Montezuma sends two to state wrestling competition

​        Montezuma wrestlers Braxton Plants and Wesley Ross are shown with wrestling coaches, Mike Plants, left, and Tyler Foubert, right. Plants, a senior, is returning to state for a second year and Ross, a sopomore, is wrestling at state for the first time. Submitted photo.

By J.O. Parker
 
       Known as Big Hammer and Little Hammer, Braxton Plants, a senior, and his teammate, Wesley Ross, a sophomore, have both qualified for state wrestling competition in Des Moines.
        Best of friends and teammates on the Montezuma Braves Wrestling team, the two wrestlers are headed to state competition at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Feb. 18-21.
         Class 1A competition gets underway on Thursday, Feb. 19 beginning at 9 a.m.
Braxton Plants
         Plants returns to Des Moines for a second year after finishing in fourth place in 2025. 
      The son of Mike and Kelly Plants, the senior wrestler finished the regular season with a 56-1 overall record. He wrestles in the 215 pound class.
          Plants finished his prep career with a 150 wins and 100 pins.
          The Montezuma wrestler comes from a family of wrestlers.
          His dad, Mike, the head coach of the Braves, wrestled at Montezuma, making it to state his senior year in 2000. He has a younger brother, Bo, who wrestles for the Braves.
         His older brother, Brett, finished his prep career on the mat in 2025. He is now working alongside his dad coaching the Montezuma wrestlers.
          When ask about the opportunity to return to state, Plants said it one more chance to win a bracket and a championship.
           Plants started wrestling at an early age.
          When asked what he enjoys the most about wrestling, Plants said he enjoys working hard and hanging out with his friends.
Wesley Ross
            Ross, who wrestles in the 126 pound weight class, has wrestled for 13 years, starting at age 3.
            This is his first trip to wrestle on the big stage.
            He is the son of Brad and Nicky Ross.
            Ross finished the regular season with a 38-11 record.
            When asked about his love of wrestling and going to state, Ross said he really loves the sport.
          “It means a lot to me to go to state,” he said. “I get to go with my best friend and I get to experience wrestling on the big stage.”
            When asked about the names, Big Hammer and Little Hammer, Ross said it is names that Coach Plants came up with for both wrestlers.
            Plants said he and Ross are best friends and the two feed off each other in practice and competition.
            “It feels special,” said Plants.
            “It means a lot,” said Ross.
         Coach Plants said he is proud of both boys, saying that they have worked really hard during the off season, only taking off one week since last year.
            “It’s pretty special for them and for the Montezuma wrestling program,” noted Coach Plants.