Webster Sending Two Wrestlers to State Tournament

It was not a very successful trip for the Webster Groves wrestling team this past weekend, but at least they will be sending a pair of wrestlers to the state finals.

The Statesmen finished 11th out of 13 teams in the Class 3 District 1 wrestling tournament at Farmington, Mo. that was dominated by the host team. Webster saw success at the lightest weight class, and at the heavyweight class, but were shut out at every weight class in between.

Headed to the 81st MSHSAA Wrestling Championships Feb. 17-19 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. is senior team captain Joshua Jones and sophomore Marlon Hampton.

Jones qualified by finishing third at 103 pounds, and is 25-11 in his matches this season. Hampton finished fourth and has a 14-7 mark this season.

The district meet was dominated by Farmington and Rockwood Summit. Farmington won its five title matches against Summit, and finished first at districts with 270.5 points. Summit was second with 243 points and the Falcons qualified a school-record 12 wrestlers for the state tournament.

Webster Groves Basketball Update

For those who will attending Monday night’s boys varsity basketball game between Webster and Parkway North, it is Douglass Night. The Statesmen will wear purple uniforms, which will honor the former Douglass High School that was located in north Webster. The school was dedicated to helping African-American students gain education from all over the St. Louis metro area from 1925 to 1956.

The Statesmen enter the game with a 19-4 record, including 5-0 in the Suburban South Conference. They have won 71 consecutive league games after beating Kirkwood (11-11), 63-39, last Friday as Rayshawn Simmons scored 19 points. Simmons, a junior guard, leads Webster with 13.6 points per game.

For the Webster girls team, their next action will be nonconference games at Jackson on Tuesday, followed by a game at Oakville on Wednesday. The Statesmen are 12-11, including a 4-1 mark in the Suburban South Conference. They trail only Kirkwood (4-0) in the league standings.

Webster Groves junior Jordan Thompson reached 1,000 career points last week, and leads the team with an average of 19.3 points per game. Thompson’s 50 made 3-pointers ranks seventh in the St. Louis metro area.