Prep athletics coaches commonly call their team a family, but the Cassville wrestling program is taking the mantra a little more literally.

A total of eleven boys and girls wrestlers qualified for the 2023 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships, and more than half are related.

Juniors Hailey Roark, a twotime state qualifier, Faith James, a three-time qualifier; and Taylor Glidewell, a first-time qualifier, were joined by their little brothers, freshmen Colton Roark, Riley James and DJ Glidewell.

While the girls have been wresting together at the high school level, the boys are longtime youth wrestling teammates under coach Troy Thompson, whose freshman son also qualified for state. The Glidewell’s father, Ben Glidewell, is also an assistant coach for the Wildcats.

“It’s so cool for those parents to see two kids down there doing what they love,” said Nathan Fortner, Cassville wrestling coach. “it’s also absolutely great or our program. You can’t get closer than family, and we have a huge family. It’s a great coaching staff with great athletes. The program is moving in the right direction, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Taylor Glidewell said it was fun to get to experience state with her brother, both for the first time, and with the other sets of siblings.

“It’s a big part of who me and my brother are,” she said. “Our dad has always coached, so we grew up around wrestling a lot. It’s a way for us to bond, one thing we all have in common.”

That male influence can be tied to another one of the Lady Wildcats, 130-pound Class 1 runner- up, Faith James.

“We grew up [wrestling] together, and if not for [my brother Riley wrestling with Hailey’s brother Colton], I don’t think it would’ve been a thing,” she said. “They started wrestling, so I started wrestling.”

Hailey Roark said although her brother can exercise her nerves, she couldn’t have seen a scenario where he wasn’t at state with her this year.

“It was crazy [to have so many sets of siblings],” she said. [Colton is] really loud and obnoxious, but I’m super proud and I love him. I feel very privileged to do this. My dad always said when he was growing up, he was not able to travel and do stuff like this, so we thought wrestling would be a good sport to be involved in. It’s a very family-oriented sport and family-friendly.”

Colton Roark said the numerous sibling groups truly echoed the wrestling family ties.

“It was pretty awesome to have my sister here,” he said. “All the siblings we have are amazing. I think it felt like one big family together.”

DJ Glidewell said for his part, it added some confidence.

“It’s a different feeling, having that brother-sister power,” he said.

Riley James, who was cheered on by his sister to an overtime win for fifth place, then had to watch Faith fall in her state title bout.

“It was great until the very end, but it happens in wrestling,” he said. “It was a good feeling having her cheer for me and the other siblings also cheering for them.”

The Championships trip drew plenty of attention for the pairs, but Fortner said keeping the family in line day to day can be more difficult than people may thing.

“It’s pretty much impossible [to keep them from wrestling each other in practice],” he said. “At some point, one will start a little sibling conflict and we have to go break it up and calm them down. Sometimes it’s playful, and sometimes it’s not. But, they are all really close and grew up wrestling. It’s the sport they all do.”

One disagreement — inevitably — is who actually wins when the siblings go after one another.

“Sometimes we get to wrestle at practice, but then I have to throw hands and Fortner stops us,” Faith James said. “No matter what, I still always win.”

Riley James may disagree. “We wrestle a little bit at home, and coach lets us a little at practice,” he said. “[Faith has] been getting better, but she still gets beat up.”

Beat up, but lovingly, is how some others feel.

“We wrestle a lot at home,” Taylor Glidewell said. “None of it is legal either. My brother kind of beats me up.”

Colton Roark said Fortner rarely lets him wrestle his elder, but it’s a different story at home. Hailey Roark admitted it occurs, but not always of her volition.

“Sometimes we wrestle at home, maybe not voluntarily, but a lot goes on,” she said. “I don’t win much, but we pretend I do and I say I do.”

Though he is not currently on the team, another Cassville sibling connection struck at state, as senior Kailey Artherton’s older brother, Keaton Artherton, traveled from Utah to watch her last season.

Keaton was the second-ever state medalist for Cassville, and he was a senior when Kailey was a freshman.

“I think it would have been awesome to have a sibling here,” Kailey said. “I have a younger brother in eighth grade, so just a year off. It would have been a cool experience to watch him wrestle and support him while he supported me.”

In the end, that unwavering support is what makes the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats one big, grappling family.

“I always give [Faith] a big hug, win or loss,” Riley James said. “And, she does the same for me.”

Cassville’s wrestling family ties will continue to expand in 2023, as Fortner said throughout the program, there will be nine sets of siblings.

“It will be a real family affair,” he said.