ROGERS -- Rogers High coach Ken Simmons will be looking for some key hits and big strikes from the top of the Mounties lineup this weekend.
Simmons is not the Rogers baseball coach but instead coaches the Mounties wrestling team. But he used some baseball analogies when describing the Arkansas Wrestling Championships this weekend in Little Rock. Rogers has been one of the best wrestling teams in the state this year and the Mounties have been led by a solid top five of Heath Henman, Madison Montgomery, Stephen Waterhouse, Christian Brummett and Ray Brummett.
And Rogers will need those five, and the rest of the lineup, to produce if the Mounties want to claim a state championship. Rogers is 33-3 in dual matches and the Mounties have won several big tournaments.
"It's like in baseball, you expect somebody to get a big hit or a pitcher starts the game and pitches so many innings," Simmons said. "They are dependable, and they are usually going to score you points. Those five all have the potential to make the finals if they wrestle well. From what I have seen this year competition wise and what they have been doing, they have a shot at doing it."
Waterhouse will bring a 46-3 record into the state championships at 106 and the junior is one of the favorites in his class. Henman is 37-7 at 138, Montgomery is 45-10 at 145, Christian Brummett is 53-6 at 170 and Ray Brummett is 42-8 at 285.
"The majority of the time, you are looking at a solid win out of those guys," Simmons said. "I don't know if they need to make it to the finals, but they need to score pretty big. If they make the finals, that is big points. If you don't make the finals, you have to come in big at third or fourth."
Waterhouse missed most of his sophomore season after suffering a concussion.
"Waterhouse hasn't wrestled real well lately, to be honest," Simmons said. "But he is really good on his feet."
Henman and Montgomery are the Mounties most experienced wrestlers. Both seniors finished fourth in their class at the state meet last year.
"Henman is more well rounded on all aspects of wrestling," Simmons said. "Madison is a three-time state medalist and has a chance to be our first four-time medalist ever. The last month, Madison has wrestled lights out."
Montgomery said his experiences wrestling the past three season has paid off in his final year with the Mounties.
"I have just tried to work hard in practice and keep my mind straight," Montgomery said. "We have been close as a group and that has helped us excel all year. We just have to step it up the rest of the year."
The Brummett brothers, who are both juniors, moved to Rogers this year and had not wrestled competitively since middle school, Simmons said. Christian Brummett has 44 pins in his 52 victories.
"Christian already has the team record for pins, so every time he pins someone it is another record," Simmons said. "Christian has a couple of signature moves that he is really good at."
Montgomery said the addition of the Brummett brothers has been a huge plus for the team.
"They are leaders in duals, and in practice," Montgomery said. "We are lucky to have them."
Sports on 02/16/2015