Senior wrestlers hoping third time’s the charm at dual state

For the third straight season, the Sallisaw Black Diamonds wrestling team will participate in the Class 4A Dual State Tournament, which will be Saturday at Tulsa Union High School. The Black Diamonds (71) will meet Fort Gibson in the state quarterfinals at 10 a.m.

The majority of the seniors have been a part of the threepeat in making dual state, and have enjoyed the opportunities.

“It’s always exciting to be able to do those things, build off the legacy we’re trying to build right now,” Sallisaw 215-pounder Hunter Smith said. “Sallisaw is a historic program. I think we either won it or placed second (at dual state) a long time ago. We’re looking to win it this year.”

“I’m really excited,” Sallisaw 126-pounder Morgan Duke said.

“I’m really excited,” Sallisaw 138-pounder Dawson Glover said. “I’m ready to go out there and get it.”

One senior wrestler is just trying to not let the excitement of the event overshadow the task at hand — try to win a state dual championship.

“It’s exciting, but I’m trying to treat it like any other dual,” Sallisaw 175-pounder Bodie Adams said. “You can’t let the excitement outweigh everything else.”

One senior, 157-pounder Alex Reed, returned to Sallisaw after spending the last three seasons with the Van Buren (Ark.) Pointers.

“It’s a lot different than I remember, in a good way,” Reed said. “The people are a lot nicer.”

Reed did participate in Arkansas’ dual state tournament, where the Pointers won state in all three seasons Reed was a Pointer. He’s counting on that experience to help him on Saturday.

“We won every year I was there for three seasons,” Reed said. “Oklahoma’s is harder than Arkansas’. I feel like I’ll be ready.”

Sallisaw senior 190-pounder Drew Simpson will get to be a part of his first dual state tournament on Saturday. When the Black Diamonds went to dual state in 2024 at Enid’s Stride Bank Center and last year at Tulsa Union High School, Simpson was a Roland Ranger. He’s looking forward to the opportunity.

“It’s really exciting,” Simpson said. “I’m glad to the a part of this team. I’m glad that I can help put what I have to this team to help them. I’m really glad to be a part of it.”

Sallisaw senior wrestler Mattix Casebolt, who is listed at 138 pounds, did not get to be a part of the 2025 Class 4A Dual State Tournament after getting to wrestle in the 2024 dual state tournament. He’s hoping his current injury doesn’t prevent him from wrestling on Saturday in what would be his final dual state tournament.

“It’s felt good, until I got injured again,” Casebolt said. “There’s about a 50-50 chance of getting to wrestle in the (Class 4A) Dual State Tournament. It would feel good If I’m able to wrestle in it again.”

In 2024, the Black Diamonds made it to the state semifinals before being eliminated, then were knocked out in the quarterfinals last year. To say the Black Diamonds seniors are hoping that third time’s the charm is an understatement. The seniors are hoping to end up as dual state champions after winning the state title dual, which is slated for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

“That would be great,” Casebolt said. “We’ve put in a lot of work. It would be good (if we win it).”

“I feel like it would be a great team experience — and a good life experience, too,” Reed said.

“It would mean everything,” Adams said. “It would show that the work me and the rest of the team have been putting in meant something. It would be just be an awesome thing to end my senior season on.”

“It would mean a lot to me,” Glover said. “All the hard work we’ve been putting in the room, it would mean something.”

“It would mean a lot,” Simpson said. “I think if we’re all firing together and wrestling our hardest, we can definitely do it. It would be great. We would all love that.”

“That would mean everything to me,” Duke said. “I think we can do it — I know we can. It will take a lot of hard wrestling. It would mean a lot to me if we can win it. It would be a good little send-off.”

“It would mean everything,” Smith said. “This is my final year, and the final year for a lot of these guys. A lot of these guys are four-year starters. I’ve only been a three-year starter. It would mean everything to the guys.”