[ad_1]
RM RAISED — Big Red’s Brody Saccoccia gets his arm raised after winning the 150-pound title during Saturday’s Division II Sectional Tournament inside the Crimson Center. Big Red placed second overall as a team. — Andrew Grimm
STEUBENVILLE — The journey to Columbus and the state wrestling tournament has begun.
Four local wrestlers punched their ticket to the upcoming district tournament by capturing sectional titles at an Ohio Division II Eastern District Sectional Tournament Saturday afternoon inside the Crimson Center.
“We wrestled really well,” Big Red head coach Lucas Huffman said. “We had some guys make it out that we were not quite sure about. Overall, we wrestled a good a tournament. My hat is off to Beaver Local. They wrestled a better tournament than we did.”
Team-wise, Beaver Local finished first with a total of 196.5, points, Big Red placed second with 187.5 points and Indian Valley ended up in third place with 186.5 points. Also, Buckeye Local finished in ninth place with 72 points.
“It is a tough sectional,” Huffman said. “It was tight at the top with us, Beaver Local, West Holmes and Indian Valley. It was back and forth.
“It is a tough sectional. Every team has very good wrestlers. It was excellent competition.”
West Holmes finished fourth with 168.5 points.
Individually for Big Red, Cal Beadling (138 pounds), Brody Saccoccia (150) and Savier Faulks (157) all captured sectional titles.
Beadling (42-5) defeated John Glenn’s Dominic Bates by major decision, 15-4, in the finals.
Beadling – the No. 1 seed – advanced to the finals by pinning Indian Valley’s Rowan Piccin in 4:34 in the quarterfinals before beating River View’s Blaze Klein by tech fall, 17-2, in the semifinals.
“Cal has been solid all year,” Huffman said. “He proved why he is ranked high in the state. We wrestled well today. He came out and got it done. We rely on him heavily.”
Saccoccia (42-3) defeated Hunter McCluggage of West Holmes by major decision, 18-9, to capture the championship.
Saccoccia – the No. 1 seed – advanced to the finals by pinning Philo’s Dylan Rayner in 48 seconds in the quarterfinals before pinning Indian Valley’s Aidan Braun in 1:01 in the semifinals.
Brody was Brody today,” Huffman said. “Brody is one of the best in the state, and he showed that today. The kid from West Holmes is really tough. Hopefully, his momentum carries over into the district tournament.”
Faulks (40-7) defeated Philo’s Talan Bailey by major decision, 11-3, in the finals.
Faulks – the No. 1 seed – opened the tournament by pinning River View’s Brayden Carpenter in the first round, he pinned West Holmes’ Camden McCluggage in 1:22 in the quarterfinals before pinning Morgan’s Tanner Bankes in 1:56 in the semifinals.
“Savier, I am always in his head,” Huffman said. “He’s one of the best in the state. He can win a state title. He just has to want to do it. He wrestled an excellent tournament.”
Buckeye Local’s Brendon Stillion (24-8) also won a sectional title. Stillion pinned Philo’s Landon Gill in 49 seconds to win the match.
Stillion – the No. 2 seed – pinned his way through the tournament. Stillion opened the tournament by pinning Morgan’s Devin Waggy in 2:32 in the first round, he pinned Indian Valley’s Brent Smith in 25 seconds in the quarterfinals before pinning Beaver Local’s Isaac Prescott in 1:08 in the semifinals.
The top four of each weight class advance to the district tournament, while the fifth place finisher is the district alternate.
Big Red had six other wresters punch their tickets to the district tournament, and the Red-and-Black also has three alternates.
Julius Mullins (126), Charlie Abbott (132), Cooper Smith (144), Landon Crosier (165), Noah West (190) and Beau Hudson (285) all qualified for the district tournament. Mullins, Abbott, Smith and Hudson all ended up placing third, while Crosier and West finished fourth.
“Four of them have been to the district tournament before,” Huffman said about his qualifiers. “Cooper Smith came here last year from PA, so obviously, he has never wrestled at an Ohio district tournament before, but he is used to this level of competition. We also had some young guys punch their tickets to the district tournament. It was a good day.”
Finally, Frank Guntrum (106), Nicholas Lovato (113) and Kasyn Berkey (120) are all alternates.
The Panthers had three other wrestlers qualify for the district tournament.
Individually, Shawn Jordan (106), Denvar Nelson (175) and Chase McFadden (215) all advanced. Jordan placed third, while Nelson and McFadden finished fourth.
The district tournament will be held Friday and Saturday down at Gallia Academy High School.
“Nothing is really going to change,” Huffman said about his team’s preparation for the district tournament. “Monday, we are going to take it a little easier. We are going to get after it Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully, we can put a good show on next weekend down at Gallia Academy.”
[ad_2]
Source link