The state-ranked Fulton Hornets wrestling team will be stacked with strength in numbers, but head coach Eric Hudson cautions that it's no guarantee.
Still, Hudson has to like the odds when it comes to Fulton's chances for a shot at the Class 2 state title.
The Hornets will send 12 wrestlers to the state championships later this week in Columbia after making a commanding march to the District 2 team title Saturday at Mexico High School.
Fulton - ranked No. 2 in Class 2 - was powered by six individual champions as it rolled up 248.5 points in running away with the team title. Mexico was far back in second place with 139.5 points, followed by Kirksville third (135), MICDS fourth (115.5), Moberly fifth (113), and Winfield sixth (100).
"I'm pretty happy with that," Hudson said afterward. "... I'm really proud of the kids, they really did a nice job."
The top four finishers in each weight class qualified for the Class 2 state championships, which start Thursday morning at Mizzou Arena.
While the Hornets' total qualifiers is impressive, Hudson stressed that the dozen will have to deliver if Fulton wants to be in the hunt for its first state wrestling title since 1981. The Hornets advanced 10 wrestlers to the state championships in 2013 and finished second in Class 2.
"We've talked about this before - you can take eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 kids, but if they don't score points, it doesn't matter," Hudson said. "That will be the focus this week, "OK, we're here now, but we have unfinished business.'
"We need to go out there and score points, and try to get the team trophy. Hopefully we can pull that off."
Josh McClure and Zach Benner - Fulton's two unbeaten juniors - sparked the Hornets again Saturday with district championship wins at 138 and 195 pounds, respectively. Also supplying titles for Fulton were juniors Trenton Clines (145 pounds) and Clayton Bristol (285), and a pair of sophomores - Devan Hudson (113) and Brandon Dews (120).
McClure, Benner, Clines and Bristol are all three-time state qualifiers, while Devan Hudson and Dews will both be making their second trip.
The Hornets' other qualifiers include senior Noah Braun (21-8), second at 170 pounds; senior Taylor Gillooly (13-1), sophomore Luke Berry (28-9) and freshman Tucker Caswell (36-4), third at 182, 152 and 106, respectively, and juniors Andy Baysinger (24-6) and Jason Pae (13-4), fourth at 160 and 132, respectively.
Baysinger and Pae will both be making their second appearance at state, while it will be the first exposure for Braun, Gillooly, Berrey and Caswell.
McClure (36-0) - who captured his first state title at 113 pounds last year - secured the district championship at 138 on Saturday with a dominating 6-0 decision over MICDS senior John Broughton (42-6).
"He really was (in control)," Eric Hudson said of McClure. "Again, it's one of those things where he's the guy, he's a state champion and a bit of a marked man there. People know that they're going to have to wrestle, and wrestle well, and to do that ... you have to wrestle very conservatively to prevent him from scoring.
"(Josh) didn't get to do a lot of the things that he does real well. He just basically had to get the points he could get and then stay in control of the match, because the other kid wasn't going to do anything to open up."
In what had to be the most anticipated title showdown between a pair of unbeatens at 195 pounds, Benner (36-0) scored a convincing 7-1 decision over Kirksville senior Kylan Easley (33-1). Benner - the state runner-up at 182 pounds last year - almost ended the match with a pin in the second period.
"(Zach's) intensity was good, he stayed in good position," Hudson said. "We were close to having a fall there. He knew what he wanted to do in that match and after he got that first takedown and got on top, it was over with at that point."
Clines (31-2) - who has been dealing with a bothersome ankle - had to fight off fatigue in turning back Moberly freshman Kyler Guthrie (34-13) in a 6-3 decision for the championship at 145 pounds. Clines reached the title match after persevering in a draining 3-2 ultimate tie-breaker win over Normandy senior Nicholas Davis in the semifinals.
"Trenton really had to work hard, had a really tough match (in the semifinals) and came out on top, but we didn't have a lot left for the finals," Hudson said. "With him battling through an injury, that finals match was a little ugly, but hey, you win and you're a district champion, and you hopefully got yourself a good draw for Thursday."
Bristol (26-1) didn't have to exert himself in picking up the championship at 285 pounds after Moberly junior Mickey Sires (21-11) forfeited due to an injury. Receiving a double-bye into the semifinals, Bristol pinned University City freshman Jonathan York in 1 minute, 30 seconds, in his only district match.
"It was pretty quick and painless," Hudson said of Bristol's victory. "... He got in an arm and an ankle, put the kid on his back and that was it."
In the championship at 113 pounds, Devan Hudson (25-3) overpowered Moberly freshman Luke Vitt (33-12) in an 11-2 major decision.
"Devon coming back after an injury (hamstring strain), he wrestled well and looked good," Eric Hudson said.
Meanwhile, Dews (34-4) edged Winfield sophomore Kai Rogers (41-5) in a 4-3 decision for the 120-pound title. Dews was able to avenge a 7-5 overtime loss to Rogers at Fulton's Jim Wallace Classic on Jan. 24.
"Brandon kind of got the ultimate revenge there," Hudson said.