Stoffey Reaches A Milestone

Coach Kevin Stoffey is in his 22nd season as the head wrestling coach at Windsor.

Kevin+Stoffey+won+his+200th+dual+meet+on+Thursday+night.+

Jennifer Brye

Kevin Stoffey won his 200th dual meet on Thursday night.

Staff Report

When it comes to wrestling at Windsor, head coach Kevin Stoffey has seen it all. After all, he has been the only varsity head coach since the program began in 1995-96.

“The time has flown by. Not to sound like an old man, but it has gone by faster than I would have liked,” Stoffey said. “I take quite a bit of pride and joy in building a program from scratch into a respectable program. ”

After the Owls defeated Priory 52-25 and Pacific 42-36 on Thursday night, Stoffey notched his 200th career dual meet win.

“It’s not an every day experience that you get to be a part of that type of milestone, especially with it being on Senior Night,” senior Andrew Marler said.

Throughout this winter, Stoffey has been piling up dual meet victories. Not only has the team excelled in dual meets, but also in tournaments. The Owls won the prestigious Fort Zumwalt North tournament earlier this season. During Stoffey’s tenure, the Owls have won 17 tournaments.

“Our quality of wrestlers have improved over the years. Wrestling is a sport that requires a lot of time to develop–both as a team and as an individual,” Stoffey said.

Over the years, the Owls have had 75 state qualifiers–including 19 state medalists. The Owls are looking to add a few more this season. Before looking ahead to this year’s state tournament, the Owls are heading to the SEMO Conference Tournament at Dexter High School this weekend.

Meanwhile, Stoffey shows no signs of slowing down. The veteran coach is currently finishing up his one-year stint as the athletic director. Stoffey, who has technically been retired for nearly seven years, has filled in after the passing of principal David Gilmore.

Overall, Stoffey has been at Windsor for over 35 years. Stoffey has filled many roles during his tenure–he has been a teacher, coach, counselor, assistant principal and athletic director. The number of lives affected by Stoffey is impossible to count.

“He’s like a parent inside the building. Whether I win or lose, he’s always there to congratulate me or tell me what I need to fix,” Marler said. “Overall, he’s had a huge impact on many wrestlers over the years.”