.”
Among the rallying wrestlers have been seniors McCloskey, Ian Lawrence and Jonathan Birmingham and juniors Braydan Blevins, Ben Woosley and Parker Smith. All hold state rankings. All but the 190-pound Birmingham weigh 165 or less.
Blevins, No. 1 in Kentucky at 126 pounds, and McCloskey, No. 2 at 132, lead the way. Woosley is No. 7 at 165 pounds. Lawrence is No. 10 at 138. Smith is No. 17 at 150. Birmingham comes in at No. 12 at 190.
“We work hard every day,” said Blevins, whose father, Holmes wrestling great Dan Blevins, is a Pioneers assistant. “I think how close we are and how much we’ve grown together is also helping us get better.”
From the bottom up, it’s an imposing group. Pioneers coaches are still updating season records but McCloskey was approximately 36-3 entering the week. Blevins is approximately 33-3 with two weeks to go before the Region 5 meet. Lawrence has reached 30 wins. Sophomore Conner Warner, No. 4 statewide at 106 pounds, is closing in on 30 as are Woosley and Smith.
“Our lighter guys are pretty tough; 106-138 is a solid portion in our lineup,” Peebles said. “And it all started because of Jonah and Braydan. They do a great job of being good practice partners with the lighter guys. Don’t sleep on our middle weights though. At 144-165 we also have some solid wrestlers who don’t get the attention that the lighter weights do. Zachariah Knoechel (144 pounds), Smith and Woosley have chances to do some really cool things for us this postseason.”
McCloskey is defending region champion and the returning state runner-up at 126 pounds. Blevins is a returning region runner-up at 120 pounds. He was state champion his freshman year at 106.
“Braydan wants to finish the season at the top spot on the podium,” Peebles said. “After how last season ended for him, he’s considered this a bit of a redemption year for himself. So far, he has done a good job living up to that. Jonah, just being himself, doesn’t necessarily care where he finishes. He has a goal to go out and wrestle hard every match and just see how he finishes. Thankfully, he is so good, he usually finishes towards the top every event.”
McCloskey earned his first Southwest Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association championship in four attempts earlier this season. He is closing in on 200 career wins.
The Simon Kenton girls wrestling team has been without since-graduated Gabby Ocasio, the school’s first-ever sanctioned female state champion. But there have been noteworthy improvements on the girls side as well.
“The girls are having a very strong year,” Peebles said. “The coaches have done a great job teaching the returning girls how to be better wrestlers. Each girl has made significant improvements from their first season to their second.”
Standouts include Riece Laughlin and sisters Devon Banks and Alayna Banks.
“They are going to be the building blocks around Simon Kenton girls wrestling for the future,” the coach said.
The girls are guided by head coach Scott Smith and assistant Migdoel Ocasio.
“They helped grow the team this season from six wrestlers last year to nine this year,” Peebles said.
From boys to girls, from light to heavy, the Simon Kenton wrestling teams are experiencing top-to-bottom improvements. All they have to do to reach their goals, the coach said, is keep wrestling like it.
“We still have a few weeks until regionals, and a lot of things could happen until then,” Peebles said. “My wrestlers know what they are individually. And they’re working hard to put themselves in a position to get there.”