All-State Wrestlers Shined

Two wrestlers reaching the podium at the Class 2 state meet capped off an eventful 2020-21 winter sports season at Sullivan High School.

Senior Dillon Witt took third place and junior Ty Shetley came in sixth, giving the program two all-state competitors for the fourth straight year.

Sullivan’s team was crowned district champions for the second straight year, winning the tournament on their home mat.

It added up to yet another successful season for the program, which was under the guidance of first-year head coach Carl Lawrence.

The Eagles were able to survive a winter that was defined by rising COVID-19 cases, quarantines and the normal wear and tear of a wrestling season.

Sullivan’s boys basketball team was unable to avoid the dreaded quarantine.

With a senior-heavy roster, expectations were high for the Eagles going into the season.

The boys were picked to finish first in the Four Rivers Conference.

Things didn’t go as planned as they stumbled to an 0-3 start, then were quarantined for nearly the entire month of December.

By the time the Eagles returned Jan. 5, most teams had settled in.

Sullivan had to knock off weeks of rust. The early returns were promising as they knocked off Seckman 59-44, but lost five of their next seven games.

Things were back on the upswing with a four-game winning streak against Hillsboro, Lebanon, Hermann and St. Clair.

After stumbling at Homecoming against Pacific, Sullivan closed out the regular season strong.

They won three straight to improve to 10-9, moving over .500 for the first time all season.

However, they were beaten in the regular season finale against Owensville.

In the first round of districts, they surrendered an eight-point second half lead against Pacific and bowed out of the tournament.

Sullivan finished 10-11.

The Lady Eagles had a similarly uneven campaign, but one that gave hope to more success in 2021-22.

With the roster almost completely overturned from the 2019-20 when they reached the Class 4 quarterfinals, Sullivan and head coach Jordan Flora entered with a difficult task.

A group reliant on just one returner in senior Hanna Johanning and unproven sophomores, Sullivan was just 2-10 on Jan. 12.

The situation gradually improved as the Lady Eagles won six of their next eight.

They even went toe-to-toe for one half with Union, which took third place in Class 4.

Sullivan closed out the regular season with a 34-32 win over Owensville and edged Pacific 48-42 in the first round of districts, but met their fate in a 60-26 loss in the championship game.