A week prior to the start of the 80th annual MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships, I had the pleasure to invite Neosho head wrestling coach Jeremy Phillips as my guest speaker to our Rotary Club meeting.
During our short car ride from the school to the Lampo Building, Jeremy and I discussed the success his team was having this season, his expectations for the upcoming district and state tournaments, and how well his program has done over the past few years.
Then, as we neared our destination, I turned to the coach and said, “Jeremy, you know Neosho could really use some good news these days. It would be great to run the headline, “State Champs,” in the paper in a week or so.”
Jeremy just smiled and said, “Thanks, like I didn’t already feel the pressure.”
Well, Jeremy, your wrestling team handled the pressure masterfully, and we took pure joy in plastering “State Champs” across the front page of a special four-page wrap in this past Sunday’s edition.
At a time when Neosho needed something, as a community, to be proud of, the wrestling Wildcats sure did deliver.
It is awesome to drive around town right now and see the marquees of several businesses proclaiming Neosho the home of the “state champs.”
It is awesome to see Neoshoans proud of their hometown, and willing to shout it to the masses.
At a time when the news around town has been gloomy with talks of job losses, political struggles and unrest at city hall, it was refreshing to wipe all the negativity away for a little while and focus on the achievement of these hard-working young men and their dedicated coaches.
For years, the Neosho High School wrestling program has thrived on excellence, with a runner-up finish for the Class 3 title in 2009, and a fourth place team finish in 2008.
The Wildcats had been oh so close those past two seasons, and maybe that’s why this state championship in 2010 is so extra sweet. They had been able to see the promise land of Missouri prep wrestling two years in a row, and this year they were finally able to bask in its glory on the mats at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
On Monday morning, I had the pleasure to deliver press plates to Coach Phillips for he and each of his wrestlers to have as a small token of gratitude from the newspaper staff.
It was a simple way for us, as a community representative, to say thank you for bringing home the gold to Neosho in 2010.
To the athletes and coaches of the Neosho High School wrestling program, congratulations on making history in 2010 by winning the first-ever team state championship in school history.
You did Neosho proud when Neosho needed it the most.
Rick Rogers is the publisher of the Daily News.
