Lions Wrestling announced this weekend that nine Gravette grapplers qualified for the AR State Wrestling Tournament, bringing home five All-State medals and a Coach of the Year award.
The Gravette High School wrestling team entered the 4A State Tournament in Little Rock with a new head coach and a roster full of new faces. Following back-to-back state championships in previous seasons, this year marked a new chapter for the program. Under the direction of Head Coach Jeff Stapleton, the Lions proved that the program remains a powerful force in Arkansas wrestling.
Coach Stapleton, in his first season leading the Lions, was named the 4A Coach of the Year. With over 430 career dual wins, Coach Stapleton is among a small group of coaches who have averaged double-digit yearly victories for over 25 years.
The team attributed their postseason success to a demanding regular-season schedule. The Lions competed across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri to prepare for the state level. "We put this team through a meat grinder early in the season" Gravette Lions Wrestling shared on social media, "We took some lumps, but in the end, it paid off with a battle-hardened team that showed they were ready for the big stage."
The tournament featured a historic milestone for Gravette athletics. Sophomore JaiCee Jennings became the first female wrestler in school history to earn All-State honors, securing a fourth-place medal in the 190-pound division.
Senior Porter Bird continued his legacy of state tournament success. After clinching the team title with a decisive win in his junior year, Bird finished his senior season with a second-place silver medal at 190 pounds.
The Lions celebrated three additional third-place finishers. This included Denver Pruitt (Senior, 138 lbs), Payton Burnett (Junior, 144 lbs), and Jacob Worley (Junior, 150 lbs). Four other Lions qualified and competed in the tournament: Preston Donham (Fr., 120 lbs), Matua Benavente (Jr., 126 lbs), Owen Merworth (Soph., 157 lbs), and Will Tucker (Fr., 285 lbs).
"I can’t tell you how many times over the last couple of years I have heard how much other teams love to compete against us because of our fan base," the team shared, "y’all are rowdy and we love it".
With a strong core of returning starters and a culture of discipline established by the outgoing seniors, we look forward to the future of this program. This team is poised for continued success on the mat.
Follow Gravette Lions Wrestling on social media for more from the team
