season. They just have to believe him and buy in. Malcolm wrestling coach Matt Coufal put his athletes in tough situations early in the season to make sure they get prepared for when it matters most. That strategy proved effective as four of nine Malcolm grapplers punched tickets to this week’s state wrestling championships.
“I like to think we wrestle a pretty tough schedule,” Coufal said. “That shows up this time of year. Wrestle good competition and you’ll be prepared at the end of the season.”
The Clippers traveled to Albion for the C-1 district meet Feb. 10-11 where they placed ninth in the 15-team field with 64 total points.
Bricen Wilkie was Malcolm’s lone district champion. The sophomore went 3-0 in the 152-pound bracket. After opening with a first-period pin, Wilkie outlasted Logan View’s Baylor Kaup in the semifinals. Wilkie dominated his championship match against Boone Central’s Samuel Grape.
“Bricen put it all together this week,” Coufal said. “It looks like he’s peaking at the right time. He’s wrestling well in all positions right now.”
After working his way down to the 113-pound weight class, Cody Barton found himself back in the 120-pound bracket at districts.
“We knew 113 was going to be loaded,” Coufal said. “Cody very well could have qualified. But we saw a better path for him at 120.”
The freshman did what was needed to earn his way to Omaha. As a No. 5 seed, Barton went 4-1 at the tournament to earn a bronze medal.
“Cody has proven he can do a lot of good things on the mat,” Coufal said. “I love his desire to get better. He thought he wrestled poorly in the third-place match he won. That tells me he knows he has room for improvement.”
Zane Zoucha is keeping the family tradition alive. The 126-pound senior is returning to state for the second time, making it eight consecutive years at least one member of his family will compete in Omaha. The youngest of four boys, Zane placed third by going 3-1 on the weekend and beating David City’s Brittin Valentine twice.
“That kid pinned Zane in the first period when we saw him in a dual a few weeks ago,” Coufal said. “Zane has gotten so much better on his feet. He controlled those matches this time. I expect he’ll be laser-focused this week.”
While Josh Stewart spent his season wrestling at 182, the coaches put in him in the 195-pound bracket for districts.
“Again, we just saw a clearer path for him at that weight,” Coufal said. “The way he started the tournament really set him up well for the second day.”
After defeating Johnson County Central’s Tucker Thomas in the consolation semifinals to guarantee a spot in Omaha, the senior lost a close third-place match to Mason Kreikemeier from Raymond Central.
“Josh has really been a great leader for us this year,” Coufal said. “I”m really happy for him and for all the guys that qualified.
“We have a whole new season starting on Monday. You never know what can happen up there. I’ve seen some crazy things.”
Competition begins for the Clippers Thursday, Feb. 16, at the CHI Center in Omaha.
