Another Senior Night featured another senior class instrumental to the Centralia boys wrestling program’s success.

Centralia Senior Night Photo Gallery

During the previous three seasons, the No. 1 Panthers have finished in the Class 1 top three each year with a state championship in 2023. Their final stop at home this season was a 47-35 victory over No. 2 Brookfield on Thursday. 

Not a single one of Centralia’s five seniors wrestled on Senior Night, but head coach Luke Gramke said they have accomplished plenty for the program. Bryson Dubes at 106 pounds and Ian Tuggle at 215 pounds each earned their 100th career win this season, Tuggle and Wyatt Adkisson each won state medals last year, and Tuggle and Mason Adkisson have been ranked in the top three at their weights.

“These seniors haven’t been part of a team that has not brought home a state trophy, which is impressive,” Gramke said. “A lot of state medals amongst this senior group. The underclassmen respect them, and they’re going to leave their mark on the program not just with results in wrestling, but the character they’re instilling in the wrestling room.”

Gramke said the seniors are great leaders and keep the team on task. Tuggle fits this description and has meant so much more, which Gramke said is why he was voted as the King of the Mat or “Mr. Grappler.”

“He was voted that based on his peers, and that’s stemming from him being a good leader in the room,” Gramke said. “He does a good job of keeping things light and fun. Whenever we ask him to get to work, he does a good job of getting to work. He understands that you’ve got to have both. He helps the younger kids see that.”

Tuggle has been having a successful senior season by finishing at the top of podiums at his weight class in various tournaments, including the loaded Battle of the Katy Trail Tournament. He said there has been a lot of work and sweating in the weight room and wrestling room, which started before the season as he had to knock off 30 pounds to avoid wrestling heavyweights. The defensive lineman, who has earned all-state honors in his career, said “it wasn’t too bad” as the weight “falls off” after all the sweating and healthier eating.

However, Tuggle started working on his craft long before this season since he said he was six years old in kids club. The technique and strength has obviously improved with each passing year, but Tuggle said his mindset has improved as well.

“If I ever lose a match, I don’t get upset about it anymore,” Tuggle said. “It’s not the worst part of the day when I lose a match. Earlier this year, I lost a match to a kid in Illinois. In sophomore year, I probably would have cried about that and sat in the hallway. Now, I accept it and watch the film of the match to see what I can do better.”

Gramke said his wrestlers didn’t let adversity drag them down against Brookfield. Rex Bryson pinned his opponent at 165 pounds, and Waylon Adkisson at 113 and Charlie Robinson at 132 earned victories by pinfall and 16-1 technical fall, respectively. After two opens at 215 and 285, Centralia broke a tie at 35 to win the dual against its former conference rival.

“Brookfield is always going to be full of hammers, well-coached kids and really tough and strong kids,” Gramke said. “Waylon gave up an early takedown and stayed under control and focused on wrestling hard. That’s what we preach day in and day out. Charlie Robinson has wrestled Ryder Techau probably closer to 10 times now. He was able to open it up in the third with a couple takedowns and a couple sets of near fall.”

Centralia is in the stacked district in Class 1 District 3 that includes Brookfield, Marceline, Versailles and conference foe Palmyra. The Panthers start the district tournament on Feb. 22 at Versailles, so with postseason approaching in his final season, Tuggle said being part of this program has meant a lot to him.

“I grew up watching my brothers play football here,” Tuggle said. “I’ve always loved the way Centralia does it. We don’t talk trash or anything like that.”