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Hodges sisters chase history in first run at districts
Kayla and Kassie Hodges are in their second season with the Jackson girl’s wrestling team, but this will be their first run at the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 tournament, which takes place at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill on Saturday.
Should they, or any of the other five Indians, make it past districts on Saturday and into sectionals on Feb. 20, they will be the first in program history to do so.
“It’s kind of cool,” said Kayla, a senior. “We’re sisters and we’re representing our school. Sectionals are a big deal. No female has made it past districts or won districts in Jackson.”
“I feel like not only just me and Kayla but just seeing that we have so many other girls that have so many opportunities, it’s kind of crazy,” said Kassie, a sophomore. “Especially since it’s the first year of me and my sister wrestling.”
Both sisters had a background in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu, so it was only natural to gravitate to wrestling once it started to become more available to girls.
“I already had the grappling mindset,” Kayla said. “So I thought wrestling would be cool.”
“I saw a lot of wrestlers coming into Jiu-Jitsu, so I had more interest in it,” Kassie said. “I feel like it helps with aggression and the training experience.”
The Hodges sisters have been able to take their natural sibling rivalry to the mat and make each other better through competition.
“We’ve always been competitive towards each other, but it motivates the other one to get better,” Kayla said. “We’ve kind of grown together.”
Kayla enters the districts with a 14-3 record and recently won first place in her weight class (143 pounds) in the SEMO Conference Tournament.
“She probably has the best chance,” Jackson coach Steve Wachter said of Kayla.
The top four in each class advance to sectionals.
Given that there are only five wrestlers in her weight class, all she would have to do is win a single match to move on.
Kayla will first face McKayla Brown of Poplar Bluff (13-12). The winner of that match will wrestle the winner of Dexter’s Julianna Rivera (11-1) and the winner between Hannah Tackett (14-9) and Sikeston’s Kimarhi Wilkins (12-16). Rivera’s lone loss of the season came against Kayla.
Kassie (11-6) has a tougher road to sectionals with eight competitors in the 137-pound bracket.
The road to sectionals will likely go through Sikeston’s Lila Eckert (31-4).
Among other Jackson wrestlers in districts are 103-pounder Kaiden Weisbrod (7-12 on the season), 117-pounder Gracie Metzger (12-9), 122-pounder Mallorie Metzger (16-8), 132-pounder Trynity Vanek, and 174-pounder Maggie Gibbs (7-10).
Notre Dame will be sending Lily Ahlvin (2-13) and Emma Steimle (9-0) to districts.
Bulldog coach Garrett Watson had to manage a tough year that saw numerous meet cancellations, including a quarantine period that caused the Bulldogs to miss the SEMO Conference Tournament.
“COVID hasn't made anything easy,” Watson said. “In all honesty, I'm surprised that we've gone this far in the season without having the state call off the season. I'm happy to have come this far and can't wait to see get after it this weekend.”
Watson said Ahlvin “took her lumps” during her first year as a wrestler, but is confident in her readiness for the big stage, citing her improved mental toughness.
“She's learned to turn it up when the time comes in a match,” Watson said.
Watson believes that Steimle has the best chance to advance.
“She's been on fire this year,” Watson said. “She’s come back from an injury that put her out for a bit, but though it all she's kept a level head and has never complained. The only time that I've seen her upset this season is when she didn't have any match-ups with other teams. She's eager to get out on the mat and show everyone what she's got.”
Cape Central is sending the first-year wrestler Zakorie Ransom.
“She has worked really hard,” Cape Central coach Jarrett Reisenbichler said. “She might be able to make it past (districts).”